McCully’s Autocratic Cronyism

Written By: - Date published: 11:47 am, September 22nd, 2010 - 9 comments
Categories: aid - Tags: , ,

Stuff reports that McCully is continuing his autocratic ways.

McCully always knows best, he doesn’t need to listen to advice, or see if there’s anyone else out there who can do a better job, or cheaper. So no need to tender contracts. He knows what he wants, and he knows his mates will deliver. End of story.

Aid that helps people in poverty? No, aid that has good outcomes for his NZ business mates? Yes!

So who better to deliver that than… his mates?

Blumsky is actually quick to disassociate himself from the process: “Murray approached me.” Obviously still got some of his political skills there, shifting blame nicely. But then if someone approaches you with $78,500 to get your business up and running, you aren’t going to say: no mate, I think that should go out to tender.

I think Phil Twyford puts it nicely:

“It’s unorthodox for a minister to intervene in the awarding of a contract and to insist it is made without tender to one of his political cronies. This raises questions about the way Murray McCully is managing the aid programme.

“There are reasons why these contracts are tendered and it is precisely to avoid conflicts of interest and cronyism.”

9 comments on “McCully’s Autocratic Cronyism ”

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  1. Draco T Bastard 1
    22 September 2010 at 12:33 pm

    Ah, more corruption from the National government.

  2. Sean 2
    22 September 2010 at 1:18 pm

    Murray McCully is a game player – fullstop. He has played games with NZAID, and he is handing money to his mates, because he can.

    Sometimes I struggle trying to determine which is the worst National Cabinent minister for doing-things-just-because-it-makes-them-seem-important. Brownlee is generally a shoe-in, but McCully always puts in such a strong showing.

  3. Evidence 3
    22 September 2010 at 1:24 pm

    McCully was one of the biggest complainers about contract-letting when Labour was in office (eg over some Ministry of Health contracts let to former employees which he ensured was widely covered in the media) and the process then became even more transparently contestable after a report from the Auditor General. But it’s apparently OK now for him to give government contracts to his friends.

  4. Pascal's bookie 4
    22 September 2010 at 2:19 pm

    You’d think he might’ve learned a lesson since he was forced to resign from the tourism portfolio in his last time in cabinet.

    • Draco T Bastard 4.1
      22 September 2010 at 6:47 pm

      Nope, he’s a conservative who believes that that things were done better in the past, i.e., giving lucrative jobs to hi mates rather than the modern practice of open and transparent tender.

  5. Graeme 5
    22 September 2010 at 2:19 pm

    any one here no why the contract was awarded that way? anyone here know who the other guy was that the officials recomended for the job? any one here actually care?

  6. Rex Widerstrom 6
    22 September 2010 at 3:58 pm

    From the quoted story:

    Labour MP Phil Twyford said yesterday he was not criticising Mr Blumsky’s abilities or his appointment as high commissioner…

    …because he knows when their turn comes, Labour will also appoint unqualified, uninspiring, underachieving political cronies to important posts and so he daren’t highlight the fact that National is doing the same. Better just to focus on this one contract, then.

    Must be easy to take Phil’s inside leg measurement, what with there being no obstructions and all…

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  1. The Standard: posted on 22 September 2010 at 12:00 am

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