The Infrastructure Minister's defending the role of job creation through the Provincial Growth Fund

Management of the fund has come under scrutiny in a report by the the Auditor-General.

The report makes three recommendations around the fund's effectiveness and transparency in decision making.

When questioned whether jobs on projects counted as new, Minister Shane Jones says they're not considered the permanent new jobs.

He says if there weren't projects, firms wouldn't be hired to work on them - and the permanent project jobs come when they're completed.