KEY POINTS:
Prime Minister Helen Clark says she will be surprised if an inquiry into conflict of interest allegations at Hawke's Bay District Health Board (DHB) finds anything wrong.
Health Minister Pete Hodgson yesterday ordered an investigation into the allegations around a $50 million contract.
Mr Hodgson said the Health Ministry would appoint another DHB's chairperson and a corporate lawyer with experience in governance issues to carry out the review.
But that has not satisfied the National Party, which yesterday released about 40 pages of documents relating to DHB board member Peter Hausmann.
Mr Hausmann is also managing director of Healthcare New Zealand, which bid for the $50m contract.
National's deputy leader Bill English has called for the matter to be referred to the Auditor — General.
But Miss Clark today said the allegations had already been looked at by two separate bodies and the contracting process relating to Healthcare New Zealand cancelled.
"This thing has been scoured over in the past and I would be very surprised if there is a significant issue here at all," she said on TV One's Breakfast programme.
"This has been looked at before by the Ministry of Health which found nothing. The audit committee of the board has been over it and to be super — cautious they actually stopped the contract proceeding, so I would really be a bit surprised if there was much in this."
The probe comes after the Herald on Sunday yesterday revealed the allegations involving the failed $50m contract.
It also claimed former health minister Annette King had fast — tracked Mr Hausmann's appointment on to the board. Ms King's husband Ray Lind was the health board's chief operating officer at the time Mr Hausmann was appointed.
Mr Hodgson said there was a paper trail to show Mr Hausmann's appointment to the board "was absolutely correct and fulfilled all statutory requirements".
Mr Hausmann denied he had done anything wrong.
Nationals Bill English said on National Radio today: "We don't want to see a rerun of something like the Ingram inquiry, where the Government is inquiring into one of its own people."
He said the matter should be referred to the Auditor — General.
Healthcare New Zealand is the country's largest provider of home care services.
— NZPA
