Table of Contents
Summarised by Centrist
Immigration staff who questioned whether a troubled biometric technology project could succeed were reportedly removed or replaced, while senior officials gave ministers a far rosier account of its progress.
An independent review found some employees were replaced because they “raised concerns about the project’s viability”, although the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has refused to say how many staff were affected.
The Biometric Capability Update was eventually scrapped in November after seven years and $33 million in spending without delivering any results, let alone a working system.
A 2023 quality assurance report warned the project would not meet its planned launch date.
“We have doubts as to whether the project will in fact deliver at all, and we question its continuation,” consultants said.
The report also pointed to the project’s “poor delivery history” and “inability to meet agreed milestones”.
Despite those warnings, MBIE told incoming Immigration Minister Erica Stanford six months later that the project remained in good shape.
“The latest IQA confirmed the project approach was sound and robust, the build is achievable, and the risk management practice is effective,” officials told her.
MBIE has since apologised for not being “fully open and transparent”, admitting the advice was “incorrect and misleading”, while maintaining officials did not intend to mislead the minister.
Stanford also said officials had used “creative accounting” to shield the project from Cabinet scrutiny.
Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche said the review suggested people had “manipulated and bent rules” and acted without “the integrity that you would expect”.
Roche said the senior officials who managed the project had since left MBIE, although he did not know whether they had moved into other public sector roles.
NZ First leader Winston Peters said officials responsible should lose their jobs and be “put in prison”, calling the affair “a conspiracy against the people”.
Roche said police involvement was not warranted “at this point” and that investigators should first establish the evidence.
The Public Service Commission investigation will examine who knew what, the integrity of ministerial advice, procurement and financial management.
It will also assess whether advice about the separate $336 million Our Future Services visa-processing programme is “accurate and can be relied on”.
