Nearly $100,000 spent on catering Health NZ conference

• Health NZ spent almost $100,000 on catering for up to 400 finance staff at a two-day conference
• Health Minister Shane Reti says Health NZ should consider low cost alternatives to large in-person gatherings
• Labour's Ayesha Verrall - minister at the time - is distancing herself from the decision despite placing blame for a more recent bill on Reti

Health New Zealand is feeling the heat from its minister after revelations of a second significant spend-up on catering at conferences in the past year.

In response to questions from RNZ, Health NZ confirmed it hosted up to 400 finance staff at a conference at Auckland's Eden Park on 30-31 October last year.

The overall catering costs totalled $95,584. The venue hire was an additional $20,067.

It comes after RNZ revealed Health NZ racked up a $60,000 catering bill - including $9200 on canapés - during a three-day meeting for 300 managers in late March.

In a fresh statement to RNZ, a spokesperson for Health Minister Shane Reti said he "definitely [did] not" support that much spending on food and beverages at future events.

"If conferences need to occur, it's his expectation that Health NZ is actively seeking out viable alternatives to large in-person events, and ensuring that if they do go ahead, costs are kept to a minimum."

Health NZ was facing "extremely serious financial difficulties" and needed to be absolutely focused on frontline health services, Reti's spokesperson said.

In response, a Health NZ spokesperson said it intended to hold its 2024/25 finance conference online and would call on sponsors to ensure "nil or minimal cost".

The conference was an annual event for those in the sector to "discuss topical issues, while also providing professional development opportunities".

"In 2023, the conference was also an opportunity to discuss the development of Health NZ's finance operating model and identify areas of improvement across a single finance function," the spokesperson said.

Before Health NZ was set up in July 2022, the meeting was run by the district health boards (DHBs) and attended by their finance teams. Ministry of Health staff and some non-government health groups were also invited.

Labour bats away hypocrisy question

The 2023 finance conference was held about two weeks after the general election but before the new coalition had formed.

That means the event was organised and held when Labour's Ayesha Verrall was health minister.

Speaking last week, Verrall criticised Health NZ's recent spending on catering and said Reti bore some responsibility: "It's the minister's job to set standards," she said.

Given that, RNZ asked Verrall whether she too had set low standards for public spending, or whether her position was hypocritical.

"I have had cause to remind health officials about the need for restraint when it comes to conference costs while I was minister," Verrall said in a statement.

"The conference after the 2023 election was not discussed with me."