Spending spree: Ministry purchases $4000 desks, $13,000 wardrobes

Author: Open Justice,
Publish Date: Sat, 11 Mar 2023, 9:55am

Almost $300,000 of taxpayer money has paid for courthouse office furniture, including expensive wardrobes and desks to furnish the home offices of some judges, in a spend-up being labelled “public sector wastage”.

The majority of the spending spree by the Ministry of Justice, which it said falls within government guidelines, was spent furnishing judges’ chambers in courthouses across the country, rather than the areas where court registrars and staff work.

The figures, contained within the ministry’s annual review tabled at Parliament this week, detailed all furniture purchases above $2500 during the 2021-22 financial year. The spend represented almost a third of the ministry’s total annual furniture budget.

Of the 56 itemised purchases, all but 10 were furniture ordered for judges.

It shows 33 standing desks were ordered at a cost of around $2500 each - with some of the same model costing as much as $4850.

The desks, purchased from Aspect Furniture, are marketed as “premium workstations” and include powerpoints, fabric privacy screens, and the ability to raise it to work while standing.

Two of the desks were ordered to furnish the home offices of two coroners.

The Herald has priced similar desks from New Zealand suppliers for under $1000 - with many of the same features as the desks purchased by the ministry.

As well as the workstations, the ministry also purchased two 2-metre-wide cupboards at a cost of $27,500, and an outdoor picnic table and furniture for more than $6000.

The Ministry of Justice spent more than $80,000 purchasing 33 ‘Zurich 5 workstation’ desks for judges, at a cost of around $2600 each. Photo / Aspect Furniture

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Also purchased were 11 desks for lawyers, at a cost of around $4500 each. A $2700 credenza was also ordered.

The ministry did not respond to specific questions asking why “premium” furniture was necessary, nor questions about the ministry’s policy for providing desks in some judicial officers’ own homes.

In a statement, Ministry corporate and digital services deputy secretary Tina Wakefield, said around $1 million is budgeted annually for furniture replacement across more than 100 ministry-operated buildings.

“With around 4500 people (staff and judicial) to support, the $1 million per annum furniture replacement budget means about $225 per person,” she said.

“That figure also doesn’t account for public seating in courthouses, courtrooms, or meeting rooms in our courthouses, all of which also comes under the $1 million total.”

Wakefield said the spend was considered appropriate and in line with government guidelines.

Justice Minister Kiri Allan did not raise specific concerns with the spending, but reiterated her expectation that the ministry was prudent with its pennies.

Illustration / Rod Emmerson

“While I’m advised by the ministry that all spending on furniture was deemed appropriate and within government guidelines, it’s my expectation that the ministry is always taking into account the current constrained economic environment and I expect it to be paying close attention to this during its procurement of assets and property.”

The National Party courts spokesperson Chris Penk said spending within the courts should be geared toward improving the system, “not upgrading to fancy furniture for judges’ homes”.

“Spending more than $4000 of public money for a desk in the private home of a judge is yet another example of public sector wastage during the term of this government.

“New Zealanders struggling in a cost-of-living crisis will be disappointed to hear that the Justice Minister thinks it’s acceptable for so much taxpayer cash to be splashed around in all the wrong places within our groaning justice system.”