It is outrageous if reports are correct that Finance Minister Grant Robertson has signed off $100 million of taxpayer money to upgrade marae around the country after voting has started, National’s Finance spokesperson Paul Goldsmith says.

“Shane Jones is reportedly going to announce one of the biggest spending decisions from the Provincial Growth Fund over the last three years ten days before an election in an electorate NZ First must win to return to Parliament on current polling.

“There is no reason why this funding couldn’t have been announced weeks, or even months ago. Shane Jones must be very worried about the fate of his party.

“Announcing this amount of funding this close to an election could also breach Cabinet convention.

“Alongside this, we also have the Prime Minister using her Covid-19 announcements as a political tool, taking and answering questions on the election campaign and using a taxpayer funded sign language interpreter signing the Labour leader’s response to campaign policy announcements.

“What’s worse is that this is just another example of the wasteful approach to government spending under Labour. A few weeks ago it was $12 million for the Green School. Before that it was $10 million for a bungee jumping business in Queenstown. And now its $100 million for marae.

“Our money is being used as a campaign tool by Government parties.

“This is no way to operate in an election campaign, nor how taxpayer money should be used. It just goes to show you can’t trust Labour to look after your money. Grant Robertson should never have signed this funding off.”