46755 (2024). Francisco Hernandez to the Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills

46755 (2024). Francisco Hernandez to the Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills: What is the rationale for the Tertiary Education Commission choosing eight consultants, at Te Pūkenga's expense, to plan the disestablishment of Te Pūkenga?

Hon Penny Simmonds: Section 332 of the Education and Training Act 2020 enables the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) to require Te Pūkenga to obtain specialist help, including specifying the people or organisations from which help is to be obtained. The two letters from the TEC to Te Pūkenga are publicly available. The consultancies engaged were chosen due to both their knowledge of the tertiary sector and their experience in restructuring and turning around underperforming businesses. The consultants are not planning the disestablishment of Te Pūkenga. They are advising on what actions are required to improve the financial sustainability of the former institutes of technology and polytechnics, which is urgently required given their financial position. This work would have been required under any structure.