$14.4m consultant bill leaves taxpayers taken for a ride on the SS Shambles

Reacting to report in The Post revealing KiwiRail’s ferry project’s $14.4 million consultant spend, including $1 million on recruitment services alone, Taxpayers’ Union spokesperson Tyler Groenewald said:

“$14.4 million on consultants and not a single ferry to show for it is the definition of a project that’s run aground before a single hull has even hit the water.”

“KiwiRail have spent nearly $1 million on recruitment alone; taxpayers are paying for consultants to find people to hire more consultants, while the actual ferries remain nowhere in sight.”

“The Taxpayers’ Union is calling on the Ombudsman to release the full list of consultant contracts immediately. Taxpayers deserve to know exactly who’s cashing in on this slow-motion shipwreck.”

“Taxpayers have totally been taken for a ride. Until someone drops anchor on this spending spree, taxpayers will keep footing the fare for a voyage to nowhere.”