Bill English MP
National Party Deputy Leader

11 July 2007

Health scandal: AG derails plans for cover-up

National Party Deputy Leader Bill English is relieved the Auditor General’s office has signalled it will conduct its own inquiry into allegations of conflicts of interest at the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board.

“Given Labour’s point-blank refusal to launch a truly independent inquiry into the allegations, I welcome the Auditor General’s attention.

“National has also written to the Auditor General in a bid to widen the scope of that inquiry.”

Mr English is highly critical of the Health Ministry’s decision to name a hand-picked Labour appointee to lead the Government investigation.

“District Health Board chairman Syd Bradley holds his position because Labour put him there. Thankfully the Auditor General’s involvement gives me some confidence there’ll be an investigation that the public can have confidence in.”

Mr English says Pete Hodgson’s handling of the inquiry has prejudiced the outcome from the start:

1 - This has now been downgraded from a ministerial inquiry to a departmental review.

2 - There is nothing on the whistleblower issue, despite Helen Clark saying that should be covered.

3 - Of the three-person panel, strangely only the panel lead (Mr Bradley) will report to Mr Hodgson.

4 - He will recommend ‘improvements’ and recommendations on the way board and its members manage conflicts. This ignores the central allegations now being made.

Mr English says Helen Clark and Pete Hodgson have already decided the outcome of the inquiry with comments like ‘I don't expect to find anything.’

“After eight years, Labour has still not learned that it shouldn’t try to politically manage the outcomes of inquiries when serious issues of accountability are at stake,” Mr English says.

ENDS

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