Here’s a Grant... Now Pay Me Back.

act-new-zealand

Mon May 07 2001 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Here’s a Grant... Now Pay Me Back.

Monday, 7 May 2001, 5:20 pm
Press Release: ACT New Zealand

Monday 7th May 2001
Donna Awatere Huata Media Release -- Education

ACT Education Spokesman Donna Awatere Huata today said that it was unbelievable that a Palmerston North Kohanga Reo is having loan repayments deducted from its operating budget to clear a debt it does not owe.

“I will be raising this matter in Select Committee this week," Donna Awatere Huata said.

"The circumstances regarding loans and grants needs to be perfectly clear.

“Te Ao Marama Kohanga Reo applied in 1998 for a $37,421 grant for building alterations. They sought the money on the assumption that it was a non-repayable grant.

“The Auditor-General’s office and the Crown Law Office have ruled that the Ministry of Education broke the law in giving the money to the Kohanga Reo National Trust, which passed the money to the Palmerston North centre.

“The Ministry is intent on getting its money back, and the Government is planning to introduce retrospective legislation to legitimise the repayment options.

“The kohanga reo cannot afford the $15,000 it would take to pursue legal action, so is left having thousands of dollars deducted from its budget every quarter-year.

“This Kohanga Reo has been dealt a raw deal from day one. And the Government obviously has no intention of giving them a fair go,” Donna Awatere Huata said.

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

a.supporter:hover {background:#EC4438!important;} @media screen and (max-width: 480px) { #byline-block div.byline-block {padding-right:16px;}}

Using Scoop for work?

Scoop is free for personal use, but you’ll need a licence for work use. This is part of our Ethical Paywall and how we fund Scoop. Join today with plans starting from less than $3 per week, plus gain access to exclusive Pro features.

Join Pro Individual Find out more

Find more from ACT New Zealand on InfoPages.