Public Spending In The Public Eye

Finally...total transparency in government spending?? Riiiiiiiight!

Bennett: "No, seriously...!"

A new cyber-mapping system will enable the public to track every taxpayer dollar spent through social services. Some details will still be kept secret for security reasons: places like Women's Refuge who deal with sensitive issues will have their exact locations concealed, which is logical. Well, ok then, almost total transparency...
Social Development Minister Paula Bennett: "Finding out exactly what services are funded and by how much, anywhere in the country, is now a few clicks away." The justice, health and education sectors will also come online soon, as well as Te Puni Kokiri (ahhhhhhh, now that one will be damn interesting...!).

English: "Yea, great *yawn*!"

The website - contractmapping.govt.nz - has info from the Ministry of Social Development, Child Youth and Family, Work and Income, the Ministry of Youth Development, and Family and Community Services.

Deputy PM Bill English is trumpeting it as an important tool to see exactly how public resources help communities: he says the system has the potential, for example, to pinpoint troubled youths in one area which would then enable social services to identify them and help them to change.
Bugger that, I just wanna spot where all our money is being wasted!