.....Parker, too, preaches need for political impartiality in public posts
This time it’s official – or rather, this time the announcement was posted on the Government’s official website as well as being emailed to news media, handed to political scribblers in the Parliamentary Press Gallery, couriered to whoever by pigeons, or whatever.
It’s the news that Environment Minister David Parker has kicked Rob Campbell off the board of the Environmental Protection Authority.
Health Minister Ayesha Verrall was quicker to the draw. She sacked Campbell as the chairperson of Te Whatu Ora – Health New Zealand two days ago.
The reason?
As Stuff reported:
Campbell came under fire for publishing political comments on social media about the National Party’s Three Waters policy. Rules for public service leaders say they shouldn’t delve into politic and should maintain impartiality.
Another Stuff report said:
New Health Minister Ayesha Verrall has acted decisively in getting rid of errant Health NZ chair Rob Campbell.
This report said Campbell had had a long career in unions, business and the public sector.
He was sacked by Verrall for taking to LinkedIn and lashing the National Party’s Three Waters scheme that it proposed on the weekend.
Verrall issued a terse statement on Tuesday afternoon saying: “I no longer have confidence that Mr Campbell is able to exercise the political neutrality necessary for his role at Te Whatu Ora.”
But the last time she posted a statement on the Government’s official website was on February 23, when she announced a New booster plan in time for winter. This dealt with eligibility for accessing the new COVID bivalent booster from April.
David Parker today played catch-up:
Campbell came under fire for publishing political comments on social media about the National Party’s Three Waters policy. Rules for public service leaders say they shouldn’t delve into politic and should maintain impartiality.
Another Stuff report said:
New Health Minister Ayesha Verrall has acted decisively in getting rid of errant Health NZ chair Rob Campbell.
This report said Campbell had had a long career in unions, business and the public sector.
He was sacked by Verrall for taking to LinkedIn and lashing the National Party’s Three Waters scheme that it proposed on the weekend.
Verrall issued a terse statement on Tuesday afternoon saying: “I no longer have confidence that Mr Campbell is able to exercise the political neutrality necessary for his role at Te Whatu Ora.”
But the last time she posted a statement on the Government’s official website was on February 23, when she announced a New booster plan in time for winter. This dealt with eligibility for accessing the new COVID bivalent booster from April.
David Parker today played catch-up:
Environment Minister David Parker has today removed Rob Campbell from his role as chair and board member of the Environmental Protection Authority.
This was posted alongside –
The Government is topping up payments to non-contracted ACC providers to ensure the cost of treatment stays low, ACC Minister Peeni Henare announced today.
The Government is deploying Bailey Bridges across six sites in the North Island to reconnect isolated communities impacted by Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland floods.
In his statement, David Parker said:
“Today I have decided to exercise my power under section 36 of the Crown Entities Act to remove Rob Campbell from this role on the EPA board, effective today.
“I have accepted the Public Service Commissioner’s advice that Rob Campbell’s LinkedIn comments in relation to National’s policies and its leader is a clear breach of the Code of Conduct requirements that he act politically impartially and retains his ability to work effectively under current and future governments.
“Also, his subsequent public comments in the media suggest he does not accept the constraints he is under as a member and chair of a Crown Entity Board.
“That has eroded my trust and confidence in his ability to effectively undertake his role at the EPA.”
Parker acknowledged the good work Rob Campbell had done at the EPA and wished him well for the future.
Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
1 comment:
A conspiracy theorist might speculate that Rob Campbell was a willing actor in a Labour Party carefully contrived and very public 'show' of distancing themselves from co governance. He is surely not stupid enough to have made this kind of 'error' and might just end up with a very generous severance payment.
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