MoBIE due diligence – what's the full story?

Economic Development Minister Steven Joyce today appeared to contradict the State Services Commission over the so-called due diligence analysis for the new Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MoBIE), says Labour’s Economic Development spokesperson David Cunliffe.

“Either Steven Joyce was contradicting the information provided by the State Services Commission, or he was seeking to confuse the issue because he is anxious that the analysis is not too closely examined,” David Cunliffe said.

“In answering my question in the House today, Steven Joyce said ‘in terms of the due diligence report there are a number of items that have been withheld at this stage’.

“On the face of it that contradicts a letter to me from Deputy State Services Commissioner Sandi Beattie, which asserts ‘there are no other papers in relation to the due diligence process’ except for a single heavily-redacted cabinet paper.

“When the minister says he has withheld several due diligence items, and the Deputy State Services Commissioner insists there are no papers withheld, it is hard to see how they both can be right,” Mr Cunliffe says.

“The mere fact that he failed to clarify this today when he had the opportunity clearly shows how contemptuous he is of the public right to know.

“This Government has a habit of deliberately withholding information that belongs in the public domain.

“Mr Joyce’s quest to build a personal bureaucratic empire from four vastly different government agencies appears to have been done without full and proper analysis of all the relevant costs and benefits.

“It further appears that inter-ministerial consultation processes were inadequate and Cabinet decisions were rushed.

“The public deserves to know what due diligence was actually done, if any, and to see every relevant document before the ministry starts next week,” David Cunliffe said. “Steven Joyce says we’ll see everything in due course, but it appears he wants that to be only after it is a fait accompli.”