In another bold (if not unsurprising) display of hypocrisy, the new National-led government splashed out on a bunch of new self-drive cars upon taking up office. Figures obtained under the Official Information Act show that National purchased 20 new self-drive cars following the election at an average cost of $44,501, a total spend of $890,031.
By comparison in 2005 the then Labour government purchased 15 self-drive cars at an average cost of about $37,500. Between 2006 and the 2008 election, 17 cars were purchased at an average cost of just over $40,000.
So why the significant increase in the average cost of cars? It can’t be because car prices are going up. Stats NZ figures show car prices remained static during that period and demand was lower, so it really should have been a buyer’s market.
It’s yet another example of the National-led government living the high life while they tell hard-working Kiwis to tighten their belts and prepare for more cuts to public services.
I’ve asked John Key more questions about self-drive cars, including the latest change that allows ministers to keep them in Wellington, but alas so far he has refused to answer.
Actually, car prices went through a trough in 2007/2008, bottoming out in Jun08 and are now 8% higher than then. (Ref: Stats NZ capital goods price index CEPQ.S2EB).
The Reserve Bank inflation calculator (http://www.rbnz.govt.nz/statistics/0135595.html) shows that $37,500 in Q1 2005 is equivalent to $42,282 in Q1 2009.
So yes, National may have spent fractionally more on average on self-drive cars, but I don’t think your numbers show that they’re “living the high life”.
Do you have any figures on how much they sold the used self-drive cars for?
I hope those self drive cars don’t drive themselves into disabled spots. “It wasn’t me, it was the car!”
the comparison chris should be what labour spent on self drive cars in 1999 not 2005. 15 self drive cars with only a couple of changes of ministers in 2005 sounds like a lot, i don’t think a lot of people expect key’s ministers to inherit labour’s cars.
Spud, I see in todays paper that the police say there is no case to answer regarding the beat up over disabled parking
Are we going to see an apology from the left for the afore mentioned beat up
Oh, is that a pig flying past or Miss Clark on her way to a rugby game!
Aw come on Raymon, they shouldn’t have parked in that disabled spot. There are plenty of parks in Dipton he could’ve had.
You live in Disneyland Raymon A Francis?
Raymon. No beat up prat. Mr English has an appointments diary which he works strictly to. The hairdresser has an appointments book. (And you and I know that when we walk in off the street for a trim, the hairdresser can tell us how long we will need to wait.) One assumes that this coiffeur does Mr English’s locks on a regular basis. He would know how long he was going to have to put up with Mr English’s company almost to the minute. What therefore was to stop the car(s) from finding a convenient spot nearby or returning to base and waiting for Mr English to get on his “official cellphone” and call them when he was ready. Simple really.
20 new self drive cars !
Let me see there are 20 cabinet ministers plus is it 8 non cabinet , plus Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Leader of Opposition . Lets say 30 new people in office. The rest may have allready had a self rive car ( Phil Goff). So only 8 made do with what was left over from labour.
Doesnt sound like bulk buying came into it. You would have thought the government could buy at 1/3 off if they were say restricted to two major brands.
And yet they say they want to save money in the public service.
hello there is $300,000 that could have been saved there.
Making do with less doesnt seem to count for the Ministerial level
Spud @ 11.03am – lol, I LOL at you, that’s funny.
Mel, I think it is more about the accounting than who got what in a reshuffle, and perhaps the same in this situation. But, Ministerial Services would have staggered the purchasing of cars – with the expensive servicing and maintenance costs – over a period of time for the same reasons. So, a one off expense at this level does seem a little “in your face” if you like.
GWW – further to what you’re asking, it would be interesting to see what sorts of cars they are… there may be a bulk buy component in there and if there is, it would be interesting to do a car class comparison. (Yes, I know I’m being petty but can’t help thinking the Tories would want something “appropriate” rather than “Adequate”, could be wrong. Helen had her Mitsi for about 6 years I think and it wasn’t anything flash to start with! Ha)
Did we ever get that car off Helen. Think it only went to gym and back on Sundays and to Waihi a couple of times a year.
And to be a bit fair to the new government a number of us thought it was not appropriate to get new cars in election year notwithstanding them being over the 60k point where policy was to trade. I must say the quality of cars in the Ministerial self drive parks has gone up a notch or two over the last year – so maybe they are getting good discounts.
One careful lady owner, only driven to the gym on Sundays – low milage. ha ha.
it wouldnt have been a good look for labour MPs to splash out on new cars in election year trev, after you got those flash new bmws.
Difference being Mel, that state guests, Ministers, and members of the Judiciary use that fleet of cars, I don’t think Sian Elias could drive her Minister’s car home on the weekends. The odd staff trip in there too.
That’s around 200 or so eligible users?
Though, it’d be kinda funny to see the GG carted around in a ‘58 Mustang!
Getting caught on the ‘you spent x’ argument misses the point. This government preaches austerity, especially for the public service. But it is clearly do as I say not as I do. Why buy cars at all at that point? Everwhere else in the public service is being cut or frozen except for ministerial perks. More hypocrisy from the govt who seem to specialize in it.
The BMWs were a discount deal- apparently in the motor trade is called run out as a new model came in very soon after, Not that anyone but the BMW dealer would know the difference. AS well there was a fuel effiency requirement – The BMW diesels being big winners over the normal Ford /Holden.
But as well the fleet cars are a departmental decision while self drives are more of the ‘what do you want’ category.
Savings could have been made by choosing only from Toyota or Ford say, and buying under their fleet discount program for the Government.
Why this want done is a mystery- as we seem to have a’ bullshit government’ replacing the so called Nanny state government
Well, what would you expect from a right side govt? Frugality? Of course not – they are determined to spend whatever they want to make their point and to get their own way – plenty of examples of excessive spending/double standards, in order to get their own way, and the worst thing about it is that there is no way anyone can touch them – they just spin it to look like they can do what they want when they want. Education is the perfect example of excessive spending in order to beat up those that go against them. Democracy my big toe – more like a dictatorship. And meanwhile, the nats continue to spin the public with a pack of rubbish (and worse still – they buy it) and the right supporters keep making excuses for them to continue doing it. Proud to be a kiwi – not.
As Mel pointed out above, a fair comparison would be between what was spent in the first year of the new Government with what was spent in the first year of the last Labour Government.
Any chance of getting those figures Chris?
And on the BMWs would have been happy to bring one home but as Kane said they are used for a much bigger group than Ministers. They were selected using criteria which gave priority to medium term cost and environmental issues – won pretty easily. Politically would have been easier to keep the pollution machines for another year.
Interesting to hear that one BMW limo is stationed in Nelson. We can guess who would be riding in that instead of on his push bike.
Last time I observed a limo and the Minister passenger it was for Xmas in the Park at the Auckland Domain. Maybe a dozen years ago. Williamson was driven up ( to the gate only) so he and his family could attend a private marquee. This was so0n after he was noted getting off an Air NZ international flight before the cabin was sprayed while the rest had to wait the 10 min or so.
the difference is the media interest when it was Labour and the total lack of coverage when it’s the Nats.
@Logie97
“What therefore was to stop the car(s) from finding a convenient spot nearby or returning to base and waiting for Mr English to get on his “official cellphone” and call them when he was ready. Simple really.”
I think you’ll find, as have the Wellington City Council, that at this time Bill English was the acting PM and as such was required to have a significant Diplomatic Protection Squad presence at hand 24/7. I don’t think that having them park around the corner was really an option that would have worked- there was a requirement for them to be stationed directly at hand.
There is a specific exclusion for Police Officers (as DPS are) in the course of their duty with regards to many of the parking regulations.
As Trevor notes above the BMWs were had for a steal and were a wise purchase by the previous government in spite of the political flak that had to take becuase of it. That said I have no idea why the option on an armoured model was not also taken up- Trevor?
@ Chris A
“… Bill English was the acting PM and as such was required to have a significant Diplomatic Protection Squad presence at hand 24/7…”.
Read Grant Robertson’s post “Bill English and the parking tickets…” and especially his comment at 10.27am today.
Michael Cullen, when he was acting PM, had nothing like the DPS coverage that is afforded to Bill English. Could the problem be Key’s former ‘mouthing off’?
Police cars are snapped on speed cameras all the time.
They are on official duties yet they have to pay up.
Whats different ? The only speed exceptions are for urgent public duty. Run of the mill duties dont count .!
Was the haircut an urgent public business ?
The national government has taken this DPS thing to absurd levels. Of course the DPS will love to swan around looking important but to be effective you need a constant security bubble not the overly officious and can park on the footpath attitude we have seen
Chris = This is another front page scoop for you – oh sorry – What I meant is another beat up about nothing. Is this really the best you can come up with. I think you have been taking to much advice from Hodgson. Better find yourself another mentor. Marginal value to anyone as the vast majority of your comments are. Clean up act or use your own site.. Trevor
Chris @6:57.
I understand one was DPS. The other was just a Crown Limo.
No Chris, let’s just go back to the diaries again. Mr English knew when he was going to have his locks trimmed days in advance. I would have thought the DPS would have organized a site inspection and made sure Mr English was under no threat and there was sufficient parking reserved for his visit.
I understand that Mr English was prepared to walk but had sustained a back injury. (Sorry for a moment there I had this extraordinary image of a deputy PM being escorted to his coiffeur by a party of burly DPS operatives.) No, Bill was never going to walk it and it makes all the more sense for his department to have ensured that there was room for his car(s).
I think the relevant provision is rule 1.8(3)(b) which provides a general defence various rules, including parking rules:
http://www.legislation.govt.nz/regulation/public/2004/0427/latest/DLM303038.html
Assuming it is, the relevant phrase is “(b) in the case of an act or omission done by an enforcement officer or a parking warden, was necessary in the execution of the person’s duty”.
Some care might need to be taken when interpreting the critical term “necessary” (the parking was clearly in the execution of their duties). That terms will need to be assessed in the light of the *officer’s* duties, not the Prime Minister.
But one might enquire whether there were other parking alternatives available for the 45 minutes. Was parking outside necessary? Why?
I’m yet to be convinced that parking there was necessary – but someone keen might make a LGOIMA request for details of the explanation given my the DPS?