The expenses have been steadily growing
New Zealand has increased its spending on legal aid, according to data from Justice Minister Andrew Little.
National MP Mark Mitchell wrote to the justice minister in July, asking for the total legal aid expenditure for the year to date and how the figure compared to the same time in 2017.
The information provided revealed that for the fiscal year to 1 July, the government has spent $160.07m on legal aid, up 10.86% from the same period last fiscal year.
The data show that expenses have been steadily growing over the last four-month period.
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