Minister's husband on polytech board

Judith Collins. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The Government's new appointments to polytechnic councils include Police Minister Judith Collins' husband, David Wong-Tung, and former National Party Cabinet minister Roger Sowry.

Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce made a number of appointments to polytechnic councils this week after a restructuring of the sector last year which shrinks the size of the councils from a maximum of 20 to just eight.

Mr Wong-Tung has been appointed to the Manukau Institute of Technology council and Mr Sowry to the Whitereia Community Polytechnic and Wellington Institute of Technology.

The biographical notes provided with the announcement do not mention that Mr Wong-Tung is the husband of Ms Collins. A former police officer, he is now a barrister and director of finance company Golden Trust Finance. He was also a director of the Savoy Group property development company.

Since National came to power, Mr Sowry has also been appointed to the Electricity Commission.

Dr Alan Barker - a consultant with Martin Jenkins who was contracted to do the line-by-line review of education spending in the National Government's drive to find savings - was put on the Open Polytechnic Council as well as those of Whitereia Community Polytechnic and Wellington Institute of Technology.

The appointments have been criticised by opponents of the changes the Government has made to the polytechnic sector who say it will mean community and student representatives are left out.

However, Mr Joyce said he was confident the skills of those he had appointed would help to strengthen the performance of polytechnics in a tight fiscal environment. Each council would ensure local needs were met when appointing the final four members.

Labour spokeswoman Maryan Street said the appointments were heavily weighted with business experience which left out genuine community representatives.

The downsizing of councils had removed the requirement for student, staff and local community representatives and she said this did not bode well for proper representation.

Under the new structure, the minister chooses four council members and the remainder are elected by the council itself.

David Do, president of the Union of Students' Associations, said the increasing focus on business and finances hurt the interests of students.

He said removing the requirement for staff, student and community representatives meant they would no longer have a voice.

The Government believes leaner, more focused councils with greater business and finance skills will help to improve polytechnics' financial positions.