Minister 'reassured' after TEC delivers Wintec briefing

Minister of Education Chris Hipkins said the TEC told him they were monitoring the situation closely. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The Minister of Education says he is reassured the Tertiary Education Commission is monitoring Wintec closely after a briefing this week.

TEC confirmed it had given Chris Hipkins a verbal briefing on the large Waikato tertiary institute on Tuesday.

Hipkins said the TEC told him they were monitoring the situation closely and would keep him informed of any relevant information or developments.

"I am confident they will continue to do that. I understand they are working very closely with Wintec's council chair Barry Harris.'

TEC chief executive Tim Fowler said the briefing included an overview of Wintec's governance arrangements as well as an overview of TEC's actions in response to a complaint received in 2015 regarding an employment matter at Wintec.

Wintec council chairman Barry Harris earlier told the Herald the matter involved a complaint against the chief executive Mark Flowers but it was not upheld following an independent investigation.

Hipkins had requested a briefing this week after former Wintec human resources manager Sheryl Richards urged him to launch a ministerial inquiry into the taxpayer funded organisation.

The call for the inquiry followed revelations by the Herald last week that Wintec had spent $175,000 fighting a media organisation.

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