The Quit Group was a registered charity that used to run the Quitline. They were taxpayer-funded but the Taxpayers’ Union has busted them stlll sitting on millions despite being defunct for 5 years.
The Taxpayers’ Union can reveal that The Quit Group – the charity originally commissioned to run Quitline – continue to hold $2.8 million in taxpayer funds, despite having lost their government contract in 2015.
The Quit Group promised to hand the funds over to anti-smoking initiatives. They have failed to keep their promise, and the Ministry of Health has failed to hold them to account.
In fact, since 2015 the Quit Group have been using the funds to collect investment income and pay board membership fees to themselves – $72,000 per year, or $18,000 per board member.
To make things worse, the Chair of the Quit Group is Chris Cunningham, who has recently been investigated by Charities Services for running up $128,000 in travel expenses as Chair of the Hepatitis Foundation.
When they find a nice big trough to swim in they swim like mad.
An information response released to the Taxpayers’ Union makes for disturbing reading. The Ministry concedes that it failed to stipulate any timeframe in which the group would have to use its funds. The Ministry does not plan to refer the group to the Charities Commission, and will instead “encourage the Trust to commit to spending the reserves. . .in a timely and appropriate matter.”
This beggars belief. The Ministry has already let this group off the hook for four years. All this time, The Quit Group’s board members have hoarded three million dollars, eating away at it by paying themselves board fees for doing stuff all. It’s an insult to the ailing New Zealanders who desperately need anti-smoking support and other core health services.
The Minister of Health needs to step in to refer The Quit Group to Charities Services, so that the Government can repossess the funds on behalf of taxpayers.
Finally, the gravy train has to end for Chris Cunningham. He should by now be discredited from holding any of his taxpayer-funded positions. These include:
1. Hepatitis Foundation (board member)
2. The Quit Group (Chair)
3. Maori Knowledge and Development Panel (Chair)
4. Massey University’s Research Centre for Maori Health and Development (Chair)
Just how badly can one man rip off taxpayers?
taxpayers.org.nz
A great deal it seems. Once addicted to great wads of taxpayer cash these trougher types find it impossible to stop swimming in the trough.
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