KEY POINTS:
The man appointed to inquire into conflict of interest allegations at Hawkes Bay District Health Board, Syd Bradley, has stood aside just days after his appointment.
Health Minister Pete Hodgson told MPs that Director-General of Health Stephen McKernan had decided Ian Wilson would now lead the review team.
To cries of laughter and disbelief from National's ranks, Mr Hodgson said Mr Bradley had stood aside because of changing personal circumstances - overseas travel.
Mr Hodgson repeatedly rejected claims from National's health spokesman Tony Ryall that Mr Bradley had stood down because "he had smelt the stench of corruption".
The allegations centre on a failed $50 million contract bid by a private company, Healthcare New Zealand, for community services funded by the health board.
Board member Peter Hausmann is managing director of Healthcare New Zealand, and a whistleblower raised concerns about a conflict of interest. His company's bid was cancelled and the tender process has started again.
Mr Hausmann has denied doing anything wrong and says he declared his interest in the proper way.
Mr Ryall tabled in Parliament an email asking that tender documents be sent to Mr Hausmann for comment months before his competitors saw them.
Mr Hodgson said the email was old and had been included in an earlier internal inquiry at the DHB which had found no wrong-doing.
He was confident a wider inquiry would come to the same conclusion and would also find out if a woman lost her job because she blew the whistle.
The minister said Mr Wilson, who chairs the MidCentral DHB, would be able to get to the bottom of the issue in a review that had been requested by Mr Hausmann.
- NZPA
