Welcome to the Punch and Judas Show

When you look at how the electorate's No 1 choice for mayor was overtaken at the last minute by transferred votes, and from whom those crucial votes came, it's hard to avoid cynicism at best, suspicion of ethically dodgy-as practice by ODT + Cull is another viewpoint option.


Klleinefeldmaus

Wednesday, 25 September 2019

Cull backs Garey, Hawkins

By Chris Morris

https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/dcc/cull-backs-garey-hawkins

19 Comments

"Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull has thrown his support behind two of the candidates vying to succeed him, but now faces criticism from those on the outer.
Mr Cull said yesterday he supported two incumbent city councillors - Aaron Hawkins and Christine Garey - in the mayoral race, although he would not pick between the pair.
Cr Hawkins thanked Mr Cull for his support, while Cr Garey said she was also ''humbled by the confidence Mayor Cull has shown in me''....."

Friday, 18 October 2019

Christine Garey appointed deputy mayor

By Elena McPhee 

https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/dcc/christine-garey-appointed-deputy-mayor

5 Comments

Christine Garey

Councillor Christine Garey  has been appointed Dunedin's new deputy mayor. Mayor-elect Aaron Hawkins announced the appointment, and committee chair positions for the Dunedin City Council this afternoon.

Runner-up in the mayoral elections Lee Vandervis will not be heading up any committees on the new council.....

 "Well, that's a surprise!" said nobody who was awake during Cull's reign as mayor.
 

SDHB election result - 3 excellent choices

Sunday, 13 October 2019

Cull and Chambers top SDHB poll

By Mike Houlahan

The election results, confirmed tonight, saw emergency doctor and former SDHB member John Chambers top the poll in the Otago constituency, followed by Mr Cull, community health council member Ilka Beekhuis and oncologist Lyndell Kelly.

The election results, confirmed tonight, saw emergency doctor and former SDHB member John Chambers top the poll in the Otago constituency, followed by Mr Cull, community health council member Ilka Beekhuis and oncologist Lyndell Kelly.

 

 Having cancer isn't all laughs. Surgery, you hope it'll be a nice cancer so the surgeon can remove it all, you hope it hasn't had time to metastasise, you hope if it has its demon spawn will be given the heave-ho by the improved treatments available now. Chemo. Radiotherapy. There's a helluva kaleidoscope of emotions, first finding you've got cancer then finding out what needs to be done, then after that....  
Being wheeled along Cumberland Street for radiotherapy? NO! NO! For heaven's sake NO!

 

Saturday, 5 October 2019

Oncology separation criticised

By Mike Houlahan

 

 ...Initial plans for the new $1.4billion hospital development showed oncology services slated to remain in their present building, on the corner of Hanover and Cumberland Sts. Clinicians had lobbied against that decision but their pleas had not been heeded, Lyndell Kelly, a medical specialist in radiation oncology, said.
"I'm annoyed oncology will not be moving with the new hospital, and I just don't know how we are going to be treating our inpatients with radiotherapy," Dr Kelly - a candidate in the upcoming Southern District Health Board election - said.
"It will be a major problem, and I have let the Health Minister know that. He thought it would be fixed in the final plan but it hasn't been.
"We are going to be pushing stretchers down Cumberland St with patients who have received radiotherapy."....

https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/oncology-separation-criticised

The Cumberland Street Oncology pushalong, by Kleinefeldmaus

Tuesday, 8 October 2019

Oncologist reiterates concerns over hospital plan

By Mike Houlahan

 Keeping the oncology department separate from the new Dunedin Hospital, as intended by planners, will mean 1400 ambulance trips a year between the two buildings, a cancer clinician estimates.
Dunedin Hospital radiation oncologist Lyndell Kelly raised concerns about the proposed separation, saying radiotherapy patients would end up being pushed down Cumberland St in stretchers.
Southern Partnership Group chairman Pete Hodgson said he had been told there would be about two or three patient transfers a week, and it had been decided to retain the oncology building as it was relatively modern.
Dr Kelly disputed both Mr Hodgson's estimate of patient transfers and the oncology building's suitability.

She said there were actually two to five transfers to and from oncology per day.
Mr Hodgson declined to comment, other than to say Dr Kelly's views were "at some variance'' with advice he had received.

I suppose an explanation could be, there may be 
patients having to be transferred  more than once
each per week. If not that, I'd be surprised if Dr Kelly
isn't sharply aware of the number of patients
since her source of information hasn't been 
collated by someone at distance from sick people. 






 

 

 

 

https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/health/oncologist-reiterates-concerns-over-hospital-plan

DoC's role - a land fit for tourists?

DoC used to be about conservation, keeping NZ's plants and animals safe for NZers. Pressure to become a tourist attractions provider is resulting in an awfully muddled mission message.



 
The Department of Conservation stands accused of a “blast now and think later” approach in a West Coast national park.
In July, a four-tonne sandstone block sheared off, coming to rest at the bottom of a set of stairs from a viewing platform on the Truman Track, part of the Paparoa National Park. The track, just north of Punakaiki, funnels more than 35,000 walkers a year to a spectacular coastline with cliffs, caverns, a blowhole, and waterfall.....

....Geotech’s managing director Ant Black has some sympathy for DoC, having to look after “bloody nutty”, mainly urban, foreign tourists, who often wear jandals and have no sense of self-preservation. These popular, easily accessible areas of the front country he calls “Muppetland”.....


 https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/10/18/859472/doc-under-fire-for-blast-now-think-later

 David Williams is Newsroom's South Island correspondent and investigative writer.