Dunedin Hospital and out of control projects

On Saturday, September 28th, an estimated 35,000 people marched down George Street in Dunedin to protest the changes to the Hospital project, whatever they may be. That much is news. 

What seems to be eluding commentators is that the government seems to be hell bent of giving the message that badly managed, expensively out of control activities and projects are not going to be tolerated. 

Unusually, they appear to be unafraid of the sunk costs, reputational damage and  scuffed egos of the project champions and organisation leaders that keeps money being pumped in to activities that vastly exceed their budgets - likely becasue they can point the finger at the previous government.

The Dunedin Hospital changes, like the ferry cancellation, like the public service job losses, are collateral damage in that drive to deliver the message that value for money has to be delivered. 

In Dunedin's case, we were in exactly the wrong place at the wrong time, and it can't help that Dunedin is a Labour stronghold.

The question is: is there the competence and will to deliver the value for money government wants?