Street Maryan: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Street Maryan: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 07 July 2011. Volume:673;Page:19898. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
7. 
Hon MARYAN STREET (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Foreign Affairs 
: How many human resources contracts if any were let by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade without tenders being invited in 2010/2011 and what criteria were used to assess non-tendered contractors? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister of Transport) 
 on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs: I first advise that the chief executive of the ministry is responsible for the internal procurement policies and practices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Minister has further advised that in terms of contracts entered for human resources services including services provided under the ministry’s change agenda the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade entered into 21 contracts of over $10000 in value that were not tendered. The criteria used were the specifications for the role with applicants being assessed through an interview and referee-check process. I am advised that the ministry has in place an extensive procurement policy and guidance for staff and is governed by a procurement policy put in place by the previous Government. I also add that the Minister of Foreign Affairs has made it clear to the ministry that the current level of expenditure on human resources contracts is out of line with the Government’s expectations. 
Hon Maryan Street 
: Given that something in the order of $1.2 million was spent on untendered human resources contracts alone in 2010-11 is this what the Minister meant when he said to the Foreign Affairs Defence and Trade Committee that “The idea that the only people that can work for the New Zealand foreign ministry in a valuable way are full-time staff members who have been there all their lives is frankly outdated nonsense.”? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: I am not sure that I can vouch that that is exactly the reason why but I point out again that the ministry is responsible for those decisions and it is governed by a procurement policy and guidance for staff in relation to making those decisions that were of course put in place by the previous Government. 
Hon Maryan Street 
: What criteria out of those in the Minister’s answer to the substantive question did Momentum Consulting Group satisfy to earn $129000 without tender? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: I do not have information on that specific contract. If the member would like to put that to the Minister in writing I am sure he would be happy to respond. 
Hon Maryan Street 
: Is it “outdated nonsense” for Government ministries to keep to budgets in this time of fiscal constraint and does that explain the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s $2.6 million blowout on contracts and consultants in 2010-11? 
Hon STEVEN JOYCE 
: Quite obviously the answer to the first part of the question is no. 
Hon Maryan Street 
: I seek leave to table annex 5 table 2 of the answers to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade supplementary estimates questions on 2010-11 on expenditure on consultants and contractors. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: This is information to the select committee. I just want to check. They are already available to the public. I seek leave of the House for that document to be tabled. Is there any objection? There is objection.