Dr Siouxsie Wiles must by now have a good appreciation of the truth of the adage: “One day you’re the pigeon; the next day you’re the statue”.
A year ago, she was flying high. On 31 March 2021, she was made New Zealander of the Year for her leadership in the country’s Covid-19 response. She was presented with the award by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at a gala dinner in Auckland attended by 800 people.
On July 6, Dr Wiles was presented with the Critic and Conscience of Society Award, worth $50,000, given to academics who provide the public with independent, expert commentary on issues affecting the community.
Unfortunately, since those heady days, Dr Wiles’ reputation has taken a series of blows, including a brief furore over a video taken during last September’s Level 4 lockdown that showed her and another woman at an Auckland beach they had cycled to. They were chatting mask-less on the sand before the friend went into the water for a swim.
