Wyatt Creech

National Health Spokesperson

Wednesday 23 August 2000

New Health Boards used to pay back party stalwarts

A first look at the new health appointments reveals the Government has brought in union mates and party stalwarts to run the new District Health Boards, National's Health spokesperson Wyatt Creech said today.

"This Government has tried to sell its radical health reforms as a means of getting the community involved in health decisions.

"The Board appointments finally released today - five months after they were promised - tell a different story revealing they are more about a pay-back to party supporters than getting the community involved.

"Nurses Union organiser and long-time Labour Party worker James Ritchie and Alliance candidate Dave McPherson are the new appointments to Health Waikato.

"Failed leading member of the former Auckland Hospital Board Gary Taylor has been dusted off and brought back to join Auckland Healthcare.

"Staunch unionist Dave Morgan has been brought onto the Wairarapa Health Board and Hutt Valley Health will now have union health clinic activist Peter Glensor and former Labour Minister Margaret Shields around its Board table.

"This Government has re-appointed Labour Party activist Louise Rosson to Healthcare Otago - even though she is in trouble with Local Government New Zealand and big question marks have been raised over her credibility.

"While it is encouraging the Government has recognised that not everything about National's health boards were bad by keeping a number of existing members and Chair people, it is concerning that a number of the new appointments look more like being 'jobs for the boys'."

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