Jacinda Ardern has denied the government holds any responsibility in moderating how much Plunket management are paid, following revelations 11 staff are on $180,000 plus salaries.
The Prime Minister would not be drawn on the fairness of Plunket's business model, despite the fact around 75 per cent of Plunket's budget is taxpayer funded.
"What the tax payer funds, the tax payer gets. So we fund Plunket to provide those services pretty directly," Ms Ardern told TVNZ1's Breakfast today.
"We work through how much it will cost to have that many nurses out there providing that many well child visits, 680,000 of them, and then that's what they deliver for us.
"What they do more broadly with their operational spend, that really does have to be a matter for Plunket.
"There'd be a lot of organisations that would get sniffy if we came in and started dictating how they operate. But they know that they also need to hear the public as well.
Ms Ardern also dismissed the suggestion that Plunket, as an non-government organisation, would be subject to requests under the Official Information Act.
"There's a range of NGO's that receive funding or contracts from the government so if we suddenly opened up that can of worms then that would affect a whole range of organisations," Ms Ardern said.
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"That's not to say they don't have to be transparent, they produce an annual report."
Yesterday, 1 NEWS revealed 11 senior managers were paid salaries of more than $180,000 and almost two million dollars was paid out to consultants.
The organisation's consultancy payments were up by $600,000 from the previous year.
The community of Pirongia is also at war with Plunket, saying the $25,000 they raised to build a new playground has gone missing.
"We want our money and if we don't get it we are seeking legal advice," Plunket volunteer Ruth Webb told 1 NEWS.
Plunket bosses today said Pirongia residents will get their playground.
"It's just taken us too long to get the answer to them," Plunket Chief Executive Amanda Malu said.
Jordan Williams says the main issue with Plunket, their salaries and their use of taxpayer money is a lack of information.
The charitable organisation is re-organising with the national office taking control of local assets.
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