Councils vote to challenge DHB sacking
February 29th, 2008 at 10:59 am by David FarrarNZPA reports:
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council voted on Wednesday to seek a judicial review of the ministers decision and yesterday three more councils — Napier, Hastings and Wairoa — voted to join the action.
Central Hawke’s Bay District Council will vote on the matter today …
National’s health spokesman, Tony Ryall has described the move as “appalling political manipulation” designed to get rid of the board so it could not put its case in a conflict of interest inquiry.
“One conclusion is that there’s a wider political agenda,” Mr Ryall said.
“He kept the Capital and Coast District Health Board despite widespread public opposition, yet he has sacked the Hawke’s Bay board in spite of community support.”
Green Party MP Sue Kedgley said she had “grave concerns” about Mr Cunliffe’s action.
“It appears to be a politically motivated act driven by the minister’s irritation at a chairman of a district health board who was prepared to speak his mind,” she said.
Also read this editorial in HB Today:
Sacking the district health board is a disgraceful betrayal: It abuses the confidence the people of Hawke’s Bay placed in the board, which is only three months old, and it reveals the principle of public participation in health governance to be a sham and at the whim of political convenience …
The region’s mayors plan a legal challenge. The minister says he has been advised it will not succeed. He may well have the whip hand … until November. In the meantime questions need to be answered and in the open. If there are issues then let’s put them on the table. No more smoke and mirrors.
Mr Cunliffe has shown contempt for Hawke’s Bay people. In nine months’ time we will be able to return the favour.
Goodness me, that almost looks like an advertisement under the Electoral Finance Act.
Related posts:
- Dom Post on District Health Boards
- Bill and Fran on Hawke’s Bay DHB
- Happy Hawke’s Bay Health Board
- Ryall appoints new Otago DHB Chair
February 29th, 2008 at 11:34 am
This labour lot at the moment seem to be gifting their opponents platforms to attack them on. I am no political expert, just an interested observer, but it would seem that Cunliffe has opened the way for angry Hawkes Bay people to keep their opposition to this govt front page news for a few months.
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 11:45 am
Right on vto
Vote:Sheriff Cunliffe has ridden in guns blazing.
Only problem is he’s sitting arse about face on the saddle.
February 29th, 2008 at 11:50 am
One wonders what is in the report that has led to the Dominion being gagged. Even though it has supposedly not been completed there is enough in it for the minister to act. What does it say that is so urgent and crucial that action had to be taken so quickly. Has the repot now been effectively buried.
Mr Hausmann appears to be the board member most aggreived by the boards activity and no doubt the contents of the report and his submission to the minister seems to have been very persuasive. The very short reaction time between the minister getting the submission and making decisions to sack suggests that something up in the Bay was deserving of decision making at the speed of sound.
What is really going on in the DHB that needed such urgent attention and lack of disclosure as to what are the real reasons for the upheaval.
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Mr Hausmann is aggrieved because it is his company that is under investigation for conflicts of interest. Mr Hausmann did not join the DHB as an elected member – he was a government appointee – by Annette King.
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Cunliffe says he has not seen the review but in Hausemans submission to the minister he is reported as having quoted the review so the minister has at least seen parts of the review. Again the timeline of all this is important and someone needs to research that and post it. Remember Lind was the COO when King (his wife) was health Minister and she appointed Hauseman without the normal procedure. When Lind left (following the whistleblower incident in whcih he was involved) he went to work for Hausemans company. No conflicts here people, move along…move along.
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Disclosure Transperancey Conflicts of Interest All good governance principles that have been absent in this affair.
The Socilaists gagged the Board to protect their appointees arse It an absolute joke how TI keep on getting the wool pulled over the eyes and keep given NZ a throughly undeserved ranking each year.
One day the truth will out and TI will have egg all over its face.
Meanwhile the rorts and scams continue unabated and encouraged by the Socialists.
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 12:38 pm
There all into it up to their sweaty necks Cunnliffe is covering various arses big time to prevent the truth coming out and exposing the Socialists for what they Aiders and abetters of corruption.
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
Dont understand why anyone is getting excited about whats going on in the Bay. Surely it is part of the ministers (who is after all “running the show now”) job to protect public health by removing obvious health hazards such as large smelly dead rats that may be hiding in peoples cupboards, particularly if the cupboard belongs to the minister of common sense and an election is just round the corner. I think it is just a beat up by those evil media people in cahoots with the rich pricks who are trying to end the career of the best leader NZ has ever had!
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 12:43 pm
No need to ask ..One wonders what is in the report that has led to the Dominion being gagged..
The DG of health just wants his property back.
Or is property rights ignored by all the writers here when it suits them. So much for principles.
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
No chance of “nothing to see here, move on” paulhelen – Cunliffe has upset too many people for that to happen, especially when the elected Board members have the support of the local electorate MP’s (Tremain and Foss) in election year. Labour will be pounded over this in the House on Tuesday, and I can’t see how Wilson could fail to grant an urgent debate.
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 12:45 pm
Will John Key be supporting Labours moves in sacking the Board in 3 months time.
After all he bases all decisions on political advantage and checks on which way the wind is blowing before opeing his mouth
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
My comments were sarcasm. Key will sit back and watch, he does’nt have to do anything. Even Ryall is not saying too much they are all safer just letting the councils do the legwork. The report will get leaked eventually and if there is an investigative reporter worth their salt they will grab this story as it has legs, lots of them. Cunliffe had nothing to fear from making everything public if he believes he is right. The speed of his move and the gagging are an indication that there are things to hide. Note there’s no comment from King or Lind or Clark. Court action is a way to allow some of the secret stuff to come out.
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
I will go further and say that Cunliffe’s action was extremely risky but the alternative was worse. There is the potential here to bring this government down. It will get nasty.
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
GWW
Vote:At least Sheriff Dave had a horse
You just ride an ass
February 29th, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Cunliffe has not explained his actions at all. It may be the Board is obsessing over some side issue and is not focusing on the business at hand. I note Sir John Anderson said his focus will be on getting the Board operating again and not going over the old ground. This is all very well but the murk surrounding a former Minister and her Husband and an existing Board member’s conflict of interest leaves one with a very uneasy feeling.
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
I think too many of you are missing the point. Cunliffe did’nt sack the board because they wern’t compitent he sacked them to silence them. They were about to go to the high court to seek a judicial review over the time the review panel had given them to respond to their report. Cunliffe isn’t just protecting King but the whole crowd. If Cunliffe knows what went on then so does Clark and the others, and why did’nt he appoint someone to go and help the board as in Wellington?
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 1:28 pm
Surely if the board is now sacked they will be able to speak out without being bound by confidentiality aspects as they would have been when on the board. Cunliffe may have dug a bigger hole for Helens mob by firing them. What do you legal people think?
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 1:31 pm
The situation in the Hawke Bay warrants a fully independent inquiry or audit.
The key requirement is someone with a fully independent charter. The government servant charged with conducting such inquiries/audits is the auditor general. Let’s get him on the job now.
No interference or pre-emptive actions, just a diligent examination of all of the circumstances and all of the players. Then a public report. This is what the OAG does with any other government activities. And those audited live with the consequences.
Let’s get the proper checks and balances in place.
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Johnboy I understand the Board members are now silenced If any of them speak out its off to the chokie.
So much for the Protected Disclosures Act 1999 A piece of Claytons law designed to look good and achieve nothing.
Its now up to the MSM (laugh laugh laugh) to bring some sunlight to disinfect this very smelly affair.
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 1:36 pm
Chief exec is an ex Clark employee, Lind works for the man King appointed, lind is married to king..
Vote:What a tangled web.
The Ministress for Common Sense must be shitting her pants.
John key and team can sit back and ride the wave right to Nov 15th.
Is there a single minister who is not embroiled in dodgy dealings, bare faced lies or rank incompetence.
The only smart one was Smarmy, at least he had the rat cunning to organise a parachute.
February 29th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
An inquiry is the worst thing that can happen, Clark has used these patsies many times in the past to delay bad news. Any urgent inquiries will only close it all down until Nov 16th.
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
You can’t help but wonder when you see:
- The very unusual action of a minister in sacking a board
- The board has only been in there for three months, and while in the red, other boards are doing worse
- The rather smelly past of political interference, and who knows what information surpressed
- Suddenly the paper is denied the right to print information on an alleged conflict of interest on a govt appointee and the board over a 50Mil computer contract.
Is it just me, or could there be another reason why C threw this board out. Could he have wanted to neutralise them before they spilled the beans?
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
Our Health system is a mess just like our government.
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 1:48 pm
You’re right d4j it is a mess.
I know – lets throw more money at it!
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 1:50 pm
Of course he is trying to neutralise them before they can spill the beans.
Vote:But what we should really be asking is;
What does Peter Hausman and the chief exec (ex clark employee) have over the labour party to get them to undertake this unprecedented move?
It must be something massively damaging to the govt players for them to go nuclear and then get injunctions to stop the Dom from publishing.
February 29th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
Luvly jubbly – more delicious scandal – Key will be able to write a book about how to become PM of a banana republic (with a massive majority) while you sit on your arse and say and do absolutely nothing. No wonder he made millions on the money market – the Gods are definitely on his shoulder.
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Agreed Barnsley,
Mind you, it may be just that HC (who is pretty fragile at the moment) just can’t stand the thought of yet another government appointee or minister being embroiled in a fiasco.
That may be the reason, but I suspect you are right, he has something big hidden up his sleeve.
All great stuff. Whoever said politics was boring.
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
I wonder if Nicky Hagar is looking through the DHBs email and rubbish tins yet or does he only check blue coloured stuff.
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
`It is NOW up to MSM (laugh laugh laugh) to bring some sunlight to disinfect this very smelly affair.
I think you can count on HBTODAY to keep this to the fore.
As they are part of the same stable as NZ Herald hopefully they will pick up on it as well.
Holmes, who has a property in HB, and Leighton Smith will will probably also keep it in front of people.
TV – well they would probably sooner go to a cat up a tree – although there were two cameramen at todays Taradale meeting.
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
What is needed is one of the good guys or gals from the HB Board to have a quiet chat with the media and point them to the documents that conceal the smoking gun
I would suspect there are some very dodgy contracts locked away in the safe in the CEOs office. I would also suspect that due process hasnt been followed regarding the contract process and any tender was a jack up.
The trick is to find the weakest link and put the fear of God into them to reval all Worked well when I was an auditor.
I would love to have a crack at this one The perps are usually to arrogant to think they will be caught and make all sorts of dumb mistakes.
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
Draft 2 of the Independent report is a whitewash and this why Peter Hausmann wants it published. The sacked Board (with the exception of the said Hausmann) didn’t want it published – hence their injunction to stop it. Publication would effectively have buried Draft 1. Now the minister has gagged the Dom over the leaked version of Draft 1. (But its still alright for HIM to quote selectively from Draft 2!).
In any case why has the report taken so long? Months!!! Because Hausmannn & Clark and their omnipresent legal teams have delayed the whole process until the damage limitation tactic of sacking the Board could be put into action. The strategy was probably planned at the time the Minister refused to ratify Atkinson’s Chairmanship – effectively hamstringing the whole Board for the interim period.
The ex-Board members now have no collective voice and, if they wish to comment when the report finally gets published (hopefully without being sanitised by The Ministry), they will have to do so individually and at their own (not inconsiderable) expense.
There is more being covered up than the dodgy computer contract – for example Hospital cost overruns and budget blowouts that are the direct results of Chris Clarke’s weak management style and Lind’s bullying & incompetent one. King is pulling all the strings she can to protect the reputation of her husband (the recently unmasked conversation bugger).
What then should the Minister have done? Travelled to HB and met the Board, believed them and all the other good advice coming out of The Bay, ignored his Cabinet cronies, fired Clarke, and maybe put in Sir John to assist in a post-Clarke reconstruction period.
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Prophetic words from Bill English in the General Debate of 18 July 2007?
“I am sure Annette King is worried about her involvement in the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board scandal. What a scandal that is. As my colleague Tony Ryall pointed out today, she was fast-tracking the appointment of Peter Hausmann, the principal tenderer for $50 million of public money, when he was being fed the tender documents for comment by the chief executive of the district health board. And, of course, I am sure that Mrs King is worried about the role of her husband. He was second in charge of the district health board, and he is now working for Peter Hausmann, the principal tenderer for the $50 million contract whom she appointed to the board. So if Annette King does not want to go now, I am sure she will want to go soon.”
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
GOOD ON CUNLIFFE!
“Local representation” via DHB’s is certainly a sham AND an expensive one.
The Health Ministry should run the hospitals directly without the pointless and expensive delays
created by a “Board” of generally ignorant lay people who, with their complete lack of understanding
of health services, generally do what they are told and keep quiet to continue to draw their
political salaries. With occasional exceptions DHB members are just “bums on seats”. Some of them
have serious political and personal agendas. These usually involve ramming Maori “culture” down everyone’s throats
or involve property development, and other business enterprises, with which to rip off the taxpayer.
Cunliffe’ actions expose Hawkes Bay to a proper Ministerial examination and direct rule. Instead
Vote:of wailing the locals might consider these thoughts, drawn from personal experience.
February 29th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Absolutely not the case in Hawkes Bay, hawkreturn, for every descriptor you used to describe your typical board, the opposite was true of this one. Do some research b4 wading in with your generalisations here.
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 5:00 pm
supersleuth – Do some research, that would force most of those here to actually use their brain and then communicate it to their mouths.
Vote:Impossible for most of them to acheive.
February 29th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
I’m sure anyone appointed to a DHB would be required to sign a watertight non-disclosure agreement which bound them in omne tempus (till the cows come home).
If, however, they all came forth to the media and if in coming forth they exposed immoral or illegal behaviour on the part of anyone with a duty to the public purse, then it would surely be a brave prosecutor who moved against them.
Vote:February 29th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
No one is bound by any agreement which prevents them from claiming criminal activity. The problem will be proving it is criminal. Remember Lind was acussed of recording conversations and sending them to his home computer and then deleating them from his computer at the DHB. They were found later by a computer sleuth. It is possible that Hauseman and Lind have something they are using to presurise the government on to give them protection, something like blow us and we will blow you too.
Vote:March 1st, 2008 at 6:35 am
50 million for Hawkes Bay DHB IT, thats $340 per capita. If this was repeated in every DHB it would be over 1,000 million for the whole country. That’s the scandal, poor stewardship of public money. How is the contract progressing or is that information also in the review?
Vote:March 1st, 2008 at 7:25 am
It is quite clear what has happened here. The Board has overturned a decision to award a contract to Hausmann based on the conflict of interest issue, thereby threatening to expose another case of Labour corruption. Hausmann and Lind have used their political connections to have the Board removed, and the issue silenced. Unfortunately it is not working out that way.
All that we need now is for someone to find that Hausman has donated money to the Labour Party.
The buzzards are circling……………………………………….
Vote:March 1st, 2008 at 7:30 am
Further to my last, it seems safe to assume that Annette King won’t be Goff’s deputy when he rolls Clark.
Vote:March 1st, 2008 at 9:09 am
Bit rich a comment like that from you John Dalley.
Just this week you were the one ranting about National never having any policies, nice theory until I put up the rather long list of National policies stolen by labour in the last little while.
Why don’t you do a bit of research yourself?
Vote:March 1st, 2008 at 9:10 am
Duxton,
Good form!
Vote: