Taxes paid bill - tribal leader

Tainui spent almost $5000 of taxpayers' money entertaining Mighty River Power staff at Auckland's Ericsson Stadium, says the tribe's co-chairman.

The spending on the corporate box event is detailed in an independent report commissioned by Tainui into Corrections Department prison consultation contracts worth $600,000.

The report outlines three corporate box events, the other two in Wellington, costing almost $13,000 in total.

It notes the events were described in Tainui accounts as "advertising and marketing".

"We are of the view that the items should have been described as entertainment costs as they were neither advertising nor marketing," the report says.

The events took place between May and October 2002. The report says one event - in Wellington at a cost of $5864.37 - was "correctly coded to Corrections".

"One item for $4965.58 is corporate box hire in Auckland and appears to relate to entertainment surrounding the Mighty River Power consultation and does not appear to be related to the Corrections contract," the report says.

The third event, in Wellington, cost $1826.82 and "has nothing to do with the Corrections contract", says the report.

The accounting inconsistencies have been highlighted by four Tainui employees accused in the same report of double-dipping by claiming more than $40,000 over the Corrections contract.

The four say they are being used as tribal scapegoats.

Haydn Solomon, Tainui executive co-chairman and one of the four accused, said he wanted people to know the events had been paid for with taxpayer - not Tainui - money.

The Tainui executive next meets on July 26, when the report is expected to be discussed.

Tainui chief executive Hemi Rau yesterday declined to comment on the corporate box issues.

Meanwhile, Tainui beneficiaries are believed to be discussing boycotting its next parliament meeting in protest against what they believe to be improper management and governance of the tribe.

Sources said tribal members had discussed ways to sack the board because they were so frustrated at how it was being run.

- NZPA