Health Department splashes $5000 of taxpayer cash to lease Christmas tree
THE NT Health Department is billing taxpayers more than $1300 a week to lease a charity Christmas tree in the foyer of its new Manunda Place headquarters ‘in the spirit of Christmas’
Northern Territory
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THE NT Health Department is billing taxpayers more than $1300 a week to lease a charity Christmas tree in the foyer of its new Manunda Place headquarters “in the spirit of Christmas”.
A department spokeswoman confirmed it was leasing the tree for four weeks up until December 18 to serve as a collection point for gifts at a total cost of more than $5000.
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“In the spirit of Christmas, NT Health, as many organisations do, celebrates the festive season by decorating,” she said.
“On behalf of the NT Government, NT Health is holding a Christmas Appeal this year, collecting gift donations for three local charities, RSPCA Darwin, Salvation Army and Food Bank NT.”
The spokeswoman said the tree was leased from local business Dreamedia under the government’s “buy local” initiative.
“The Christmas tree was procured through local business Dreamedia at a cost of $4850 (ex GST) leased over four weeks from 16 November 2020 to 18 December 2020,” she said.
“The Christmas tree serves as the collection point for gifts. The NT community are welcome to donate gifts to the Christmas appeal.”
Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro said in the face of the Government’s multi-billion dollar budget black hole, she was not surprised by the department’s largesse, “just disappointed”.
“On Friday in estimates we heard some hollow lines from the Gunner Government about departments tightening their belts and living within their means,” she said.
“The next business day we learn Health has spent five thousand dollars renting a Christmas tree to decorate their corporate headquarters.
“After an estimates week discovering overseas junkets, $7 million cost blowouts, concealed crime figures and broken election promises, I’m not surprised, just disappointed.”
The spokeswoman said another Christmas tree at Royal Darwin Hospital was donated by Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis in 2018, while decorations at the Palmerston hospital were donated by Inpex.
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“The Christmas tree in Alice Springs Hospital outpatients was bought by the manager at her own expense while the Christmas tree in Tennant Creek Hospital was donated by the general manager,” she said.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner said while “no one wants to be the Grinch”, the hospitals had “made a better decision” on their Christmas tree procurement.
“I think we can all agree that right now in the middle of coronavirus and the pressure we’ve got on I want everyone to have as great a Christmas as possible (but) maybe five grand on a tree wasn’t the best use of money,” he said.
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