7922 (2025). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister for Sport and Recreation

7922 (2025). Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall to the Minister for Sport and Recreation: How many staff in the ministries, agencies, and/or departments for which the Minister is responsible have, since 27 November 2023, been made redundant and subsequently been rehired as a consultant or contractor, and what was the total cost of engaging those consultants or contractors?

Hon Mark Mitchell: No staff at the Sport NZ Group were made redundant and rehired as a consultant or contractor. The Integrity Sport and Recreation Act 2023 (Act) disestablished Drug Free Sport New Zealand (DFSNZ) on 30 June 2024 and established the Sport Integrity Commission Te Kahu Raunui (Commission) on 1 July 2024. The Act transferred all DFSNZ employees to the Commission except for the Chief Executive who was made redundant on 30 June 2024. The DFSNZ Chief Executive was appointed in 2023 to a role on an international advisory group for the World Anti-Doping Agency. The World Anti-Doping Agency would not allow an alternative to be appointed for the Commission and the former DFSNZ Chief Executive was engaged temporarily on a contract basis to fulfil this international role from October 2024 to February 2025. The total cost of that engagement was $17,718.75.