When asked about spending for the first three announcements the Government made, before anybody in the country could put in an application for the fund because the criteria had not been published, the Auditor-General criticised the Government for accepting applications from AJ Hackett, Discover Waitomo, and Whale Watch Kaikōura early. These three businesses wrote a letter. They did not claim any immediate financial risk to their assets. They did not have to provide any financial records or information, and money was given to them.