Tender tough talk for Whānau Ora commissioner

Peter Verschaffelt John Tamihere | Tender, tough talk for Whānau Ora commissioner

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North Island Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency chief executive John Tamihere says adding an extra agency will mean a 25 percent increase in backroom costs.

Te Puni Kōkiri is currently tendering for four providers of commissioning services, an increase from the current model of agencies covering the North Island, South Island, and Pasifika services

Mr Tamihere says he hasn’t seen any business case based on merit, cost or performance to justify the change.

“You are in effect adding a new cost centre which will take 25 percent of whatever the back office money is, out of it. It means from day one across our network everybody loses 25 percent of a dollar value because that is the way they have calibrated it,” he says.

Mr Tamihere says the change seems aimed at fragmenting a partnerships network that has delivered for Māori, including in getting through the pandemic and boosting immunisations.

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