SDHB candidates - but "not there to represent the public"

Saturday, 10 August 2019

14 throw hat in ring for SDHB

By Mike Houlahan

https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/14-throw-hat-ring-sdhb

...With a week to go until nominations close, there have been nine nominations for the four vacancies representing the Otago constituency and five for the Southland constituency.

• Other nominations received this week

Three of those candidates have personal experience of how tough the job can be: Neville Cook, Kaye Crowther and John Chambers were on the SDHB in 2015 when it was controversially sacked by then health minister Jonathan Coleman and replaced by a commissioner....
Nominees include Malcolm Macpherson, Central Otago mayor for three terms from 2001 to 2010 and also a former Otago and SDHB board member for four terms.
"The sacking of the SDHB board, months after I stood down in 2013, pulled me up short, even though I had long predicted it," he said.
14 throw hat in ring for SDHB
"I was there when we didn't do well, and I've been thinking since (and writing) about why, and asking what could we have done differently.
"Not 'solving' the SDHB's deficit shows that there are systemic, nationwide, issues here, not a failure to govern by previous boards, including the four I was an elected member of."
Invercargill lawyer Ben Nettleton was among those whose nomination was announced yesterday.

[Dean of the University of Otago Business School and a professor of health policy] Dr Gauld, who has previously stood for the SDHB, has written academic articles questioning how effective health boards were, and whether they truly represented the public interest due to the traditional low election turnout.
"It is also quite clear in the legislation that these representatives are not there to represent the public, they are there to do the Government's work and I don't know the general public fully understand that," Dr Gauld said.
"It will be interesting to see what the [government-commissioned] health system review comes up with. I think everyone is waiting with bated breath to see whether they say it is time to have a rethink about the governance and organisation system itself."
Confirmed SDHB candidates are:
Otago constituency: Shanon Arnold, John Chambers, Graham Clarke, Gordon Dickson, Lyndell Kelly, Malcolm Macpherson, Lyndsay Rackley, Peter Rodwell, Rob Woodhouse.
Southland constituency: Neville Cook, Kaye Crowther, Ben Nettleton, Marion Poore, Leanne Samuel.
As well as the elected candidates, the Minister of Health can appoint up to four other board members.