Tracey Martin MP

Spokesperson for Education
20 JULY 2016

Value for Money in Lincoln Uni Consultancy Questionable

Lincoln University has finally made the right move in revealing the amount it paid a consultant to look at “new revenue streams”, says New Zealand First Education Spokesperson Tracey Martin.

“It has taken a finding by the Ombudsman to get this information released. The question now is what was the outcome of payment to Consilium Consultancy of $410,754 from 2013 to 2015 – did its advice lead to substantial sums of money coming to the university.

“University staff, students and the taxpayer should now be given an insight and understanding if this was value for money. A number of consultants were hired as restructuring was occurring and staff were losing their jobs, and there appears to be little positive to see from these large payments.

“New Zealand First pointed out in Parliament in August 2015 that Andy West, as the then vice-chancellor of Lincoln University, had signed over large contracts to companies that official documents show were only formed weeks before these contracts were won.

“Minister of Tertiary Education Steven Joyce should have instructed TEC to investigate as soon as these contract rumours emerged.

“There have been too many TEC funded bodies that have come under investigation over financial dealings.

“In this case it would appear that the ‘I know a guy’ network was still alive and well and profiting from the public purse.

“The sad fact is that universities have been forced into some sort of business model, under which their focus is money raising and not education. This would not be the case with adequate funding from the government.”

ENDS

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