Govt spin spend up 50%

The Herald reports:

The Government’s communications spend has jumped more than 50 per cent in four years, and is now costing the taxpayer close to $90 million a year.

So it will be well over $100 million by the next election.

The biggest spender was the New Zealand Transport Agency/Waka Kotahi at $8.2m over 2020/21, up from $2.6m in 2016/17.

The number of staff there in communications roles has increased from 32 to 68.

To be fair NZTA probably does need many more comms staff. The agency used to build roads to reduce congestion. Now they are doing things to increase congestion (such as traffic lights and a pedestrian crossing on SH1 rather than an overbridge) so they have so many more people angry at them.

Over those four years, more than $300m has been spent. The number of full-time staff increased from 564 to 845.2.

280 more comms staff. Yay.

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