Ministry’s Belated Intervention Purely Covering Its Derriere
The Ministry of Health’s latest intervention in the affairs of Te Roopu Taurima O Manukau Trust is nothing short of a
derriere protection racket, says New Zealand First Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters.
“When New Zealand First broke this story disclosing corruption, serious abuse of taxpayers’ money and invoice fiddling
the Ministry was quick to point out that they had found nothing.
“Now, in the face of serious documentary evidence, which they should have been aware of for months, the Ministry has the
gall to talk about strengthening the organisation’s governance and support for the leadership.
“Nowhere does the Ministry mention that the whistleblowers who did their public duty have been grievously treated,
sacked and out of a job. The fact is that two whistleblowers took their concerns about invoice rorts to Te Roopu Taurima
O Manukau’s CEO. For doing what they should have done they got sacked and the Ministry of Health’s behaviour in this
matter is nothing short of a disgrace.
“Where is the Ministry’s support for good organisational servants who do their job conscientiously and legally?
“This is nothing but a departmental coverup of its own grave shortcomings in checking out what was happening to over $30
million of taxpayers’ money per annum.
“How can the Ministry claim as follows:
‘The Ministry’s focus is always on ensuring that public money is being spent on high quality, safe services and the
public can have confidence in the services they are receiving.
‘The Ministry has been closely monitoring Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau following concerns raised about the provider last
year.
“Those two claims by the Ministry are nothing short of a public joke. The documents produced by New Zealand First were
not complicated and any rudimentary audit would have uncovered them and much more.
“Te Roopu Taurima O Manukau Trust has grievously failed both Maori and the taxpayer and so has this self-serving
Ministry of Health,” says Mr Peters.
ENDS