So there was sewage leaking into Middlemore hospital’s walls
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- Date published:
8:21 am, May 4th, 2018 - 87 comments
Categories: David Farrar, dpf, making shit up, Media, national, same old national, spin, the praiseworthy and the pitiful, you couldn't make this shit up -
Tags: matthew hooton, Middlemore Hospital
Remember when news broke about how there was sewerage seeping into the walls of one of our largest hospitals?
Radio New Zealand reported the news in these rather graphic terms on March 28, 2018:
Raw sewage has been leaking into the walls of Middlemore Hospital’s Scott building, on top of all the other problems with its buildings.
The 18-year-old Scott Building houses coronary care and medical, surgical and wards for elderly people.
Counties-Manukau DHB acting chief executive Dr Gloria Johnson told Morning Report today its sewage pipes were failing because they were of a type “which deteriorates with age”.
She said pipes were probably also failing in other buildings at Middlemore, which is in the country’s highest health-need area.
“I don’t know about the cafeteria [leaking sewage] but … we think a number of buildings could have, and probably not just confined to our hospital either,” Dr Johnson said.
They expected to find more sewage problems as cladding was ripped off to get rid of rotting wall framing, she said.
It is the news that the right wanted us to forget. Matthew Hooton did his best in a Herald article titled stink surrounds sewerage story. He went through said this:
Is it too cynical to think the story may have been, at best, grossly exaggerated by the Government for political purposes?
No one seems to know anything about the sewage-in-the-cafeteria story, or where it came from, and no images have emerged despite even the lowest-paid hospital worker carrying a camera phone.
On Monday, Ardern announced her Government’s communications strategy involves drip-feeding stories of alleged public-sector underfunding by the previous Government. We can only speculate, but was the Middlemore sewage story the first?
He concluded by suggesting that this was all an invented crisis by Labour to cover up the fiscal hole which is appearing as we learn more about the state of the various Government departments.
National’s pollster followed this up by repeating the story and the smear. One of his posts “the much hyped sewage leak was a stain on the ground” was, with the benefit of hindsight, full of shit. Because further information has been released that highlights the full horror of the situation.
Radio New Zealand has responded by releasing a report provided to the Counties Manukau DHB that shows that in 2010 it was told in graphic terms about the problems. From Phil Pennington at Radio New Zealand:
Middlemore Hospital knew about extensive leaks, rot and mould at its main building two years before it says it did.
The Counties Manukau DHB has said it was first alerted to leaking buildings in 2012 but, in fact, it was warned in early 2010.
“The cladding system to the lower levels of the building appears to be failing,” the February 2010 report by surveyors Dalton said, after it took off cladding at five spots on the south wall of the Scott building, which also houses cardiac care.
It photographed advanced brown rot and light rot in wood frames it rated as “unsound” and described “widespread incipient decay” caused by leaking.
“The use of untreated timber and established decay at corners and sheet edges demonstrates that the [three] lower level storeys are at risk of real future failure.”
Counties Manukau DHB acting chief executive Dr Gloria Johnson said that when she told the public in March this year that they were first alerted to the leaks in 2012, she was not aware of the 2010 report.
The Dalton report includes a photo of a fece-stained first-floor sewage pipe, where leaking caused “serious damage” to framing. Board’s chair Rabin Rabindran, a board member Mark Darrow and the DHB itself have all said media reports of sewage leaks were overplayed. It’s now known there were at least four such leaks of raw sewage.
There is a photo in the story for those with a strong stomach.
Then facilities manager Greg Simpson asked for funding to deal with what he thought was an urgent problem but this was declined.
Mr Simpson said he reported the issue in 2010, asked for funding to do urgent repairs and for a more comprehensive report, but nothing happened.
“I expected to get funding for what I would call fundamental failures… the failure of that cladding was fundamental. We never got that sort of funding.
“Clinical priorities took precedence. At the time they were between a rock and a hard place – they still are.”
A comprehensive report was only ordered when a cladding panel fell off the Scott building in 2012.
And in further related news Radio New Zealand has disclosed that the then chair of the Canterbury DHB signed a letter drafted by the Ministry of Health stating that his board needed no extra funding even though he knew it had an urgent need of further funds.
From the article:
The Health Ministry drafted a letter which the chair of the cash-strapped Canterbury District Health board then sent to the government saying it could work with existing funding.
Information obtained by Checkpoint under the Official Information Act shows that in December 2015, the DHB’s then-chairman Murray Cleverley sent a letter to the health and finance ministers, having received an identical draft of the letter from the Ministry of the Health the previous day.
The DHB’s chief executive and the Ministry of Health were aware of the letter, but none of the board members knew.
Board members have told Checkpoint they could not believe it when they learnt what had happened and would have never agreed to the letter being sent.
The DHB was under intense financial pressure following the Christchurch earthquakes, and desperately needed more money, they said.
On 10 December, 2015, national health board acting national director Michael Hundleby sent an email to CDHB’s chairman at the time, Murray Cleverley.
It included a letter, which Mr Hundleby told Mr Cleverley was the “draft letter below we were going to discuss today”.
That letter, released to Checkpoint under the Official Information Act, was for the health minister and finance minister of the time, and said the DHB understood the Crown’s expectation to manage its capital spending within existing funds.
The very next day, Mr Cleverley sent the exact letter (only changing CDHB to Canterbury DHB, and ‘yours sincerely’ to ‘kind regards’) on CDHB letterhead to then-Health Minister Jonathan Coleman and then-Finance Minister Bill English.
It stated: “The Canterbury DHB acknowledges the Crown’s expectation that the capital redevelopment programme governed by the Hospital Redevelopment Partnership Group; the earthquake programme of works; as well as DHB ‘business as usual’ capital spending will be managed within existing crown funding; and Canterbury DHB’s own resources.”
Effectively, he was telling them the DHB did not need more money, despite knowing the DHB was under significant financial pressure, including the costs associated with demolishing 44 buildings.
No one on the board apart from the Chairperson knew about the letter.
It is great that there is a new progressive Government. But it is going to take years to fix up the physical and financial mess that National has left us.
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- Release: Huge hole in National’s climate budgetNational’s plan to cut policies that are reducing New Zealand’s climate emissions will result in a huge gap in the country’s emissions budgets and could see Kiwis paying significantly more at the petrol pump as a result of Christopher Luxon hiking the ETS price. ...4 days ago
- Greens would push Labour much further on solar powerLabour’s plan to support rooftop solar is a step in the right direction, but falls short of what could be achieved through the Green Party’s Clean Power Payment. ...4 days ago
- Release: Doubling rooftop solar to reduce bills & emissionsLabour will double the number of houses with rooftop solar in New Zealand, lowering household power bills, reducing emissions and boosting renewable electricity generation. ...4 days ago
- Release: Labour will advance women’s health, careers, and legal protectionsA re-elected Labour Government will continue its proud tradition of advancing women’s health, employment, and legal rights Spokesperson for Women Jan Tinetti said. ...5 days ago
- Green Party confirms plan for five weeks annual leaveSpeaking at the E Tū Election Launch in Auckland today, Green Party co leader Marama Davidson outlined the Green Party’s manifesto commitment to ensure everyone has five weeks of annual leave. ...6 days ago
- Release: Labour to keep lifting worker wages and rightsA re-elected Labour Government will protect hard-fought workers’ rights and keep the momentum on wage growth to lift incomes for all New Zealanders, leader Chris Hipkins announced today. ...6 days ago
- New Zealand First Party List 2023New Zealand First is proud to announce the Party List for the upcoming 2023 General Election. We have had a great number of applicants and potential candidates moving through the selection process over the past few months. Our final selection for our list proves we have a wide range ...6 days ago
- A National/ACT Government would make life miserable for those already worst offOnly a party vote for the Greens will end poverty. ACT’S welfare policy announced today is as cruel as it gets. ...7 days ago
- Release: Willis’ resignation call means only one thing – $2 billion more cutsMassive cuts to public service are on the cards as Nicola Willis has promised to resign if she doesn’t deliver tax cuts but is refusing to make the same commitment if she doesn’t raise enough income from her bungled foreign buyer’s tax. ...7 days ago
- Release: A faster justice system focused on victimsLabour will help more victims of crime achieve justice faster by introducing a formal class-action regime, modernising consent laws and increasing the use of technology to speed up hearings. ...7 days ago
- Release: Gaping hole confirmed in National’s tax planA whopping $2.1 billion dollar hole has been confirmed in National’s tax scheme in a new report released today. ...1 week ago
- Labour pledges biggest ever increase to training DoctorsLabour will deliver the largest ever increase to the number of doctors trained each year, adding an additional 335 doctors a year to our health workforce from 2027, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins has announced. ...1 week ago
- State of books makes clear case for wealth taxThe case for a wealth tax has never been stronger. ...1 week ago
- Release: Labour pledges free cervical screeningIf re-elected Labour will make cervical screening services free to all women and people with a cervix aged 25 – 69 years, delivering better cancer care for over 1.4 million New Zealanders. ...1 week ago
- Chris Hipkins sets out 9 key pledges to New ZealandLabour Leader Chris Hipkins has set out nine key pledges to be achieved in his first full term as Prime Minister. ...2 weeks ago
- Labour's Plan 2023Labour is running a positive, forward-looking campaign that's focused on fixing the cost of living, keeping people and communities safe and investing in education, health and housing. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Coalition of Cuts and Chaos would be NZ’s most unstable governmentStatements from David Seymour and Winston Peters have called into question whether National would be able to lead a functional government if they were in a position to do so after the election. ...2 weeks ago
- Healthy Ocean Act – Marama Davidson SpeechHe mōhio ō tātou tīpuna ki te tirotiro taiao. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens will demand Minister for Oceans and Fisheries to lead ocean rescue planThe Green Party will protect 30% of the ocean by 2030, create an independent Ocean Commission to advise the government, and put a Green Minister for Oceans and Fisheries in charge of making it happen. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: National's dodgy tax scheme couldn't be done – according to John KeyNational's shaky tax scheme has received a further blow after it’s been revealed that John Key received advice when he was Prime Minister that the scheme being proposed by National couldn’t be done, Labour Finance Spokesperson Grant Robertson says. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: No new funding, no timelines – National’s empty housing policyThe National Party’s housing policy is vacant; with no new funding and no timelines attached to its delivery says Labour Housing Spokesperson Megan Woods. ...2 weeks ago
- Bills lower, climate happier under Green Party planLabour’s announcement of an energy rebate is a step in the right direction, but the Greens’ Clean Power Payment would do much more for households. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Household rebates for energy efficient homes under LabourA re-elected Labour Government will help Kiwi households to be more energy efficient and reduce emissions from household energy use, Labour Spokesperson for Building and Construction and Energy and Resources, Megan Woods, announced today. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Labour will deliver largest Police service in historyA Labour Government will deliver a further increase of 300 additional frontline Police officers, new ways to crackdown on gangs and strengthen legal protections against stalking and harassment. ...2 weeks ago
- Greens welcome launch of Te Ohu Tāmaki and challenges other parties on housingThe Green Party is welcoming the launch of Te Ohu Tāmaki, and affirms its commitment to clear the social housing waitlist in 5 years - and challenges other parties to say they will do the same. ...2 weeks ago
- National put climate action into reverse gearThe National Party’s plan to install EV chargers while at the same time making it harder for people to buy an EV is bizarre and ridiculous. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Hipkins sets out plan to grow NZ economyLabour leader Chris Hipkins has set out his top five priorities for growing the economy which include ambition for New Zealand to be a global leader in sustainable agriculture and renewable energy. ...2 weeks ago
- Former Wellington Mayor Andy Foster To Stand For New Zealand FirstFormer Wellington Mayor Andy Foster has announced he is standing for New Zealand First in the Mana electorate for the upcoming election. “As a former Mayor of our Capital City, Andy has an exceptional resume and level of professional and governance experience that will be an asset to the team.” ...2 weeks ago
- 10 of our favourite Chris Hipkins momentsIt’s Chris Hipkins’ birthday today, and to celebrate we’re taking a look back at some of his most defining moments. During his time at Parliament, he’s led New Zealand through some difficult times, delivered change that will make a real difference to Kiwis' lives, and given us a few laughs. ...2 weeks ago
- Release: Show us your costingsRevelations on Newshub tonight that National only got an expert to review their tax plan two days after it was released adds further fuel to the call for Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis to release all costings and advice they have received on it, Labour Finance Spokesperson Grant Robertson said. ...3 weeks ago
- National’s climate pledge a jokeToday’s pledge from the National Party to deliver net zero carbon by 2050 is a bad-faith, disingenuous, and empty promise. ...3 weeks ago
- Glenfield Policy AnnouncementNo MP pay rises until essential workers get one first. The pay freeze for parliamentarians is due to end this year, with a hefty pay rise forecasted. The fact is when this announcement was made that Members of Parliament would receive a pay rise, in the middle of an ...3 weeks ago
- Government invests further in Central Hawke’s Bay resilience
The Government has today confirmed $2.5 million to fund a replace and upgrade a stopbank to protect the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant. “As a result of Cyclone Gabrielle, the original stopbank protecting the Waipawa Drinking Water Treatment Plant was destroyed. The plant was operational within 6 weeks of the ...17 hours ago - Govt boost for Hawke’s Bay cyclone waste clean-upAnother $2.1 million to boost capacity to deal with waste left in Cyclone Gabrielle’s wake. Funds for Hastings District Council, Phoenix Contracting and Hog Fuel NZ to increase local waste-processing infrastructure. The Government is beefing up Hawke’s Bay’s Cyclone Gabrielle clean-up capacity with more support dealing with the massive amount ...18 hours ago
- Taupō Supercars revs up with Government supportThe future of Supercars events in New Zealand has been secured with new Government support. The Government is getting engines started through the Major Events Fund, a special fund to support high profile events in New Zealand that provide long-term economic, social and cultural benefits. “The Repco Supercars Championship is ...19 hours ago
- There is no recession in NZ, economy grows nearly 1 percent in June quarterThe economy has turned a corner with confirmation today New Zealand never was in recession and stronger than expected growth in the June quarter, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said. “The New Zealand economy is doing better than expected,” Grant Robertson said. “It’s continuing to grow, with the latest figures showing ...21 hours ago
- Highest legal protection for New Zealand’s largest freshwater springsThe Government has accepted the Environment Court’s recommendation to give special legal protection to New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs, Te Waikoropupū Springs (also known as Pupū Springs), Environment Minister David Parker announced today. “Te Waikoropupū Springs, near Takaka in Golden Bay, have the second clearest water in New Zealand after ...22 hours ago
- More support for victims of migrant exploitationTemporary package of funding for accommodation and essential living support for victims of migrant exploitation Exploited migrant workers able to apply for a further Migrant Exploitation Protection Visa (MEPV), giving people more time to find a job Free job search assistance to get people back into work Use of 90-day ...2 days ago
- Strong export boost as NZ economy turns cornerAn export boost is supporting New Zealand’s economy to grow, adding to signs that the economy has turned a corner and is on a stronger footing as we rebuild from Cyclone Gabrielle and lock in the benefits of multiple new trade deals, Finance Minister Grant Robertson says. “The economy is ...2 days ago
- Funding approved for flood resilience work in Te KarakaThe Government has approved $15 million to raise about 200 homes at risk of future flooding. More than half of this is expected to be spent in the Tairāwhiti settlement of Te Karaka, lifting about 100 homes there. “Te Karaka was badly hit during Cyclone Gabrielle when the Waipāoa River ...2 days ago
- Further business support for cyclone-affected regionsThe Government is helping businesses recover from Cyclone Gabrielle and attract more people back into their regions. “Cyclone Gabrielle has caused considerable damage across North Island regions with impacts continuing to be felt by businesses and communities,” Economic Development Minister Barbara Edmonds said. “Building on our earlier business support, this ...2 days ago
- New maintenance facility at Burnham Military Camp underwayDefence Minister Andrew Little has turned the first sod to start construction of a new Maintenance Support Facility (MSF) at Burnham Military Camp today. “This new state-of-art facility replaces Second World War-era buildings and will enable our Defence Force to better maintain and repair equipment,” Andrew Little said. “This Government ...2 days ago
- Foreign Minister to attend United Nations General AssemblyForeign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will represent New Zealand at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York this week, before visiting Washington DC for further Pacific focussed meetings. Nanaia Mahuta will be in New York from Wednesday 20 September, and will participate in UNGA leaders ...3 days ago
- Midwives’ pay equity offer reachedAround 1,700 Te Whatu Ora employed midwives and maternity care assistants will soon vote on a proposed pay equity settlement agreed by Te Whatu Ora, the Midwifery Employee Representation and Advisory Service (MERAS) and New Zealand Nurses Association (NZNO), Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced today. “Addressing historical pay ...7 days ago
- New Zealand provides support to MoroccoAotearoa New Zealand will provide humanitarian support to those affected by last week’s earthquake in Morocco, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta announced today. “We are making a contribution of $1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to help meet humanitarian needs,” Nanaia Mahuta said. ...1 week ago
- Government invests in West Coast’s roading resilienceThe Government is investing over $22 million across 18 projects to improve the resilience of roads in the West Coast that have been affected by recent extreme weather, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed today. A dedicated Transport Resilience Fund has been established for early preventative works to protect the state ...1 week ago
- Government invests in Greymouth’s futureThe Government has today confirmed a $2 million grant towards the regeneration of Greymouth’s CBD with construction of a new two-level commercial and public facility. “It will include a visitor facility centred around a new library. Additionally, it will include retail outlets on the ground floor, and both outdoor and ...1 week ago
- Nanaia Mahuta to attend PIF Foreign Ministers’ MeetingForeign Minister Nanaia Mahuta will attend the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, in Suva, Fiji alongside New Zealand’s regional counterparts. “Aotearoa New Zealand is deeply committed to working with our pacific whanau to strengthen our cooperation, and share ways to combat the challenges facing the Blue Pacific Continent,” ...1 week ago
- PREFU shows no recession, growing economy, more jobs and wages ahead of inflationEconomy to grow 2.6 percent on average over forecast period Treasury not forecasting a recession Inflation to return to the 1-3 percent target band next year Wages set to grow 4.8 percent a year over forecast period Unemployment to peak below the long-term average Fiscal Rules met - Net debt ...1 week ago
- New cancer centre opens in ChristchurchPrime Minister Chris Hipkins and Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall proudly opened the Canterbury Cancer Centre in Christchurch today. The new facility is the first of its kind and was built with $6.5 million of funding from the Government’s Infrastructure Reference Group scheme for shovel-ready projects allocated in 2020. ...1 week ago
- Government invests in top of the south’s roading resilience$12 million to improve the resilience of roads in the Nelson, Marlborough and Tasman regions Hope Bypass earmarked in draft Government Policy Statement on land transport $127 million invested in the top of the south’s roads since flooding in 2021 and 2022 The Government is investing over $12 million to ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealanders continue to support the revitalisation of te reo as we celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Mā...Ko tēnei te wiki e whakanui ana i tō tātou reo rangatira. Ko te wā tuku reo Māori, e whakanuia tahitia ai te reo ahakoa kei hea ake tēnā me tēnā o tātou, ka tū ā te Rātū te 14 o Mahuru, ā te 12 o ngā hāora i te ahiahi. ...2 weeks ago
- New Wildlife Act to better protect native speciesThe 70-year-old Wildlife Act will be replaced with modern, fit-for-purpose legislation to better protect native species and improve biodiversity, Minister of Conservation Willow-Jean Prime has announced. “New species legislation is urgently needed to address New Zealand’s biodiversity crisis,” Willow-Jean Prime said. “More than 4,000 of our native species are currently ...2 weeks ago
- Further safety initiatives for Auckland City CentreCentral and Local Government are today announcing a range of new measures to tackle low-level crime and anti-social behaviour in the Auckland CBD to complement Police scaling up their presence in the area. “Police have an important role to play in preventing and responding to crime, but there is more ...2 weeks ago
- Govt confirms additional support for Enabling Good LivesThe Government has confirmed $73.7 million over the next four years and a further $40.5m in outyears to continue to transform the disability support system, Minister for Disability Issues Priyanca Radhakrishnan has announced. “The Enabling Good Lives (EGL) approach is a framework which guides positive change for disabled people, ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand gets AAA credit rating from S&PStandard and Poor’s is the latest independent credit rating agency to endorse the Government’s economic management in the face of a deteriorating global economy. S&P affirmed New Zealand’s long term local currency rating at AAA and foreign currency rating at AA+ with a stable outlook. It follows Fitch affirming New ...2 weeks ago
- Appointment of Environment Court JudgeChristchurch barrister Kelvin Reid has been appointed as a Judge of the Environment Court and the District Court, Attorney-General David Parker announced today. Mr Reid has extensive experience in Resource Management Act issues, including water quality throughout the South Island. He was appointed to the Technical Advisory Group advising the ...2 weeks ago
- NZ’s biggest ever emissions reduction project hits milestoneNew Zealand is on track to have greener steel as soon as 2026 with New Zealand Steel’s electric arc furnace project reaching a major milestone today. The Government announced a conditional partnership with New Zealand Steel in May to deliver the country’s largest emissions reduction project to date. Half of ...2 weeks ago
- Poroporoaki: Paki Leslie Māngai NikoraPokia ana te tihi Taiarahia e Hine-Pūkohu-rangi Hotu kau ana te manawa! Horahia ana te whārua o Ruātoki e te kapua pouri Tikaro rawahia ko te whatumanawa! Rere whakamuri kau ana te awa o Hinemataroa Ki te kawe i te rongo ki te mātāpuna i nga pōngaihu Maungapōhatu, tuohu ...2 weeks ago
- 50,000 charges laid in crack down on gangsPolice Minister Ginny Andersen has today congratulated Police in their efforts to crack down on gangs, after laying 50,000 charges against gang members and their associates through the hugely successful Operation Cobalt. As at 31 August, Police have: Laid 50,396 criminal charges against gang members and their associates Issued 64,524 ...2 weeks ago
- Farmers and cyclone-affected properties supported with tax rule changesThe Government has confirmed details of the tax changes to the bright-line test for cyclone-damaged properties, with the release of the required legislative amendments. Revenue Minister Barbara Edmonds has released a Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) to be considered by the Finance and Expenditure Committee in the next Parliament, as it ...2 weeks ago
- New Zealand wins CPTPP dispute against CanadaMinister for Trade and Export Growth Damien O’Connor has welcomed the CPTPP Panel’s ruling in favour of New Zealand in our dispute against Canada, a significant win for our primary sector exporters. The Panel found that Canada’s dairy quota administration is inconsistent with its obligations under the Comprehensive and Progressive ...2 weeks ago
- New intensive turnaround programme launched to break the cycle of offendingThe next phase of the Government’s response to youth crime is underway, with an intensive programme for the country’s most prolific young offenders launched today in Auckland, Minister for Children Kelvin Davis said. The programme, announced by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins in July, will see up to 60 recidivist young ...2 weeks ago
- Government extends report date for COVID inquiryThe Government has agreed to a request from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 for extra three months to deliver its final report. The Royal Commission was established in 2022 to strengthen New Zealand’s preparedness for any future pandemics. It was originally due to conclude mid-2024. “The Commission has ...2 weeks ago
- Wainuiomata school property upgrade making great progressThe Wainuiomata High School redevelopment is making great progress, with two more classroom blocks set to be complete by the end of the month, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins announced today. The Prime Minister visited today to see first-hand the progress of the redevelopment which is continuing at pace and is ...2 weeks ago
- Language week focuses on sustaining Lea Faka-TongaNew Zealand’s Tongan community are coming together to promote language sustainability this week, as Uike Lea Faka-Tonga – Tongan Language Week begins. “For our Pacific communities, language is more than just a means of communication. It’s an important way to link generations and maintain connections to our ancestral roots,” Barbara ...3 weeks ago
- Peters writes his own history on backing Labour in 2017
The NZ First leader's rehashed claim on a televised debate defending his backing of Labour in 2017 is dismissed as a "fabrication" by Sir Bill English Winston Peters has refloated claims then-National leader Bill English confided in him at the start of 2017's coalition negotiations that he was about to be "rolled" ...1 hour ago - Raw Politics: Hipkins' strange failure to fire
This week on the Raw Politics podcast: We ask why Labour leader Chris Hipkins has failed to fire, as his party would have hoped, in this campaign so far. Plus: this week's debate, the latest polls and how relatively good economic news changes things in the run-up to election day. ...2 hours ago - Minor parties get fired up over crime and punishment
Crime has been one of the dominant themes of this election campaign and it proved to be the hot button in the second televised debate this week. As Mark Jennings writes, the leaders of the minor parties were taking no prisoners in their battle for crucial votes. TV Viewers interested ...2 hours ago - Why Winston Peters should take over the Green Parrot Cafe
After more than 50 years under the same proprietorship, Wellington’s famous Green Parrot Cafe is looking for a new owner. And Charlotte Muru-Lanning knows the perfect person to keep its legacy alive. This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. There’s a dinky little story on the ...3 hours ago - Zingers and grins light up multi-party debateMarama Davidson and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer brought the high-fives. Winston Peters and David Seymour brought high dudgeon. Toby Manhire reports from the Powerbrokers debate in Auckland. No wonder the big parties are so unloved. After the soporific Chris Show on Tuesday, the Newshub Nation Powerbrokers debate last night was an espresso ...3 hours ago
- Can National reclaim Nelson after Labour ended its 24-year run?In 2020, eight-term Nelson MP Nick Smith was unseated by Labour’s Rachel Boyack. He’s now the mayor, and National has a new candidate who’s going all out to repaint our oldest electorate blue. Read the other battleground electorate profiles in our Hot Seats series here. For a long time, former ...3 hours ago
- Electorates to watch: Candidates fight for face time in Whanganui
Candidates are working hard to get better known ahead of the election ...3 hours ago - Return of the Ferns
Football, netball, cricket and rugby - it's all on for Kiwi women's sports teams across the globe this weekend. Merryn Anderson gives the lowdown on all the Ferns action. Did you think, with the wave of World Cups receding from our shores, women's sport was about ...3 hours ago - A bright idea for Naseby
A tiny town in Central Otago that's already on the world map – for something a little different – is set to notch up another first in a few weeks if its sky high ambitions go to plan. Not content with its world famous curling rink to draw visitors, Naseby, population ...3 hours ago - I don't want Te Pāti Māori choosing my electoral roll
The Māori party is attempting to take us back to 1975 when Māori did not have a choice ...3 hours ago - The major health crisis ignored by election campaigns
Former MP laments lack of aged care policy in the 2023 election ...3 hours ago - The Prime Ministerial peril of changing horses mid-stream
To lead Labour to victory, Chris Hipkins would have to repeat a unique feat ...3 hours ago - This week's bestselling books
The latest Nielsen BookScan New Zealand bestseller list, described by Steve Braunias NON-FICTION 1 The Dressmaker and the Hidden Soldier by Doug Gold (Allen & Unwin, $37.99) This hugely popular true-romance story set in World War II is set to be the hit book this Xmas. A free copy was up ...3 hours ago - Mayor Brown's Auckland Deal is the real deal
Mayor is right when he says a new relationship between government and the council is required ...3 hours ago - Govt suggests barring development in climate-exposed areas
New National Policy Statement prioritises nature-based adaptation. ...3 hours ago - Daily crossword, Friday 22 September
...3 hours ago - Peters predicts being in government and a pre-Xmas mini-Budget
Winston Peters is predicting a mini-Budget before Christmas and says it will come from a government his party will help form with 'like-minded parties' after the election It was an eclectic and unexpected mix of current and former politicians who fronted the Business North Harbour finance debate on Thursday. Initially billed ...3 hours ago - Newsroom daily quiz, Friday 22 September
Loading...(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){var ql=document.querySelectorAll('A[quiz],DIV[quiz],A[data-quiz],DIV[data-quiz]'); if(ql){if(ql.length){for(var k=0;k<ql.length;k++){ql[k].id='quiz-embed-'+k;ql[k].href="javascript:var i=document.getElementById('quiz-embed-"+k+"');try{qz.startQuiz(i)}catch(e){i.start=1;i.style.cursor='wait';i.style.opacity='0.5'};void(0);"}}};i['QP']=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,'script','https://take.quiz-maker.com/3012/CDN/quiz-embed-v1.js','qp'); Got a good quiz question? Send Newsroom your questions. ...4 hours ago - Ikaroa-Rāwhiti: Labour defector Meka Whaitiri trails in latest poll
A third of voters remain undecided in the Māori electorate of Ikaroa-Rāwhiti, a new poll is showing. ...8 hours ago - Grattan on Friday: Albanese government faces an uphill road and angry locals as it drives change to ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Fire fear is gripping many Australians, with extremely high temperatures for September. One day this week some 20 schools on the New South Wales south coast were closed, amid rising weather risk. Sydney national parks ...9 hours ago - Cracks appear soon after show of unity from ACT, NZ First leadersAnalysis: David Seymour and Winston Peters indicated they could work together in government, but then went on to undermine each other in a lively debate. ...9 hours ago
- A Game Of Two Halves In Ikaroa-Rāwhiti
The Māori electorate of Ikaroa-Rāwhiti is anyone’s game where a third of voters are yet to choose their candidate. Ikaroa-Rāwhiti was flung open when former Labour minister, Meka Whaitiri, switched to Te Pāti Māori in May. A Whakaata Māori exclusive ...10 hours ago - Marama battles a fly, Winston gets heckledWhile I’m sure the live broadcast is absolutely riveting, there’s something fun about sitting on a truly uncomfortable bench to watch the debate live. And there have already been a few moments that might not have made the telly. First up: Marama Davidson had a brief run in with a ...12 hours ago
- Courts clogged by self-represented litigants, lawyers say; solutions proposedThe number of people representing themselves in civil cases has grown enormously in the past decade, prompting calls to relieve pressure on the court system. ...12 hours ago
- The Act-NZ First grand coalitionThe first section of tonight’s Newshub Nation Powerbrokers debate focused on co-governance, proving that mortal enemies David Seymour and Winston Peters may have more in common than they once thought. An early answer from Seymour prompted a quick eye roll from the Greens’ Marama Davidson, with Te Pāti Māori’s Debbie ...12 hours ago
- Coming up: The minor parties go head to headNewshub’s live Powerbrokers debate is at 7.30pm – and we couldn’t be more excited. A couple of us are in the studio as it all plays out and we’ll keep you up to date on any important moments. Because we’ve heard a lot from the Chrises on this campaign, but ...13 hours ago
- View from The Hill: Josh Frydenberg puts political ambition aside to remain in businessSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Former Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s decision to put a business future before an attempted political revival is a blow for the Liberal Party, but a relief for the teal member for Kooyong, Monique Ryan. Opposition ...13 hours ago
- Election 2023: Sarah Pallett, Hamish Campbell and Raf Manji vye for Ilam's voteIlam's candidates are out campaigning for the public's vote, an electorate with a split voter base. ...14 hours ago
- Chris Luxon stands firm on spilling any more beans on policy trade-offs ahead of electionNational's leader won't make clear post-election negotiation trade-offs his party might make beyond what's already been indicated. ...14 hours ago
- 'Shattered': Māori health board head says National plans a huge step backThe head of Te Punanga Ora says National's policies for changes to Māori health partnership boards would 'lock in' poorer health for whānau. ...15 hours ago
- How did Taylor Swift get so popular? She never goes out of styleSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Pattison, PhD Candidate, RMIT University Last week, USA Today/Gannett posted a job ad for a Taylor Swift reporter, seeking an experienced journalist and content creator to “capture the music and cultural impact of Taylor Swift”. It’s not the first time ...15 hours ago
- Excessive screen time can affect young people’s emotional developmentSource: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachael Sharman, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of the Sunshine Coast Shutterstock A recent Beyond Blue survey of more than 2,000 teachers identified mental ill-health and excessive screen time as the biggest problems facing their students. Comments from teachers ...15 hours ago
- A COVID inquiry has been announced. But is COVID still a thing? Do I need a booster?Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Toole, Associate Principal Research Fellow, Burnet Institute Shutterstock Today’s announcement of an independent inquiry into Australia’s COVID response will examine how we’ve handled the pandemic and how we could better prepare for the next one.But ...15 hours ago
- Politics with Michelle Grattan: ANU Vice-Chancellor Brian Schmidt on the challenges universities fac...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Australia’s higher education sector is under heavy scrutiny. Still recovering from the impact of COVID and criticised for its treatment of staff, it faces strong pressures to step up its performance. The government launched a ...16 hours ago- NZ election 2023: Dear NZ, our foundations are in ruin and there’s no political courage for tomor...
COMMENTARY: By Martyn Bradbury Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition – and poll leader — National Party’s three biggest donors have a combined net worth of $15 billion. The bottom 50 percent of NZ has $23 billion. The top 5 percent of New Zealanders own roughly 50 percent of New Zealand’s wealth, ...16 hours ago- Australia has officially given up on eradicating the Varroa mite. Now what?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cooper Schouten, Project Manager – Bees for Sustainable Livelihoods, Southern Cross University Varroa mites on drone pupae. Cooper Schouten/Southern Cross University, CC BY-SA The federal government body in charge of pest control has announced Australia will abandon efforts on eradicating the Varroa ...16 hours ago- Taxpayers' Union Welcomes ACTs Revised Alternative Budget
Commenting on the updates to ACT’s alternative budget, Taxpayers’ Union Policy Adviser, James Ross, said: “The only true tax cut is a spending cut, and we welcome ACT’s commitment to tackling the damage caused by 6 years of Labour’s dangerous ...16 hours ago- Moana Maniapoto challenges Winston Peters on campaign rhetoric
An interview that I missed earlier in the week that’s been doing the rounds on social media today. It’s a good watch. ...16 hours ago- Christmas Presents Head Off To Deployed New Zealand Defence Force Personnel
Thanks to the RNZRSA, a small piece of New Zealand is on its way to every member of the New Zealand Defence Force that will be deployed overseas this Christmas. <img src="https://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/2309/f4d24df4a1eb9d163b51.jpeg" ...17 hours ago- From ‘pebble in the shoe’ to future power broker – the rise and rise of te Pāti Māori
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Annie Te One, Lecturer in Māori Studies, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington In his maiden speech to parliament in 2020, te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi told his fellow MPs: You know what it feels like to have ...17 hours ago- Net zero by 2050? Too late. Australia must aim for 2035
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When Coleman kept referring to the Manukau DHB chairman address to the select committee on their funding and how ‘ no problems were raised’ rang alarm bells for me that it looked like Colemans office had approved his speech. Now we have proof that even the Ministry pulls the strings on what DHBs are allowed to say.
all part of our efficient and effective, non-partisan public service. Oh and I see MS’s comments at 3.1.2.1
Many of us have seen a pattern emerging for quite some time
All going well someone in National ( maybe a few of them) will be nailed to a wall over this.
They will just deny it nats never take responsibility
I hope so Shona;
I hope national get hung for this.
As National did this to our rail line in Gisborne when they deliberately took all rail maintenance staff off the line between Napier to Gisborne in 2011, and only left a ‘skeleton staff’ of only four to carry out occasional work on a 212 km section of our rail line.
So now we know that was why our rail was washed out when drains got clogged during a heavy storm and the rail was damaged and national was responsible for damaging our asset and caused it all.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1302/S00183/kiwirail-admits-lack-of-maintenance-led-to-wash-out.htm
Hang the National Party high I say; – the scoundrels..
Ummm…. no one forced anyone to sign any letters or to stop them reporting issues.
Apparently the rest of the CDHB didn’t know their chairperson had signed this letter.
The chairperson was pressurized. He was a fool to give in and obviously put his own position before the health needs of those he was paid to look after. He has responsibility for that. But the real crime is the Ministry’s/ministers.
Thank god we got rid of the lying b….s
How exactly was he pressurized? Are you stating the Chairs of DHB’s are incapable of operating independently of Government? In which case you should be calling for a complete overhaul of the DHB appointment system then.
Also if the Chair did not inform his board over what he was doing and why doesn’t that make him even more incompetent?
Ministerial appointment. And there seems to be a pattern emerging.
Then there is a problem with the system. Is the government looking to change the way Chairs of DHB’s are appointed? At least I would think they would be calling for an enquiry in to the way they get appointed.
Finally you’re beginning to get it Gosman.
And hopefully (tho’ I’m not holding out much hope) it’ll be a wider review than just the way Chairs of DHB’s are appointed
But of course even IF they did call for an enquiry, you’d be among the first to bleat about the number of reviews and enquiries are set up.
I haven’t complained about the number of reviews yet. But I very much doubt there will be one on the process of appointing Chairs of DHB’s.
Yes there is a change in the system the new Government intends to appoint dedicated talented people to the job not Government yes men.
So you claim.
Really not sure about DHBs system. But it seems to me the head of the DHBs in Chch felt pressured to sign a letter drafted by the ministry of health. It seems the ministry and or minister wanted to hide the real level of expenditure required for chch. So it’s not really about the DHBs structure as such………
All I am seeing so far is Labour carrying on as National did with the DHB appointment process.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/103518939/more-dhb-chair-turnover-but-health-minister-says-its-not-political
It is as if they are quite happy with how it is working…
High bar you set there Gos.
So the ministry sends a copy of the letter to the head of the DHB saying that they don’t require more funds in an email saying we will talk about this letter. The same letter is then sent back the next day unchanged and not approved by the board.
I have no doubt that discussion about the letter went along the lines of “you will not be getting any extra funds, don’t bother asking, it would be in everyone’s best interests if you just signed and sent back the letter we gave you”
Yea no one forced him to sign it. I would hope those trying to build a better future would have been better at building anything to be honest.
Sounds like they kinda did gossy.
Sewerage is the pipes. Sewage is what goes down them and into the walls at Middlemore hospital.
Good point article title change needed
Thanks corrected.
There is history here.
History from way back, and it is simply too simple to merely blame the Natz.
Read this…https://www.eastonbh.ac.nz/2002/06/the_new_zealand_health_reforms_in_context/
…from 2002. More relevant today, perhaps.
“Abstract: The New Zealand health sector reforms of the 1990s have to be seen in the context of the long term development of the New Zealand health system. The evolutionary change between 1938 and 1990 was abruptly replaced by the revolutionary policy of commercialisation from 1991 to 1993. …
… This proved unsatisfactory, with the promised benefits such as significant productivity increases not occurring. In some ways the system functioned even more imperfectly, although this was in part due to the funding cutbacks which took place at the same time. The policy shifts from the mid 1990s have largely taken the New Zealand health system back to where it would have been, had the evolution up to 1990 continued. There remains unfinished business, the largest of which is that the tensions between the managers and the health professionals have not been resolved. The New Zealand experience provides strong evidence that comprehensive commercialisation – business practices within, market relations between institutions – will not make a significant contribution to the design of effective health systems.”
” But there is so little evidence of any gains from commercialisation that it seems unlikely that even with appropriate implementation the policy has a major contribution to the resolving of the problem of designing effective health systems. The experiment is New Zealand’s gift to the international study of health systems: New Zealanders paid its cost.”
How were Hospitals run before the reforms of the 1990’s?
Gosman….do what we all have to….let your fingers do the walking. Then share with the rest of us….
No, because I suspect the process was even more centralised than it is today. This would have mean the Ministry of Health would have had even greater control over the various Hospital budgets.
Shit Gosman…read Brian Easton’s paper…link in my original comment. The chapters have headings…with dates and everything…to make it really easy for the literally challenged.
Now, ffs, I have rust in my Bus to deal to….
Is that “literally challenged” rather than figuratively challenged?
“Is that “literally challenged” rather than figuratively challenged?”
Intentionally left open for personal interpretation. 😉
….argghhh! Rust, it never sleeps! 🙁
Easton’s paper suggests it was more centralised in the past.
Everything was. what’s your point?
Who put the letter together that was sent to the Chair of the DHB to sign?
The Ministry acting as agents of the Minister.
In the past they would not have needed any such subterfuge. The Health Ministry would have agreed to replace the buildings and the Ministry of Works would have been tasked with the construction work.
And you’d be wrong. Basic maintenance wouldn’t have required pleading with the ministry for funds. It would simply have been fixed and the bill sent to the ministry.
Where was the accountability then Draco?
Silly little things called receipts and invoices and bookkeeping. You know, records that could be looked at after the fact.
Shouldnt you be on Bridges facebook…. kiwiblog etc asking them about National’s behaviour/accountability
Much better with less bureaucrats.
For starters, they didn’t have sewage leaking from the pipes and if they had it would have been fixed pronto.
“…and if they had it would have been fixed pronto.”
Damn right there DTB.
Today there’d be screeds of paperwork just to get a plumber in to give a quote, then the quote would go to the committee responsible for delaying vital work who would have to send it to the committee charged with doing a cost benefit analysis which would cost more than it would have to just fix the bloody pipe.
Some are nostalgic for the good old days when hand controls were fitted to a disabled person’s car in exchange for a crate of DB Brown.
What is that white thing on Teresa May’s head – Middlemore fungal growth or premature ageing due to loss of Brexit support ?
Are these the same DHBs Labour want to put oversee’ers at their meetings because they are useless or different ones?
I’m not on Twitter so when Matthew Hooton apologises could someone let me know on here. Thanks.
Then again, maybe I’ll see it as a headline in his Herald column.
I have no recollection of Hooten apologizing for anything ever.
Short memory
He apogised publicly to Joyce the other day and paid his legal costs.
RWNJ apologises to RWNJ fair enough.
Honestly, what is the point of the Hundleby type?
“Honestly, what is the point of the Hundleby type?”
Leadership. Pure and simple. These are the people that god knows who decided to lead our publicly funded health system.
Sterling characters, one and all.
https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry/leadership-ministry/executive-
leadership-team
And they are doing so very, very well…./sarc
http://healthcentral.nz/damning-review-of-ministry-of-health-performance-released/
https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry/leadership-ministry/executive-leadership-team
this link should work….
Those that allowed our hospitals to fall into such disrepair should be named and publically shamed.
Those that have been awarded different medals and honours should have them removed from them.
The endless lying and cover-ups continue, the past National government will be remembered for what they did not do.
Yet I don’t think that will happen somehow…
Collective memory these days tends to be held and gate-kept by the MSM, who mostly don’t want to remember any of the Nats’ failings.
I guess it was an honest move to remove “yours sincerely” from the letter 🙂
Just a small act of rebellion.
Very small.
Except he didn’t need to send it at all. He is not beholden to the Ministry of Health.
You know how “expectations” work in government, Gossie. It’s basically a euphemism for “you will do as you’re told, with a big smile on your face… or your career may encounter some turbulence.”
Sure, he didn’t HAVE to send the letter. It probably came down to “how much do I enjoy my current position, with the large salary and associated perks?”. Either way, the Ministry shouldn’t be writing letters for people to sign. It’s fairly disingenuous stuff.
He is a Chair of a DHB. This should not have been his career. If he felt uncomfortable with doing this he should have resigned.
Yes, he probably should have. Or at the very least, told somebody what the Ministry were asking him to do. A lot of people seem to have great difficulty reading a moral compass these days, I’ve noticed.
I agree the Chair ought to have refused. The lack of moral compass is observed in Ministers and we who then reward them by re electing/voting fir them.
An honourable person would have resigned, yes – though would either of the last two Nat Health Ministers have appointed them as chair in the first place?
Nice one, Sacha. The Nats pretend honour and truth, but don’t practise it, and certainly would not appoint someone who might have the honesty and courage to complain about obvious underfunding.
In Vino
And why would they. The litany of breaches of the Cabinet Manual suggest that ethics and morality dies a long time ago.
The former CM DHB member who went to the press last week or so to turn this on Labour…
Gosman we have Ministers caught breaching the Privacy Act, leaking info leading to death threats, “forgetting” they made police statements about a colleague. None of them resigned. You didnt demand they resign. Hell you may have voted for them in 2017 but a DHB Chair shoukd have resigned if unhappy with unethical behaviour…
I really hope this isn’t the direction Labour will head, I don’t want to see 3 yrs of alarmist propaganda.
Has anyone read the RNZ article linked to here? The Dalton report excerpts are too incomplete to make any strong assumptions from…. except it appears to be talking about water leakage from outside. The caption in the photo makes no mention of faeces, was that actually stated in the report or has someone made a leap of logic?
I’m a little dubious on the sewage claims for practical reasons… they don’t make a lot of sense…. but I’m open to a convincing story which will prove it happened. They must have called the plumbers out, let’s hear it from the professionals.
“Photo 10: Leaking bathroom soil pipe”
I guess those could be random marmite stains on the pipe inside the wall cavity, if you’re absolutely determined to resist the simplest explanation. #roses
A simple explanation is a spill from the floor above leaching through the floor and running down the pipes. Could be more of the mould that’s showing on the ceiling in the picture, could be a lot of things. Turds aren’t the only things brown in this world.
In the future Dunedin hospital, it might be chocolate.
Lol
Chocolate yes coated sounds nice good use of the old factory and lots of work for Dunedinites
Then the pipe wouldn’t have been leaking, would it?
The photo shows uPVC pipe which should not deteriorate in the 18 or 19 years stated – it is inside and not exposed to sunlight which degrades PVC. The stains could be from foul water but unless the soil stack is actually blocked AND the pipe joints have not been solvent cemented it seems unlikely to actually be faeces. Sewage also has a distinctive smell that surely would have been noticed?? It does look like contaminated water stains though. There may of course be a fixture or vent pipe that was removed or not completed and not capped off but that should be obvious to whoever inspects it. I would have thought that the annual (at the very least) building inspections should have revealed the issues.
Yeah that’s pretty much what I thought, albeit from a laymans perspective. Pipes failing after 20yrs would be a national calamity, they’d be ripping buildings open left right & centre.
People need to question these things; apply a bit of common sense and see if stacks up. The story never sounded right to me, a hospital of all places wouldn’t tolerate raw sewage for starters.
A hospital, of all places, shoukdnt have to tolerate
Understaffing
Lack of beds
Overworked staff
And yet… and yet…
Not really the same tracey. Raw sewage is surely a serious health issue. How many diseases & infections are traced back to contact with faecal matter? There has to be more to the story IMO.
Actually it is part of exactly the same thing. The constant degrading of health serices and facilities for the pursuit of magical surplus to win votes.
Something has to give. To this end it wouldnt surprise me if this had happened. So far the available evidence suggests yes and the contrary evodence is appointees of the former government saying it didnt.
Happy to look at your contrary evidence.
It would surprise me tracey. Deferred maintenance on leaky buildings, leaky water pipes; I can see that. But unattended, and furthermore deteriorating, sewage issues? I just can’t see that one. There are limits.
What about the sealant used to attach pvc pipes? Notoriously dodgy during the 90s and 2000s
PVC pipe is solvent welded … essentially the solvent ‘melts’ the PVC to form a completely sealed joint. There are other methods of jointing PVC but for above ground-level PVC it is pretty much always solvent. This method is the acceptable jointing method since before the Building Codes of the early 90s. It would be a complete stuff-up on the part of an installer to miss a joint (and inspections).
You might be thinking of a different pipe. There were other plastic pipe systems for water (a failure of a very few manufacturers) in the early 90s that had some inadequate fittings for joining pipe.
I’m thinking the whole leaky soil stack/pipe thing demonstrates a history of neglect going right back possibly to installation (or possibly a subsequent alteration) and I find it hard quite to comprehend.
Thanks.
I know that sealing pvc to cladding etc was often a failure in leaky homes because the sealants reacted to the pvc. It was not every building but it wasnt all buildings.
BTW you have so much more faith in the Building Code and its interpretation and application than me. Historicalky its minimum standard has failed in many places
Fair enough wrt to leaky buildings. The building codes and standards are updated as issues come to light but the oversight/management systems of the hospital in this case should catch failures such leaky pipes in a commercial or public building.
Building codes are updated when enough years have passed and the big guys are still safe.
As I explained on 2.2 National did this same thing, “deferring repairs” to our infrustructure was common place under national, as it was with our rail line in Gisborne when they deliberately took all rail maintenance staff off the line between Napier to Gisborne in 2011, and only left a ‘skeleton staff’ of only four to carry out occasional work on a 212 km section of our rail line.
So now we know that was why our rail was washed out when drains got clogged during a heavy storm and the rail was damaged and national was responsible there too.
They should face legal action here to.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1302/S00183/kiwirail-admits-lack-of-maintenance-led-to-wash-out.htm
Funnily enough cleangreen, one of the Executive Leadership team at the Miserly of Health used to work for Kiwirail…O’Keefe.
https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministry/leadership-ministry/executive-leadership-team
Thanks for all the research you have been doing, the links and your stickibility Rosemary. It has strengthened the quality of the discourse immeasurably.
Thanks tracey.
With regards to the Misery of Health…it is personal.
But, after the angry ranty (on more than one occasion) tears after having dealings with them in the context of the disability supports my partner needs, I have taken the time to find out who the enemy is.
Hundleby has publicly shown his true colours with the letter incident…but unless this New Government grows some and removes the whole Executive and senior management teams there will be no change.
The other member of the Executive team who has displayed their true colours is Jill Lane, who, after it came to light that the government’s response to the family carers case was a failure declared that this was because…
” ….it takes time for disabled people and their families to take up new options when they come available, we see that routinely with every other new initiative we put in place.”
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/242096/disabled-care-pay-policy-%27unworkable%27
This was the Funded Family Care scheme that the Appeal Court found to be…
” Second, we have referred to our unease, which is shared by Palmer J, about the complexity of the statutory instruments governing funding eligibility for disability support services. They verge on the impenetrable, especially for a lay person, and have not been revised or updated to take into account the significant change brought about by pt 4A. We hope that the Ministry is able to find an effective means of streamlining the regime, thereby rendering it accessible for the people who need it most and those who care for them.”
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE1802/S00022/judgment-chamberlain-v-minister-of-health.htm
These people will never have to account for their mismanagement of our publicly funded health and disability system….but some of us will remember how appalling their attitude has been towards the citizens they work for. That’s us, btw. 😉
A silly comment. Even Grant Robertson agrees the financial books are in excellent shape.
Unlike they were when the Nats took over in 2008.
You see Nick, you started well and finished badly. Both English and Key said we were in good shape to weather the GFC… cos of… Cullen = Labour.
Isnt is great that the books are great though? That GDP is still rising, after 40 years. An Accountants wet dream even. Shame about
Mental Health services
Youth suicide rates
Midwife shortages
7000 teachers short
Housing shortage
Dunedin hospital 10 years in the promising
Chch health infrastruture
EQC
Stagnant wages compared to accom costs
Increased child poverty
Remind me the fucking point of the books looking good?
Here in New Plymouth (where I work) and Waitara (where I live 14km away), I have noticed beggars and homelessness appaearing in the past few years. Unheard of, until now.
joyce’s budget was total bullshit from the most irresponsible government in recent history. massive underinvestment in the people of NZ so that they can make their fucken spreadsheets add up
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXMZMs7tp2I