KEY POINTS:
Stephen McKernan
The chief executive and Director-General of the Ministry of Health. As chief executive of Counties Manukau District Health Board in 2004, he wrote to ARDHB members clearly concerned about a conflict of interest, suggesting that "they tread very carefully in respect to Dr Bierre". He did not know about Dr Bierre's plans to supply laboratory services. His caution came because of Dr Bierre's position as a pathologist and his previous interest in laboratory services. Mr Keenan, who also did not know of Dr Bierre's intentions, replied that Dr Bierre had fully declared his interests. On the basis of Mr Keenan's explanation, Mr McKernan took no further action.
Arthur Morris
Chief executive of Diagnostic Medlab. Unlike Dr Bierre, Dr Morris did not know the health boards were seeking a fundamental change to the way medical laboratory testing was to be conducted in Auckland. The desire for change started to become clear once he met the evaluation panel for the first time, on April 21 last year. It was indicated to him then that significant change was required, and there was discussion about reducing Medlab's collecting centres from 84 to 50. DML returned with a proposal for 50 centres, cutting $24 million off its bid, but the panel still viewed it as too high a price. Justice Asher noted, "From the moment that the proposals were lodged on 10 April, DML was disadvantaged."
Garry Smith
Chief executive of ADHB. Mr Smith was alerted to a possible conflict of interest after Dr Bierre emailed personnel at the Auckland Hospital laboratory seeking their involvement in forming a consortium to respond to the call for tenders. He spoke to Mr Brown about this, and they agreed he would speak to Dr Bierre. After a meeting with Mr Smith on December 21, 2005, Dr Bierre agreed to stand down. He wrote to Mr Brown seeking a leave of absence from the board between January 14 and June 30 last year so he could prepare a tender proposal.
- Compiled by Phoebe Falconer
