Latest news with #publicmoney
RNZ News
2 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Cabinet Ministers defend hiking board fees for Crown bodies
Nicola Willis says the very best people need to be making governance decisions. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii Cabinet ministers are defending a move to hike board fees for Crown bodies by up to 80 percent, insisting those in the roles are overseeing billions of dollars - not just "beer and skittles." Labour says the decision proves the government is out-of-touch with the cost-of-living crisis and has accused it of trying to sneak the news by the public. A Cabinet document, quietly uploaded online on Monday, shows ministers agreed to lift the maximum annual fee for chairs of governance boards from $90,000 to about $162,000. The "Cabinet Fees Framework" is not binding but provides guidance to ministers when deciding compensation for those on a range of bodies, such as royal commissions and ministerial inquiries. Speaking on Tuesday, Luxon said public sector fees had become completely "out of whack" with private sector rates and needed a reset. "We need to make that a little bit more competitive, so that we can actually attract good talent," he said. Luxon said paying more to ensure "really good governance teams" could save billions in the long run. Finance Minister Nicola Willis echoed the point, stressing that New Zealanders deserved value for money. "This isn't beer and skittles. This is billions of dollars of public money. We need the very best people making governance decisions about it." Public Service Minister Judith Collins told reporters that the updated fees still fell short of private sector rates - around 80 percent of the going rate. "A lot of people who are experienced directors don't want to do these jobs in the public sector because they know they're going to lose money," she said. Judith Collins. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Collins said she did not think the public would be worried by the news. "One of the problems is that we've had an underperforming public service that's taken a hell of a lot of taxpayers' money, and so it is very important that we have the right people in charge of that." Labour leader Chris Hipkins said the decision revealed the government's "twisted priorities" at a time when households were doing it tough. "They're saying that board members can get up to 80 percent increases in their pay, whilst nurses and teachers are being told to settle for 1 pecent or less," he said. "They've said everyone needs to tighten their belts - apparently except for the people who they hand-picked to put on public sector boards." Hipkins rejected the idea that higher fees were necessary to attract quality candidates, calling it "absolute nonsense." Chris Hipkins. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii He said many public appointees had altruistic motivations and were already sitting on "very well paid directorships" in the private sector as well. "They're not doing it for the money," Hipkins said. Hipkins accused the government of trying to "slip this [announcement] out quietly" without scrutiny. But Luxon denied any secrecy: "It's normal practice... how it's been communicated."
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
How civil nuclear power funds nuclear weapons
Civil nuclear power is thought to be about providing a low carbon energy alternative to fossil fuels and is seldom connected to nuclear weapons. But the closer you look these two industries are intrinsically linked for nuclear-armed countries. Josh Toussaint-Strauss investigates how the connection between civil nuclear power and nuclear weapons spans decades and continents as well as exposes siphoning of public money and the origins of the Iran nuclear program
Free Malaysia Today
21-07-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
A-G finds weak oversight in RM460mil worth of govt deals
Auditor-general Wan Suraya Wan Mohd Radzi named Felcra Bhd, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, and the army as being involved in questionable spending and weak oversight between 2020 and 2024. PETALING JAYA : A new government audit has found serious problems in how over RM460 million of public money was spent on land deals, university tenders, and defence contracts. The 2025 Auditor-General's Report Series 2, which was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat today, named Felcra Bhd, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), and the army as being involved in questionable spending and weak oversight between 2020 and 2024. In a statement, auditor-general Wan Suraya Wan Mohd Radzi said Felcra was flagged for leasing four oil palm estates worth RM241.76 million without proper board approval or expert review, which she said showed poor governance in how the land deals were handled. Wan Suraya said three UKM tenders worth RM58.45 million were given to companies that were not supported by evaluation committees. The audit also highlighted the army's failure to collect RM162.75 million in late fees for the delayed delivery of armoured vehicles and to impose RM1.42 million in penalties for delayed maintenance. The report also identified weaknesses in the implementation, monitoring, and enforcement of the subsidised cooking oil programme under the domestic trade and cost of living ministry, particularly in failing to properly target beneficiaries and the inefficient quota system. Wan Suraya also noted that the selected pre-qualification procurement method introduced by the finance ministry was found to have potential for manipulation, where ineligible companies were still shortlisted for final selection. 'The audit recommends that the selected pre-qualification procurement method should not be continued. Open tender procurement would be more appropriate to ensure accountability and transparency in the procurement process,' she said. A total of five audits involving seven ministries were conducted, covering programmes, activities, and projects worth RM48.873 billion. A total of 22 audit recommendations were submitted to the ministries, departments, and companies involved. Wan Suraya also said that follow-up audits by the national audit department from 2024 to June 2025 helped the government recover RM157.73 million, including through penalty collections, taxes, and fines.
BBC News
16-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Jersey health minister faces questions over £350m investment plan
Scrutiny panel leaders have been surprised at a media interview given by health minister in which he revealed plans to invest £350m across the health service and in infrastructure chair of the Environment, Housing and Infrastructure Scrutiny Panel, Hilary Jeune, said her members had been asking for briefings and details of Project Breakwater, led by Tom Binet, in relation to infrastructure investment since December an interview, Binet proposed, under the project, to invest £350m which would be funded by borrowing or "dipping into savings".Jeune said the panel would hold a standalone hearing with the minister on 2 September. 'Concerning' She said: "This is concerning when we are waiting to scrutinise the spending of hundreds of millions of pounds of public money which is being used for key infrastructure projects, such as Fort Regent and the revitalisation of the town centre."How these are to be funded and who is responsible for these projects, such as where they fit into the infrastructure department remit, are key questions we need answered."Jeune said there appeared to be no cohesive strategy from the Council of Ministers about what the project was, who was responsible for its oversight and how it was communicated to States members and the public. She added the hearing would review the progress with the revitalisation of St Helier and welcomed input from Binet to see how these visions aligned.
Bloomberg
23-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Britain's HS2 Is Frankenstein's Railway
It's increasingly clear that Britain created a Frankenstein's monster when it embarked on plans for a high-speed rail network linking London and the north. Once brought into being, it couldn't be controlled. HS2 goes far beyond being a troubled infrastructure mega-project: It is a symbol of hubris and national decline. Birthed with good intentions, HS2 is more likely to inspire horror and revulsion among those who look upon its face — chiefly for its habit of vaporizing billions of pounds of public money while taking ever longer to deliver a railway. The latest of multiple reviews and resets, and the first to be presented by the Labour government that took office last year, shows that this basic syndrome hasn't yet changed. The target for services to start will be pushed back beyond its (already delayed) window of 2029 to 2033. No replacement date was given, though the second half of the 2030s now looks probable. No fresh cost estimate was given either, but the final bill is likely to be north of £100 billion ($135 billion) in today's money — compared with £35 billion in 2010, when the plan called for a much bigger network.
