The chairman of a controversial ministerial advisory group that will disband months earlier than planned rejected advice from officials about which office it should rent, preferring a more expensive option for privacy reasons.
By Jimmy Ellingham of RNZ
The Ministerial Advisory Group for Victims of Retail Crime is renting space in a Symonds Street building in central Auckland, paying $119,000 for the 2025/26 year.
The group was created in mid-2024 and correspondence obtained from that time shows officials from the Ministry of Justice, which provides the group with administrative support, initially said that option wasn't the most-effective.
Officials recommended a shared office with Kāinga Ora, but group chairman Sunny Kaushal said this wasn't suitable for privacy reasons.
This week, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith announced the group would disband in May, four months earlier than planned.
The announcement followed RNZ revealing that three of the group's five members had resigned in recent weeks, leaving just Kaushal and Hamilton liquor retailer Ash Parmar.
One of the members who resigned, Retail NZ chief executive Carolyn Young, said her relationship with Kaushal became untenable.
The group has faced criticism for its spending and value for money, including over Kaushal's fees as chairman.
But, Kaushal and Goldsmith have defended the group's work, saying it had provided advice on a range of issues such as trespass law reform and self-defence.
Proposed office doesn't meet chairman's requirements - officials
Documents obtained by the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union show a shortlist of three possible offices was developed, after Kaushal had reviewed 26 possible options.
The Symonds Street office was one of the three, but not the one officials initially favoured. That was a shared space with Kāinga Ora in Ellerslie.
However, in the documents, the Ellerslie office was described as "open plan... which isn't appropriate for confidential conversations".
"This option was originally our recommendation, however, the chairman has advised this doesn't meet his requirements due to the privacy concerns."
So instead the Symonds Street office was recommended.
"While this option is not the most cost-effective it is the recommended option due to the property being secure, minimal risk of individuals' breach of privacy, and furniture is supplied, making the move in more seamless, as well as benefiting the environment."
A third office, in Parnell, was considered, but the landlord there wouldn't add a break clause to any rental agreement.
'This isn't the SIS'
This week, the ministry confirmed the Symonds Street lease would now end in May, rather than September.
A spokesman for Goldsmith said questions about operational matters should be directed to the ministry.
Ministry deputy secretary, policy, Caroline Greaney said as at 31 December, the 389 sqm Symonds Street office was the usual place of work for three staff members and Kaushal.
"It also serves as the venue for group member meetings, and stakeholder meetings and functions."
The ministry couldn't immediately say how many stakeholder meetings and functions it had held.
Kaushal told RNZ he'd previously answered questions about the office.
The documents obtained by the Taxpayers' Union show the total cost for the Symonds Street office in 2025/26 was $131,000, when other expenses such as power were factored in.
Union investigations co-ordinator Rhys Hurley said paying that much for an office of such a size was a farce.
"The original recommendation from the Ministry of Justice was to take the most cost-effective office," he said.
"The chairman was concerned about privacy, but this isn't the SIS. The next time a quango like this needs space, they can borrow some of ours."
Hurley said the most cost-effective option for taxpayers should have been taken.
Labour police spokeswoman Ginny Andersen said the group had been a disaster since it began.
"[Prime Minister Christopher] Luxon and Goldsmith have spent millions, a lot of which is going to Sunny Kaushal's office space, overpriced events, and Kaushal's lofty remuneration, only to rehash bad ideas like citizen's arrest in return.
"Goldsmith needs to front up about why they allowed the group to spend on more expensive office options when more affordable options were available."
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