Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith (left) and Sunny Kaushal, chair of the advisory group on retail crime Photo: RNZ / Finn Blackwell
The Labour Party has criticised government spending on an advisory group on retail crime launched by Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith in September.
Labour police spokesperson Ginny Andersen criticised the government for paying advisory group chair Sunny Kaushal $920 a day for his work.
In a reply to a parliamentary question in August, Goldsmith confirmed Kaushal's daily remuneration rate.
"The chair will be remunerated in accordance with the Cabinet fees framework at a rate of $920 per day," the minister said at the time.
"In addition, the chair will be reimbursed for actual and reasonable travel, meal and accommodation costs."
Information released under an Official Information Act request revealed that Kaushal had been compensated $86,480 for 94 working days as of 17 December.
It also noted that Kaushal was unable to work more than 250 days per year, making his maximum annual compensation $230,000.
The OIA request also revealed the advisory group on retail crime had spent $136,100 through 30 November.
The advisory group had been given an operating budget of $1.8 million a year for at least two years when it was launched.
Andersen criticised the spending on the group to date.
"Instead of focusing on real solutions, the government has wasted millions on an advisory group that took several months to release a report," Andersen said. "These are millions of dollars that could have gone to resourcing frontline police."
No recommendations from the advisory group have been released, but Goldsmith told reporters at a media standup on Monday that an announcement was coming later this week.
Kaushal justified the compensation he had received for his work as chair of the group.
"The role of the advisory group chair is a full-time role, and 250 [working] days per annum is factually correct," the former Crime Prevention Group president said.
"I am a small businessperson, who needs to employ people to cover my time away from the business when I am doing the advisory group work," Kaushal said.
"The Cabinet fees framework is set by the government and, I believe, is paid to all the chairs of ministerial advisory groups.
"[Labour's criticism] shows why that party is no longer the party of small business. They don't get that for the self-employed, there's no leave, no holiday pay, there's no recess and there's no magical sick leave either."
Kaushal said Goldsmith was expected to announce the recommendations put forward by the advisory group shortly.
"I am proud of the solutions we have put forward to make retail stores safer for law-abiding workers who continue to be victimised by criminals," he said.
