The Prime Minister acknowledges there was "messiness" around the appointment process of Derek Handley in the chief technology officer (CTO) position, but maintains it was dealt with appropriately.
Speaking on TVNZ1's Q+A, Jacinda Ardern said there were a "number of things" she would have liked to have played out differently during the saga.
"A Minister has lost their job, and someone isn't in post for the CTO role. I absolutely acknowledge that there has been messiness around that.
"But ultimately, I think the big question here is, 'Was it dealt with appropriately?' Yes, it was."
Clare Curran was stripped of her role as Digital Services Minister after failing to disclose a meeting with Mr Handley, she then resigned citing intolerable pressure after questioning in Parliament about her using her personal Gmail account to email Mr Handley.
The Government then dissolved the CTO position. However, Mr Handley had already been offered the role, and received a $100,000 pay out.
Various correspondence were released last week surrounding the CTO role.
When asked why the Prime Minister did not respond to a message from Mr Handley around the CTO role, instead of making it clear that it would be inappropriate to engage in discussion around it, Ms Ardern said she receives "quite a lot" of emails and text messages that she does not "have the opportunity to individually respond".
"For me, the question really is, are we achieving the goals that we set out to as a Government? That's the stuff that matters. These bits around the edges... I don't think, make a difference to people's lives."
The Prime Minister spoke with Rebecca Wright at the end of her UN trip. (Source: Other)
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