Exemption for Mfat on budget cuts 'isn't acceptable' – Taxpayers' Union

Christopher Luxon (left, with Winston Peters and Judith Collins) says he's 'very comfortable' with savings the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has delivered. (Image: BusinessDesk)

Dileepa Fonseka

Tue, 28 May 2024

The Taxpayers’ Union says the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade should not be exempt from a government-wide cost-cutting drive until it fixes issues around how costs were managed on a $33 million cloud-computing project initially budgeted at $13.84m.But prime minister Christopher Luxon has said he is "very comfortable" with the level of savings the ministry (Mfat) has been able to deliver, even though these have not met public service cost-saving targets of 6.5% of baseline expenditure.'Slush fund'BusinessDesk report...

Subscribe to BusinessDesk

Stay informed on business, government and financial developments across New Zealand.

Deeply researched, twice-edited and fact-checked news
Annual subscribers also receive a complimentary subscription to The Wall Street Journal
Personalised email news alerts, plus gift up to 5 stories a month to non-subscribers

You can cancel anytime with two clicks, an email or a phone call.
Find out more.

We are serious about journalism.

Already a Subscriber ? Sign in here.

Name {{ registerForm.errors.get('name') }}

Email address {{ registerForm.errors.get('email') }}

Phone Number {{ registerForm.errors.get('phone') }}

Job Title {{ registerForm.errors.get('title') }}

Password Minimum password length of 8 characters.
Require at least one upper and lowercase, numeric, and special character. {{ registerForm.errors.get('password') }}

Repeat password {{ registerForm.errors.get('password_confirmation') }}

We had trouble validating your card. It's possible your card provider is preventing us from charging the card. Please contact your card provider or customer support.

Credit Card

Cardholder's name

{{ __(plans[index].name) | capitalize }} {{ plans[index].attributes.old_price | currency }} {{ plans[index].price | currency }}

All subscriptions auto renew but are easy to cancel.

I Accept The Terms Of Service

{{ registerForm.errors.get('terms') }}

Tax: {{ taxAmount(selectedPlan) | currency }}

Total Price Including Tax: {{ priceWithTax(selectedPlan) | currency }} {{ selectedPlan.type == 'user' && spark.chargesUsersPerSeat ? '/ '+ spark.seatName : '' }} {{ selectedPlan.type == 'user' && spark.chargesUsersPerTeam ? '/ '+ __('teams.team') : '' }} / {{ __(selectedPlan.interval) | capitalize }}

Markets Market Close

Government energy reforms spark NZX rally

The S&P/NZX 50 Index closed up 1.07% or 141.63 points.

Tom Raynel 01 Oct 2025

World

US Govt shutdown begins as funding lapses

Some federal services will be halted.

The Wall Street Journal 01 Oct 2025

US Govt shutdown begins as funding lapses

Markets

Govt energy reforms boost power shares

The Government's announcement doesn't go far enough, business chamber says.

Rebecca Howard 01 Oct 2025

Sponsored

Fiji’s exclusive side revealed

Private islands and 5-star luxury, closer than you think.

Tourism Fiji

Sponsored

The double edge of AI in cyber security

Artificial intelligence has the potential to become both a lifeline and a liability for modern organisations, as a revolutionary tool capable of spotting threats at lightning speed, but also the ultimate weapon in the hands of cybercriminals.

Spark