Government department downsizes Christmas

“She stared at the Grinch and said, ‘Santy Claus, why, why are you taking our Christmas tree? WHY?‘” (Image: Getty)

Tue, 03 Oct 2023

A major government department has cancelled its annual Christmas barbecue for head office staff, citing the financial climate.BusinessDesk understands that the chief executive of the Ministry of Justice, Andrew Kibblewhite, sent an email to staff last week advising that the event, which had a budget of $24,000, would no longer be going ahead and, instead, teams were invited to make their own plans for seasonal celebrations.Another agency, the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, recently hit the headlines after $40,000 was spent on gifts and a fa...

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