$1 million of travel expenses for slush fund staff

The Herald reports:

Provincial Growth Fund staff spent an average of $8900 each on travel, food and accommodation in one year, new figures show.

The National Party wants Regional Economic Development Minister Shane Jones to explain why the fund’s 116 staff needed to spend that much money.

Figures supplied to National by the minister’s office show officials from the Provincial Development Unit, which oversees the fund, spent $1.03m on travel, accommodation, meals, and incidentals in the 2018/19 financial year.

An average $9,000 per staff member on travel expenses is massive, especially considering some staff won’t do any travel at all.

Once again so easy to spend money when it isn’t your own.