National campaigned on building a third medical school at Waikato University. Photo: Supplied / University of Waikato
The Greens are urging the government to go back and carry out a competitive tender process as Cabinet considers whether to push ahead with a new Waikato medical school.
National campaigned on building a third medical school at Waikato University.
The idea is not popular with Auckland and Otago Universities, which argue it is unnecessary and that they can provide medical school placements without the cost of setting up a separate school.
The ACT Party raised concerns on the campaign trail and negotiated in their coalition deal for a full cost benefit analysis to be undertaken before the government signs any binding agreement.
The Health Ministry signed a memorandum of understanding with Waikato University in the coalition's first 100 days, pledging to progress a business case.
A leaked document seen by RNZ suggests Cabinet is today considering that analysis and the delayed detailed business case, to agree on what to do next.
But the project has dragged on, with the business case delayed until this year.
Treasury raised concerns over the past year about the cost and speed of the project - saying the initial analysis failed to look beyond medical education for solutions.
Dunedin-based Green MP Francisco Hernandez told RNZ the whole situation was a shambles.
"And an avoidable one at that. What the minister should have done at the start was put out a tender to the university sector with the objectives that we all agree with - of training more medical specialists around this country ... and then come back to cabinet with the list of proposals that the universities put forward."
He said the government had instead tried to shoehorn in a "sort of weird sweetheart deal" which had led to the problems with the process.
RNZ revealed in September 2023 Waikato University head Neil Quigley was closely involved in developing the policy.
The cash-strapped Waikato University also paid nearly $1 million to an advisory firm run by former National Party Cabinet minister Steven Joyce over three years - a move criticised by the Auditor-General for skipping the usual procurement processes.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon had rejected Joyce had any involvement in the third medical school plans, but documents showed Quigley received lobbying advice from Joyce, and his former press secretary and political advisor Anna Lillis was appointed to lead the communications strategy for the project.
Another former National MP, Tim Macindoe, also joined Waikato University to support the medical school in December.
Hernandez said he would not be surprised if a final decision on whether to proceed was further delayed, pushing back the initial plans for a 2027 first intake.
"I'd be very surprised if that time-frame's met," he said.
"What we've seen from the analysis that we've seen from Treasury, the analysis we've seen from the Tertiary Education Commission, the analysis we've seen from the Ministry of Education, doesn't fill us with confidence with what's been presented so far, so I think it needs a little bit more time in the oven, so to speak.
"I think it's important that this country gets this issue right, right, because it's, you know, it's a lot of money ... it's a substantial investment and it's important to get this right, rather than getting it quick.
"I think that this goes to show how they've prioritised private interest over the public benefit, because if they were looking at it from a kind of public good point of view, they would have done the competitive tender."
RNZ sought clarification from Health Minister Simeon Brown over whether a full cost-benefit analysis which looked beyond medical education as a way of boosting workforce had been carried out, who was doing that work, when taxpayers could expect a decision to be announced, and whether the Treasury's concerns meant the project was more likely to be ruled out.
Brown said the medical school was "under active consideration by the government", and noted the government had committed to "a full cost benefit analysis before any agreement is made".
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