David Farrar: Maybe they should have quit?

Stuff reports:

The Government’s top health officials were so concerned by its decision to repeal the smokefree generation law that at least one considered quitting.

Documents released by Te Whatu Ora show outright anger from top health officials, who discussed how to try and stop the Government’s repeal of a law which would have led to New Zealand stopping the sale of cigarettes.

Te Whatu Ora national director for public health, Dr Nick Chamberlain said he was so concerned by the moral and ethical dilemma of repealing the smokefree legislation that he was considering whether he could continue working in the role.

The job of public servants is to implement government policy, not to try and stop the Government they are sworn to serve.

Apa suggested the focus on the financial burden of repealing the legislation.

“We need to make legislation look like the cheapest option,” she said.

So the CEO of Health NZ openly said they need to provide information to support their preferred outcome, presumably regardless of whether or not legislation is the cheapest option. Either legislation is or is not the cheapest option. Having top public servants conspiring to manipulate information to stop a Cabinet decision is appalling.

IIRC, the relevant cabinet papers were leaked to the media. I have no idea who leaked them, but public servants who so adamantly oppose the decisions of the newly elected Government seem a good place to seat looking.

David Farrar runs Curia Market Research, a specialist opinion polling and research agency, and the popular Kiwiblog where this article was sourced. He previously worked in the Parliament for eight years, serving two National Party Prime Ministers and three Opposition Leaders.