Act asks Auditor-General to investigate Shane Jones' involvement with Manea

Sunday, 10 March 2019

The Auditor-General has been asked to investigate Shane Jones' role into the approving of funding for a Northland cultural centre, having earlier declared a conflict of interest.

An all weather cultural and tourism facility planned in Opononi, Manea, Footprints of Kupe was among the first group of projects awarded funding from the Provincial Growth Fund in February 2018. 

Documents show Jones, the Provincial Development Minister, sat in on a funding meeting where a group of Cabinet colleagues approved up to $4.6 million in funding from the Provincial Growth Fund, providing reassurances about the governance of the plan.

Jones had earlier declared a conflict of interest in the plan, which he said related to work he had done when he was a Labour MP. On Friday he acknowledged he had been aware of documents from 2014 which showed he was proposed to be a director of an entity which was to facilitate the project.

READ MORE: Shane Jones 'provided reassurance' to ministers, despite declaring conflict

He described the documents as 'wishful thinking on the part of the people of Hokianga', and that he was never appointed to any entity and was not going to be. He told Stuff on Friday that by disclosing his conflict he had dealt with the issue, and did not believe his presence or input in the meeting made a difference.

But Act leader David Seymour, who was the first to highlight the documents, said Jones should be sacked as a minister by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. He has written to Auditor-General John Ryan  asking for him to investigate Jones' role.

'Shane Jones has failed to conduct himself in a manner appropriate for a Minister responsible for $3 billion of taxpayer money,' Seymour said.

'Ministers must be impartial, open and transparent, and act with the utmost integrity when spending public money.'

The question of Jones' presence at the Manea funding meeting was raised with the Prime Minister's office on Friday.

On Sunday evening, a staffer from the Prime Minister's office provided a one-line statement.

'Hon Jones declared his conflict of interest in this project up front, to both the Cabinet Office and his fellow PGF ministers.'

An earlier version of this story wrongly identified Greg Schollum as Auditor-General. He is the deputy Auditor-General.