﻿Mr SPEAKER: Question No 7, Hon Annette King.
Hon ANNETTE KING (Deputy Leader—Labour)
to the Minister for Social Development:
How much in real terms has Government funding
for Relationships Aotearoa changed since 2008?
Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister for Social Development):
In so far as I have ministerial responsibility, baseline funding
from the Ministry of Social Development (MSD)
for Relationships Aotearoa in 2007-08 was $3.1 million.
In 2014-15 it received $3.8 million. In addition to this,
Relationships Aotearoa has received around $13 million
from the MSD in one-off grants for recession funding, services,
and capability building during this time.
Hon Annette King: In light of that answer, what Consumers Price Index
adjustments has the MSD made to its contract with Relationships Aotearoa
in the past 7 years— has it been zero, 1%, 2%?
Hon ANNE TOLLEY: I am advised that the whole sector that the MSD
works with has had no inflation adjustments since 2010-11.
However, if you look at the baseline funding that I have
just enunciated, the 2007-08 funding of $3.1 million would—
Chris Hipkins: What about the total funding?
Hon ANNE TOLLEY: If you would just listen—just listen—it is coming.
It would be the equivalent of $3.6 million in today’s terms.
Therefore, I repeat: Relationships Aotearoa has received $3.8 million,
which is more than that CPI adjustment.
Hon Annette King: Why did she state on TV One recently
that Relationships Aotearoa had received “a number of one-off grants
"from the Ministry of Social Development” when, in fact,
it had received one grant for its IT system, not towards delivering services?
Hon ANNE TOLLEY: Because the member is wrong. It has received a number of grants.
In fact, I can tell the member that it received just under $2.5 million
in community response funding. That was for two separate grants, I understand.
It has received just over $9 million for Canterbury earthquake recovery services
and it has received $1.4 million for capability investment funding.
Hon Annette King: Why does she—
Hon Dr Nick Smith: Apologise.
Hon Annette King: Beg your pardon?
Hon Dr Nick Smith: The member should apologise.
Hon Annette King: The member should take a—
Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member should just ask her supplementary question.
Hon Annette King: Why does she continue to denigrate Relationships Aotearoa
by claiming it has made no attempt to be financially sustainable when it has,
one, reduced expenditure, and, two, laid off around 46 people last year,
while at the same time providing much-needed services
to earthquake-affected people in Canterbury?
Hon ANNE TOLLEY: I have made no comments that denigrate Relationships Aotearoa,
but what I have said is that with taxpayers’ money,
which is funding organisations like Relationships Aotearoa,
we have a duty, a responsibility, to make sure that we get the services
we are paying for, and Relationships Aotearoa has not fulfilled its contracts
for quite some time. We also have a responsibility to make sure
that these organisations can live within their budgets.
Relationships Aotearoa has run deficit budgets for the last 4 years—
in fact, this year there is a large deficit that we are not sure
how it is going to be able to fund.
Hon Annette King: Why have she and her office
knifed Relationships Aotearoa publicly by leaking incorrect information
to the media while knowing that the Government has cut $4.8 million
off its budget since 2012?
Hon ANNE TOLLEY: The member makes a number of assertions—
Hon Ruth Dyson: That are true.
Hon ANNE TOLLEY: —none of which are correct. It is not true.
I have not knifed it in the back. In fact, I met with the interim board
this afternoon and we had a very constructive discussion,
and negotiations are under way. That member needs to take a breath
and go back to her sources, because they are dead wrong.
Mr SPEAKER: Question No 8.
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