Sacked chair of Te Whata Ora Rob Campbell. Photo / Michael Craig
OPINION:
Let’s start with the position of the current leader of the National Party. Christopher Luxon has publicly stated he wants to end the Te Whatu Ora/Te Aka Whai Ora structure for public health by scrapping the Māori Health Authority. That’s a strong vote catcher for vocal anti-Māori voters.
On the other side of the political fence the Labour-led Coalition under its new leader the other Christopher – Hipkins, appears to be back peddling faster than a Tour de France cyclist on steroids on issues where Rob Campbell has been particularly vocal; like embedding the Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles stated on the Ministry of Health’s website into health policy.
Campbell has been the poster boy for change. A former union organiser, melanoma survivor, corporate leader, and now former public servant. The Public Service part of his CV being the shortest.
He’s been outspoken about the long-term disparity and inequity of health outcomes for Māori. Campbell wanted to implement Māori-driven solutions by Māori for Māori. Simply because he knows it is the tika - right thing - to do.
Disparate and inequitable health outcomes between Māori and Pākehā are not just inconsistent with the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi they are abhorrent. Put simply, it’s just plain wrong.
Campbell knows this and wanted to do something meaningful to address the inequity and systemic institutional bias within our current health system. Where’s the crime in that?
Better health outcomes for Māori will lead to a significant decrease in the incidence of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease in the entire population. A corresponding reduction in the cost of health care and pressure on primary and hospital care becomes the natural outcome. Isn’t that a good thing for all New Zealanders?
If Campbell was to kneel and not speak the truth to the politically powerful, he would become complicit in perpetuating the continuation of the systemic racial bias he knows exists in our health system. A bias he was hellbent on changing.
To bend, bow and kneel are just not in Campbell’s DNA. He also has the benefit of not having to fear losing his job because he’s well enough off to be able to act in a tika and pono way. He doesn’t need the money.
Campbell is one of very few people capable of putting aside his individual self-interest for the greater good. Men like him do not come along very often. You don’t have to like Campbell to know he was the right person for a thankless job.
Under Te Tiriti o Waitangi active protection requires the Crown to conduct itself honourably; use fair processes; consult fully and, where appropriate, make decisions with people whose interests are to be protected.
A cynic might question if, in dismissing Campbell, Health Minister Ayesha Verrall may have acted dishonourably, failed to use fair processes or consult fully before taking action. She could, for argument’s sake, have sent Campbell to the “sin bin” for some time out. Instead she chose to red-card him for life.
Why did Verrall feel the need to move with what appears to be undue haste?
For a start flexing her muscles is a signal. A strong warning to any heir apparent that best you toe the line. Verrall is within her remit to summarily dismiss Campbell. And so Campbell has been very publicly and unceremoniously dumped in much the same way a celebrity Donald Trump fired contestants in the Apprentice.
Was Verrall right to sack Campbell?
A strict legal interpretation of the Public Service Code would suggest she is. The wisest person I ever knew was Rose Teaomarama Sokratov nee Henare. Rose was my mum. I can still hear her saying to me, “Being right does not necessarily make it right.” There’s a lot of wisdom in that whakatauki.
Campbell says he hasn’t been paid since October 2022 in his role as chairman of Te Whatu Ora. If that is so, it’s not right. In fact, it’s a disgrace.
Campbell’s alleged crime is being in breach of the Public Service Code of Conduct. There are two codes of conduct that provide guidance for Public Servants.
The first is a general code for state sector employees which states:
FAIR
We must: treat everyone fairly and with respect; be professional and responsive; work to make government services accessible and effective; strive to make a difference to the well-being of New Zealand and all its people.
IMPARTIAL
We must: maintain the political neutrality required to enable us to work with current and future governments; carry out the functions of our organisation, unaffected by our personal beliefs; support our organisation to provide robust and unbiased advice; respect the authority of the government of the day.
RESPONSIBLE
We must: act lawfully and objectively; use our organisation’s resources carefully and only for intended purposes; treat information with care and use it only for proper purposes; work to improve the performance and efficiency of our organisation.
TRUSTWORTHY
We must: be honest; work to the best of our abilities; ensure our actions are not affected by our personal interests or relationships; never misuse our position for personal gain; decline gifts or benefits that place us under any obligation or perceived influence; avoid any activities, work or non-work, that may harm the reputation of our organisation or of the State Services.
And the second specifically for Crown Entity board members which states:
We are politically impartial
We act in a politically impartial manner. Irrespective of our political interests, we conduct ourselves in a way that enables us to act effectively under current and future governments. We do not make political statements or engage in political activity in relation to the functions of the Crown entity.
When acting in our private capacity, we avoid any political activity that could jeopardise our ability to perform our role or which could erode the public’s trust in the entity. We discuss with the Chair any proposal to make political comment or to undertake any significant political activity.
The key wording in the code most relevant to Campbell is “we discuss with the Chair any proposal to make political comment or to undertake any significant political activity”.
I’d suggest it’s fair to say Campbell as the chairman of Te Whatu Ora would most definitely have given himself a serious good talking to before he made his comments, all of which are factually true. One might argue that Campbell has almost single-handedly rebuilt public confidence and strengthened the reputation of our public health system by engaging directly with the public on LinkedIn. If anything he has enhanced and improved public trust in the system.
The “pretense” of political impartiality is why our Public Service and by default health, education & every other system is munted.
We have come to expect, allow, and accept public pretense of impartiality as the preferred method of communication from public servants and politicians. Having someone go beyond that self-imposed boundary in a seemingly innocuous manner was refreshing. Even if it was only to be temporarily fleeting.
No one would have been any the wiser until someone on one side of the political fence blew a whistle and took exception to Campbell’s comments. That in turn gave the other side the opportunity to red-card and ban him for life for a solitary indiscretion.
Campbell appears to have been used as a football by both sides of the political spectrum. That’s not good for a sector deeply in need of a massive organisational culture shift.
There is nothing new about “gotcha politics”. Shouting for resignations and firings is standard petulant political behaviour. Claiming scalps is seen as a badge of honour by both sides. That’s a tragic reflection on our societal values. Sadly the role is now a poisoned chalice.
The necessary organisational cultural change that could have improved health outcomes for Māori appears to be coming to a screaming halt. The minister has put out her STOP sign. Fear is a powerful motivator.
Don’t be surprised if we see health officials revert back to the safety of deck chair shuffling and reliance on those external consultants Campbell was hell-bent on getting rid of.
That’s a great strategy to avoid scrutiny, stay in a high paying job funded by taxpayers and avoid ignominious summary ministerial dismissal. The institution endures because those with vested self-interest in the status quo ensure it does.
So let’s end where we began – what does Campbell’s sacking mean for Māori?
It’s hard for anyone to deny Campbell was the strongest vocal tau iwi voice ever to go into bat consistently for health solutions driven by Māori for Māori. It is unlikely Māori will see another voice like his in a hurry. It’s just too politically dangerous.
In June 2010 I wrote a letter to the NZ Herald which said, “as a nation there is something deeply amiss in our psyche – the speed with which we move to apportion blame to others, our penchant for punishment, and our unwillingness to forgive”.
C’est la vie. It is what it is.
Sadly for us as a nation, not much has changed in 23 years.
Boris Sokratov is the producer of the Nutters Club Radio Show. He helped establish the Key to Life Charitable Trust, that supports mental health advocate Mike King and the Just Move Charitable Health Trust, along with Rob Campbell and Duncan Garner, that supports Dave Letele and his BBM programme.
'[We are] just as staunch and ferocious in saying we hold sovereignty over our own.'