Hon Bill English
National Party Education Spokesman

9 May 2005

Wananga mess entirely Labour's making

National Party Education spokesman Bill English says the mess at Te Wananga o Aotearoa is entirely of Labour's making.

The Minster of Education today approved an urgent $20 million loan to help meet the wananga's immediate financial needs.

Mr English says it is typical of Labour to throw money at a problem in the hope that it will go away.

"Labour has been throwing taxpayers' money at the wänanga for six years now without demanding anything in return in the way of standards or accountability.

"The wänanga has been encouraged by Labour's policy that provides strong incentives for it to enrol thousands of students in large-scale, low-cost courses.

"Labour was never sure that the students enrolled in these courses started them, let alone completed them.

"Mr Mallard also spent $120,000 on a consultant to watch over the wänanga. Either he chose to ignore the advice of the consultant or it was a waste of money.

"Because of Labour's stupid tertiary policy this will be the first of many taxpayer bailouts of tertiary institutions going broke.

"It is time Helen Clark held the Minister of Education to account for the trail of carnage he has left in the tertiary education sector," says Mr English.

Ends

Attached: answers to parliamentary questions relating to the appointment of a 'Development Advisor' to the Council of Te Wananga o Aotearoa.

PQ’s: McNally

4884 (2005). Hon Bill English to the Minister of Education (11 April 2005):
Who was responsible for the appointment of Mr G McNally as "Development Advisor" to the Council of Te Wananga o Aotearoa?
Hon Trevor Mallard (Minister of Education) replied: The then Associate Minister of Education (Tertiary Education) secured the approval of the Council of Te Wananga o Aotearoa for the appointment of a development advisor to assist the Council to improve governance of the institution. The formal appointment was made through and by the Tertiary Advisory Monitoring Unit of the Ministry of Education.

4882 (2005). Hon Bill English to the Minister of Education (11 April 2005):
On what date was Mr G McNally appointed as "development adviser" to the Council of Te Wananga o Aotearoa?
Hon Trevor Mallard (Minister of Education) replied: Mr McNally commenced as Development Advisor on 19 June 2002.

4881 (2005). Hon Bill English to the Minister of Education (11 April 2005):
What was the total value of all payments and reimburesments made by the Crown to Mr G McNally for services rendered in his capacity as Development Adviser to Te Wananga o Aotearoa?
Hon Trevor Mallard (Minister of Education) replied: The total amount paid by the Crown to Deloitte for the services of Mr G McNally as Development Adviser to Te Wananga o Aotearoa, since June 2002, was $127,605 excl. of GST of which $5,627.97 has been on charged to the wananga.

ENDS

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