David Seymour suggested Shane Reti ditch Waikato Med School idea, lacks ‘confidence’ in cost benefit analysis

Act leader David Seymour was so sceptical of the merits of a draft business case of a new medical school at the University of Waikato that his office provided its own cost-benefit analysis to Health Minister Shane Reti. National campaigned on building a new med school at the University of Waikato in Hamilton with a focus on primary care and training up a rural workforce. However, this commitment was watered down in the coalition agreement between National and Act to a commitment to a “full cost benefit analysis” before “any binding agreement is made with respect to the Waikato medical school ”.

A draft business case was drawn up earlier this year, but Seymour was not convinced by the figures it contained..