Prison costs cloaked by Minister

new-zealand-national-party

Fri Jun 09 2006 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Prison costs cloaked by Minister

Friday, 9 June 2006, 2:15 pm
Press Release: New Zealand National Party

Simon Power
National Party Law & Order Spokesman

9 June 2006

The Corrections Minister is using a pending review of two prisons to refuse to release vital construction costs information, says National’s Law & Order spokesman, Simon Power.

“He is hiding behind this review because he does not want to release embarrassing information.”

Mr Power is releasing answers to questions that show Damien O’Connor is refusing to say what contractors are on the sites, estimated costings of their work, and how much they are being paid.

Damien O’Connor is refusing to release:

- Details of initial estimated costs, ongoing payments, and expected total costs of work done by designers and engineers.

- How much has been saved under the collaborative working arrangements by contractors and the department.

- The contracting rates of consultants.

- How many contractors and subcontractors are on the sites, and their names.

- The cost of accommodation, meals, travel, car packages, or any other expenses for each member of the construction teams.

“Taxpayers have a right to know how much these mystery contractors are charging.

“The Corrections Department has previously admitted, reluctantly, that it has been paying one contractor $1,800 a day for a couple of years, so perhaps the reason they don’t want to answer is because there are more being paid that sort of money.

“And the collaborative working arrangements, being used at some sites, are supposed to be saving taxpayers’ money, so why will the Minister not confirm that they are?

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“Damien O’Connor and his department are presiding over a $490 million constructions budget blowout, so you would think they would want to try to change the perception that they are hopeless managers by supplying this information.

“Or perhaps that is why they are not releasing it.

“Damien O’Connor is using the review of the Spring Hill and Otago Prison projects to deny me information, but I have asked about Northland and Auckland Women’s as well, so it’s obvious he is using the review as a shield for the entire construction programme.”

ENDS

Simon Power – Answers to parliamentary questions

4859 (2006). Simon Power to the Minister of Corrections (8 May 2006):
For each year over the last five years, what have been the costs of accommodation, meals, travel, car packages, or any other expenses for each member of the construction team for the Northland Regional Prison?
Hon Damien O'Connor (Minister of Corrections) replied: There have been an estimated 1300 contractors and direct employees engaged in the construction of the Northland Region Corrections Facility under a variety of contractual methodologies. I do not consider it to be a good use of my Departments resources to collate the information requested by the member.

4860 (2006). Simon Power to the Minister of Corrections (8 May 2006):
For each year over the last five years, what have been the costs of accommodation, meals, travel, car packages, or any other expenses for each member of the construction team for the Auckland Women's Regional Prison?
Hon Damien O'Connor (Minister of Corrections) replied: There have been an estimated 1896 contractors and direct employees engaged in the construction of the Auckland Region Women’s Corrections Facility under a variety of contractual methodologies. I do not consider it to be a good use of my Departments resources to collate the information requested by the member.

4861 (2006). Simon Power to the Minister of Corrections (8 May 2006):
For each year over the last five years, what have been the costs of accommodation, meals, travel, car packages, or any other expenses for each member of the construction team for the Spring Hill Prison?
Hon Damien O'Connor (Minister of Corrections) replied: There have been an estimated 1703 contractors and direct employees engaged in the construction of the Spring Hill Corrections Facility under a variety of contractual methodologies. I do not consider it to be a good use of my Departments resources to collate the information requested by the member.

4862 (2006). Simon Power to the Minister of Corrections (8 May 2006):
For each year over the last five years, what have been the costs of accommodation, meals, travel, car packages, or any other expenses for each member of the construction team for the Otago Regional Prison?
Hon Damien O'Connor (Minister of Corrections) replied: There have been an estimated 1838 contractors and direct employees engaged in the construction of the Otago Region Corrections Facility under a variety of contractual methodologies. I do not consider it to be a good use of my Departments resources to collate the information requested by the member.

4870 (2006). Simon Power to the Minister of Corrections (8 May 2006):
What, by cost, are the names of the contractors and subcontractors that have been engaged in the construction of the Northland Regional Corrections Facility, including the travel and accommodation costs of each?
Hon Damien O'Connor (Minister of Corrections) replied: There have been an estimated 1300 individual contractors and direct employees engaged in the construction of the Northland Region Corrections Facility under a variety of contractual methodologies. I do not consider it to be a good use of my Departments resources to collate the information requested by the member.

4871 (2006). Simon Power to the Minister of Corrections (8 May 2006):
Who are the contractors and subcontractors, by cost, that have been engaged in the construction of the Auckland Women's Regional Corrections Facility, including the travel and accommodation costs of each?
Hon Damien O'Connor (Minister of Corrections) replied: There have been an estimated 1896 individual contractors and direct employees engaged in the construction of the Auckland Region Women’s Corrections Facility under a variety of contractual methodologies. I do not consider it to be a good use of my Departments resources to collate the information requested by the member.

4872 (2006). Simon Power to the Minister of Corrections (8 May 2006):
Who are the contractors and subcontractors, by cost, that have been engaged in the construction of the Spring Hill Regional Corrections Facility, including the travel and accommodation costs of each?
Hon Damien O'Connor (Minister of Corrections) replied: There have been an estimated 1703 individual contractors and direct employees engaged in the construction of the Spring Hill Corrections Facility under a variety of contractual methodologies. I do not consider it to be a good use of my Departments resources to collate the information requested by the member.

4873 (2006). Simon Power to the Minister of Corrections (8 May 2006):
Who are the contractors and subcontractors, by cost, that have been engaged in the construction of the Otago Regional Corrections Facility, including the travel and accommodation costs of each?
Hon Damien O'Connor (Minister of Corrections) replied (3 May 2006): There have been an estimated 1838 individual contractors and direct employees engaged in the construction of the Otago Region Corrections Facility under a variety of contractual methodologies. I do not consider it to be a good use of my Departments resources to collate the information requested by the member.

05183 (2006). Simon Power to the Minister of Corrections (11 May 2006): How much has been saved, if any, under the collaborative working arrangements in place for the Northland Regional Prisons Project, specified by the amount saved by the contractor and the Department in each case?
Hon Damien O'Connor (Minister of Corrections) replied (24 May 2006): As these matters are currently being considered by the State Services Commission review it would be inappropriate at this time to answer these questions.

05184 (2006). Simon Power to the Minister of Corrections (11 May 2006): How much has been saved, if any, under the collaborative working arrangements in place for the Auckland Women's Regional Prisons Project, specified by the amounts saved by the contractor and the Department in each case?
Hon Damien O'Connor (Minister of Corrections) replied (24 May 2006): As these matters are currently being considered by the State Services Commission review it would be inappropriate at this time to answer these questions.

05185 (2006). Simon Power to the Minister of Corrections (11 May 2006): How much has been saved, if any, under the collaborative working arrangements in place for the Spring Hill Regional Prisons Project, specified by the amounts saved by the contractor and the Department in each case?
Hon Damien O'Connor (Minister of Corrections) replied (24 May 2006): As these matters are currently being considered by the State Services Commission review it would be inappropriate at this time to answer this question.

05186 (2006). Simon Power to the Minister of Corrections (11 May 2006): How much has been saved, if any, under the collaborative working arrangements in place for the Otago Regional Prisons Project, specified by the amounts saved by the contractor and the Department in each case?
Hon Damien O'Connor (Minister of Corrections) replied (24 May 2006): As these matters are currently being considered by the State Services Commission review it would be inappropriate at this time to answer this question.

05193 (2006). Simon Power to the Minister of Corrections (11 May 2006): Further to his answer to question for written answer 2080 (2006), what were the initial estimated costs for work to be done by Stephenson & Turner for each of the four prisons being built?
Hon Damien O'Connor (Minister of Corrections) replied (24 May 2006): As these matters are currently being considered by the State Services Commission review it would be inappropriate at this time to answer this question.

05194 (2006). Simon Power to the Minister of Corrections (11 May 2006): Further to his answer to question for written answer 2080 (2006), how much has been paid to date to Stephenson & Turner for each of the four prisons being built?
Hon Damien O'Connor (Minister of Corrections) replied (24 May 2006): As these matters are currently being considered by the State Services Commission review it would be inappropriate at this time to answer this question.

05195 (2006). Simon Power to the Minister of Corrections (11 May 2006): Further to his answer to question for written answer 2080 (2006), what are the expected total costs that will be paid to Stephenson & Turner by the time the project is completed, for each of the four prisons being built?
Hon Damien O'Connor (Minister of Corrections) replied (24 May 2006): As these matters are currently being considered by the State Services Commission review it would be inappropriate at this time to answer this question.

05196 (2006). Simon Power to the Minister of Corrections (11 May 2006): Further to his answer to question for written answer 2080 (2006), are the fees paid to Stephenson & Turner a percentage of total costs or a flat fee?
Hon Damien O'Connor (Minister of Corrections) replied (24 May 2006): As these matters are currently being considered by the State Services Commission review it would be inappropriate at this time to answer this question.

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