A private health company with links to the Liberal National Party (LNP) won a multi-million-dollar medical contract last year without a tender, amid serious concerns about the integrity of the process and poor value for taxpayers.

The ABC can reveal Vanguard Health, which is also registered as a lobbying firm federally and in every state and the ACT, was the sole contender when it won a $13 million, three-year contract to provide doctors to Yeppoon Hospital in what hospital administrators called a "quick fix".

Vanguard has donated $21,000 to the Queensland LNP since 2009. The company's general manager, David M Russell, was until 2013 a member of the LNP's State Council and on the editorial team of the party's in-house magazine.

Documents obtained by the ABC under Right To Information show the Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service (CQHHS) awarded Vanguard the contract to supply six rural doctors in February 2014 because of an "urgent" need to improve relations with the local community.

"It is estimated an open tender process would delay the project by up to three months," the board wrote in a document signed off by its chairman, Charles Ware, who commissioned the Vanguard proposal.

But the contract to provide doctors, meaning an additional $7.5 million would have to be funded from savings elsewhere, was awarded in the face of warnings from senior hospital administrators that the deal was rushed and an expensive response to problems they did not recognise.

Chief financial officer Nik Fokas wrote to chief executive Len Richards on February 3 warning the Vanguard proposal would cost over $400,000 more per doctor than existing locum arrangements.

"I do not propose we engage with this arrangement," wrote Mr Fokas.

Mr Richards responded saying he agreed with the calculations but there was "little in the way of choices".

"We have not established confidence in the local people, politicians or our staff out there that we have this under control," he wrote.

I was more interested in seeing the country move forward again when Labor takes the reins this year and ignoring silly political RC but Labors first order of business should be to have a forensic look at the Libs books.

The embezzlement scandal engulfing the Victorian Liberal Party has re-ignited tensions in federal ranks, with the party's former federal treasurer calling for the party's accounts across Australia to be forensically audited.

Speaking publicly for the first time after Fairfax Media revealed his leaked explosive letters criticising Prime Minister Tony Abbott's chief of staff, Peta Credlin, and her husband, federal Liberal executive director Brian Loughnane, businessman Phil Higginson wants the forensic audits to assure donors, members and voters of proper financial governance.

While not accusing Mr Loughnane or other party officials of any wrongdoing, Mr Higginson was greatly frustrated by what he perceived as the federal secretariat's reluctance to explain its spending during his tenure as honorary treasurer. Mr Loughnane heads the federal secretariat.

Mr Higginson only approved the party's 2013/14 accounts after being pressured by Mr Abbott and in February suggested 10 reforms to improve the party's financial governance.

"I am not making any accusations of wrongdoing but sunlight is always the best disinfectant," Mr Higginson, who retired from the key fund-raising role mid-year, said on Friday.

"I have pointed to weaknesses in the financial governance of the party. They have now unfortunately proved to be fatefully substantively correct and now the party should act decisively. If we don't act now, let everyone ask themselves this question: 'Under what circumstances would we ever act?' The answer would be no, not ever."

The alleged $1.5 million fraud against the Victorian Liberal Party by its former state director, Damien Mantach, was only discovered after an audit by forensic accountants PPB Advisory. It has now been referred to Victorian fraud squad detectives for investigation.

As Liberal members continue to question how the alleged fraud was able to progress for years unchallenged, the Saturday Age can also reveal that the Liberal Party's federal president, Richard Alston, has been a member of the Victorian division's finance committee since 2010.

Mr Abbott was this week keen to describe the fallout from Mr Mantach's alleged fraud as "just a matter for the Victorian division", but Mr Higginson's comments and Mr Alston's presence on the Victorian branch's finance committee will make financial governance a national issue for the Coalition.

Mr Alston declined to comment. But it is understood he and other members of the Victorian finance committee had no idea of the alleged fraud and had no formal mandate to act as an audit or risk committee.

Members of the Victorian finance committee, who meet three to four times per year, are expecting an overhaul of the party's organisational structure.

"You've almost got to assume bad faith now. Whereas in the past you always assumed good faith," one member said.

The finance committee sets the party's budget but does not play a role in overseeing spending. This is instead done by the administrative committee.

The federal branch of the Liberal Party has acted on one of Mr Higginson's suggestions and recently installed an audit and governance committee.

Mr Higginson was once one of Mr Abbott's closest supporters, playing an important fund-raising role in the Prime Minister's own electorate.

But Mr Abbott was silent on his call for improved financial governance in the wake of his leaked February letters and did not act to stop efforts to have Mr Higginson replaced as treasurer.

Reading another thread ... someone commented that lib supporters were avoiding this like the plague ... I see what they mean.

Must be time for Marie to drop in and say'but labor did .......'

Reading another thread ... someone commented that lib supporters were avoiding this like the plague ... I see what they mean.