FENZ was 'breaching their own law in regards to levy collections' - minister
New Zealand's Minister for Fire and Emergency (FENZ), Brooke van Velden, has accused the organization of breaching levy collection laws. She expressed a loss of confidence in the chief executive, Kerry Gregory, citing a lack of transparency and the withholding of information regarding the breach.
Why it matters
This highlights significant governance and accountability issues within a major public service agency, potentially leading to legal investigations by the Serious Fraud Office.
<p>The Minister for FENZ says the organisation was "breaching their own law in regards to levy collections" and thought she didn't need to know about it.</p> <p><b>By Lillian Hanly of </b><a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/1446367/fenz-was-breaching-their-own-law-in-regards-to-levy-collections-minister-says" target="_blank"><b>RNZ</b></a></p> <p>Brooke van Velden said she was also in the dark about Fire and Emergency spending nearly half a million dollars looking into the issue.</p> <p>"It's completely unacceptable, and it points to a lack of accountability across the public service."</p> <p>It comes after van Velden said she no longer had confidence in the chief executive of the organisation, Kerry Gregory, following a "serious breach" of the no surprises clause.</p> <p>Speaking to Morning Report, she said her job as the minister responsible for Fire and Emergency was "to hold them accountable".</p> <p>"How can I possibly do that if I'm being actively withheld information?"</p> <p>Van Velden said she became aware of the situation about two weeks ago - and only…
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in