Education minister Chris Hipkins has told Parliament that the government does not support PPPs for “the provision of basic core public services like schools and hospitals”.
However, he confirmed that there are no present plans to introduce any changes to existing signed deals.
In response to a parliamentary question, he added: “Future projects, including those the previous government had signalled would be PPPs but aren't currently subject to signed contracts, will be considered as part of the Budget process.”
When pressed by former education minister Niki Kaye on the future of the Whangarei Boys High School – which had been planned as the first of a new bundle of school PPPs – Hipkins replied: “That would depend on whether or not they are part of a currently signed PPP. They are not on the list of signed PPPs entered into by the previous Government, so that is something that we will be considering. I can give them a reassurance that their building projects will go ahead.”