Ryall Tony: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Ryall Tony: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:639;Page:9673] 
4.  
Hon TONY RYALL (National—Bay of Plenty) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: What provisions if any allow elected district health board members to be removed from their positions by the Government? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON (Associate Minister of Health)  
on behalf of the 
 Minister of Health 
: There are provisions in the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000. Clause 8(1) of schedule 3 states that the Minister may remove an elected member of a board for any of the reasons outlined in legislation and by following due process. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Is the Minister aware that the Whanganui District Health Board has called an emergency meeting for tomorrow to reportedly censure and seek the removal of Clive Solomon an elected board member who has repeatedly alerted the public to the declining quality of care at Wanganui Hospital and with all its problems does the Minister think this is the most pressing issue facing this district health board? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: No I am not personally aware of that fact although I understand that the Minister was rung by the chair of the district health board as a matter of courtesy. But I can remind the member that the Health and Disability Commissioner is inquiring into the services of the Whanganui District Health Board and the Ministry of Health has commissioned a clinical review as well. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Are elected district health board members permitted to raise publicly concerns about patient safety at their hospitals or are they expected to cover it up? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: I do not think anyone in public life has any obligation to cover anything up nor would many of us want to do so. But the workings of the district health board in Wanganui are properly matters for the board and as the member has indicated to the House the board is meeting on that matter tomorrow. I do not know what else he would like the board to do. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Does the Minister not think it is bizarre that the Whanganui District Health Board never had an emergency meeting when one of its surgeons botched the sterilisations of numerous young women never had an emergency meeting when cancer patients went unchecked but when an elected board member criticises the previous chairman of the board—a close friend of Labour Party Cabinet Ministers—the Government’s dogs are off the leash? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: As a member of the Government’s Cabinet I have no idea who this person is. I have never met or heard of the person. But if the district health board is having a meeting on that matter then that seems appropriate to me. I doubt very much whether the member asking the question knows anything about what meetings were held by board members or anyone else over this matter. He is speculating about it. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: What is the point of having whistleblower legislation when if someone does the right thing—speaks out for the community—that person is hunted out and taken down by the Government’s henchmen? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: The National Party has obviously been in Opposition so long that it has lost any perception at all about the rule of law. We just had the deputy leader of the National Party wanting to hang draw and quarter someone before any evidence is heard. Now we have Mr Ryall telling us that somebody who has not had the evidence heard is some kind of a saint. Well he may well be but there are due processes to go through. The Minister of Health will be in a position of acting quasi-judicially on this matter and therefore he or she would never make judgments like Mr Ryall. That is why I hope Mr Ryall is never in a position to make any sort of judgment at all because his judgment is completely flawed.