rmacculloch

3 hours ago
2 min

Was Rob Campbell fired because he wanted to make the Kiwi Health system work more efficiently?

Although the PM spun the sacking of the Chair of Health NZ, Rob Campbell, as being due to his political comments on social media, from what I'm hearing, the true reason may be different. After he lost the job, Campbell wrote an article for Newsroom, expressing his views about what was wrong with the health system (see below). It included these lines: "There remains extensive waste, both pre-existing within each part and resulting from duplication (multiplication) across the s

rmacculloch

5 days ago
1 min

TV3's AM Show on NZ's GDP drop and our record current account deficit

They don't call it the AM show for nothing. This morning I did TV3's breakfast show together with former Finance Minister Steven Joyce. We were interviewed by Melissa Chan-Green. The staff said they have to get into the Newshub studio on Flower Street, just off Eden Terrace, at around 2:30 am. The video is here: https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2023/03/government-s-policy-bonfire-won-t-even-come-close-to-saving-enough-cash-steven-joyce.html

rmacculloch

Mar 15
3 min

The CEO of our Tech Institutes, appointed under PM Hipkins, wants academics out of public debate

Stuff reports that Peter Winder, Chief Executive of Te Pūkenga, the national organization that runs the NZ's 16 institutes of technology & polytechnics, has told his staff, including academics, that they are “public servants” and must remain neutral. That means, like Rob Campbell who got fired as Chair of Health NZ for expressing political views on social media, they would be forbidden from public commentary that gets stuck into one party or another. The PM tried to smooth th

rmacculloch

Mar 13
2 min

The Health Minister (and Newshub) Miss the Point on the Problem at the Heart of Media Influence

Newshub report, "The Health Minister [Ayesha Verrall] is in another political neutrality mess after Te Whatu Ora paid for a puff profile of her in a southern newsletter". [That is, an article about how great she is]. Verrall called the piece an "inappropriate use of public funding" & "ordered the advert of her taken down after questioning from National". She misses the point, as does Newshub when it states, "The cost of the profile didn't incur an extra cost". So what is the

rmacculloch

Mar 9
1 min

The Gov't is considering spending megabucks on "studies" to tell it why Bank profits are so high

This blog is comedic. Newshub report that "Banks are back under the microscope as the Government faces mounting pressure to investigate their eyewatering profits. The PM has confirmed a market study is being currently considered". The Reserve Bank said banking should be a focus for a market study similar to what occurred for supermarkets. I'd like to ride the consulting gravy train so will offer my assistance to help answer the PM's question. My fee is ten bucks. Here's the a

rmacculloch

Mar 8
2 min

Let's put the game the Government & Public Service Commission are playing out there on the table

Those who I mix with in the academic world know much about the biased appointments that have been made to civil service positions related to the execution of economic policy in NZ. Those appointments have been biased in terms of choosing a particular type of person who has a strong political leaning that favors the ideology of Labour. These last five years have seen an overt filling-of-positions-based-on-ideology, not competency, on a scale not witnessed before in the history

rmacculloch

Mar 8
2 min

Does the Government Hate Wealthy People?

Wasting taxpayers money on consulting fees has featured in National Party Leader Luxon's "State of the Nation" speech. He's got a point. There is an example out today. It relates to the Herald's front page headline saying, "Government Commissioned Survey Suggests Replacing Fuel Tax With Wealth Tax and People Love It". It turns out that this survey was commissioned by the Ministry of Transport and carried out by University of Auckland researchers. It gives no indication as to

rmacculloch

Mar 6
2 min

Did NZ's School Children Just Get Used for Party Political Electioneering Purposes?

I endorse youngsters trying to make the world better by protesting against the authorities. Heck, this blog, which is read by former students, is about just that - pushing back against the status quo. On this note, regards raising climate awareness, protests have played a big role. Yet last week's ones by Kiwi school students under the Climate Change banner were a Labour-Green set-up. Why? Here are three "demands" of School Strike 4 Climate Aotearoa: = No new exploration or m

rmacculloch

Mar 1
2 min

Ashley Bloomfield's no-evidence-of-left-or-right-in-our-civil-service doesn't apply to economics

Former Director-General of Health, Ashley Bloomfield, said today, regards Rob Campbell's partisan comments about the National Party's position on "Three Waters", that: "I spent much of the last 25 years in NZ’s excellent public service & saw no evidence of either left or right ‘leaning’. I have no idea how any of my former Crown Entity colleagues voted, we just didn’t talk about it. Rob Campbell’s comments are a big story because it’s a very rare event". Gosh, he can't be ref

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Robert MacCulloch

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