The New Zealand Taxpayers’ Union is calling for more transparency on six million dollar man Shaun Hendy and how his unit housed within the University of Auckland received what appears to be a generous modelling contract from the Government without any tendering process.

Te Punaha Matatini (TPM) appears to be acting as the ‘single source of truth’ for this Government, and is getting paid like a greedy monopolist,” says Jordan Williams, a spokesman for the Taxpayers’ Union. “Given the wild inaccuracies of pandemic modelling around the world, our leaders should be getting advice from multiple agencies and experts, not betting the house on friends of the Government.”

“At $6 million dollars, that is 24,000 hours at $250 per hour, or 120 weeks of work being paid $2000 per day to spit out a model which has been widely slated. Nice work for the likes of Mr Hendy and Siouxsie Wiles.”

“To put the $6 million in contrast, The Treasury has commissioned its own pandemic modelling from an independent advisory firm, costing a mere $30,000.”

“It stinks of arrogance by the Prime Minister’s Department to refuse to answer questions posed by the NZ Herald about the procurement rules followed in awarding the TPM contract. That raises very real questions about this contract, and quite what it was for.”

© Scoop Media