Dear New Zealand Trade and Enterprise,

Pete Chrisp said in 'Estimates for Appropriations within Vote Business, Science and Innovation related to New Zealand Trade and Enterprise' on 27th June: "During COVID, the fund doubled from $30 million to $60 million under the last Government. And then that money had to be, quite rightfully, backed out as the four-year COVID period, COVID funding reduced. So it went from $60 million down to $30 million and there was a modest reduction on the cost saving programme as well, particularly in the way the fund was drawn down".

Regarding my previous request about redundancy pay outs:

1. In your reply you state the redundancies were due to a: "NZTE led initiative designed to realign the organisation following the loss of a COVID-19 specific funding package". Is it therefore correct you paid out 71 redundancies packages at 4 months each, even though you knew, when hiring those additional people, that your funding was only temporary?
2. Why weren't fixed term positions offered for this short-term temporary increase in funding given the COVID funding was never going to be permanent to counter the need for any redundancy payouts?
3. What was the sum total of those taxpayer funded four month redundancy payouts?
4. You replied that 'this minimum financial package is to ensure we have - to the extent we can - cared for our people during what is a challenging time'. Why was this time deemed more challenging to your people than those going through the current government cost-cutting measures?

Yours faithfully,

Jasper Brownley