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Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Mike Hosking: Where is the apology from Sarah Fitt?


There's no small irony yesterday in watching Sam Neill's lovely interview on the ABC about his diagnosis and ongoing battle with blood cancer.

His family featured some of his background and his arrival from Ireland. I didn’t know he was called Nigel, but hated being called Nigel so changed it to Sam.

It looked at his life in Australia and his passion project in Central Otago with that pinot noir that’s turned out to be such a success story.

The prognosis isn't that flash. The experimental medicine he is on will not work forever.

Which then led me to the article on Sue Wall-Cade.

She is an advocate of funding life-prolonging cancer medication, the very sort Sam Neill is on. She is a survivor, or what she calls a METAvivor. She, like so many of us, is furious at Pharmac over the Sarah Fitt scandal.

She wants Fitt gone and the board not far behind her.

This is over the emails that have exposed Fitt's attitude to journalists and her general contempt for pretty much anyone who would dare ask a few questions and want a few answers.

Wall-Cade says the emails are sickening and derogatory, and she is right. And possibly a little contained in the description.

Part of the trouble with the story, to this point, is the election got in the way.

Last time we talked about it with Chris Hipkins all he would say was the Health Minister had had a word with the chairman, who is Steve Maharey, a former Labour minister who would do... well... who knows what.

He's done nothing so far as far as I can tell.

What strikes me as alarming is the lack of apology from Fitt herself. I am happy to be corrected, but I have not heard from the woman post the revelation through the Official Information Act.

Where is she?

Does she want to apologise? Does she not want to apologise? Why hasn’t the minister told her to front? Why hasn’t the chair fronted? Why hasn’t the chair told Fitt to front?

To a degree, this is the level of contempt that not just Fitt, but clearly chunks of the public service, and indeed the Government, hold the public in.

It's sniggering, condescending chat that we aren't supposed to know about, if it wasn’t for the sheer stupidity of Fitt having put it all in writing.

So lets start with the apologies, shall we? It needs to be genuine and fulsome and then follow it up with at least one, if not, two resignations.

Or is this to be a final mark of this Government to deal with nothing and hope it goes away?

Mike Hosking is a New Zealand television and radio broadcaster. He currently hosts The Mike Hosking Breakfast show on NewstalkZB on weekday mornings - where this article was sourced.

5 comments:

Anna Mouse said...

Fitt is in the 'lanyard class'. She see herself well above the proles on this matter.

Anonymous said...

Yes Anna, I love "the lanyard class". When I see lanyard-wearers I think "they've been tamed", they're like dog tags.
I used to work for a council and never wore a lanyard, preferring to keep my ID and electronic key in my pocket.
Just call me a rebel but I hope a thinking one.
MC

Anonymous said...

Sam Neill’s “rare and aggressive” blood cancer that exploded within him in 2022 is exactly the type of ‘turbo cancer’ now identified as triggered and super chargd by the plasmid DNA contaminated, simian virus 40 incorporated mRNA experimental gene technology jabs that poor Sam was almost certainly injected with on multiple occasions; good upstanding citizen that he is.
There are tests that can prove the incorporation of these elements within cancer dna.
Has Sam had these tests?
Has any journalist enquired of Sam what his covid vaccination status is?
Has anyone asked Sam how he reacted to the Prof Angus Dalgleish interview with John Campbell recently on exactly this topic?
Maybe, Mike, it’s not just Sarah Fitt who should be apologising here.

Anonymous said...

Can I "offer my two pence worth of though, worthy of further comment from others".

When this topic "arose for NZ MSM, or those who bothered" to reveal and comment on, I posted a comment then, that one needed to look at "who the Chair of Pharmac" is- Steve Maharey, former Minister/ Social Development & Employment- within the Helen Clark Govt (Dec. 1999 - Nov. 2008) - came from an Academic background at Massey Univ./Palmerston North - was a City Councilor/Pm Nth, then elected to represent the Labour seat of Palmerston North - 1990.

So the ?? question has to be asked as to who/whom appointed him to the role of Chair at Pharmac. It is interesting to note that Mr Maharey is not the only former Clark MP/Minister to be "placed in charge of a Govt Agency/Dept".

David Lillis said...


Read the Public Service Association website:

"Bullying is widespread in the public sector, especially in health and education. There are a number of resources to help you recognise bullying and advice on how to go about putting a stop to it."

https://www.psa.org.nz/our-voice/workplace-bullying/

Unfortunately, as a former public servant, I must confirm the truth of this statement. I worked in Education for several years. Oh my God!!!!

Now that we have a new Government, it's high time for a reconfiguration of our public service, away from grossly over-remunerated executive clowns and non-subject matter bullying managers towards a system that rewards and promotes people of integrity and who know the business and the work of the people who they manage.
David Lillis