As regular readers will know we have been gobsmacked at the extent that members of DHBs around the country have conflicted interests. This has come to light through the Government's ham fisted attempts to shift the focus away from Annette King, Ray Lind and Hausmann in the Hawkes Bay DHB case.
In particular we have been bemused at the role being played by Ken Douglas in the Hawkes Bay affair and the fact, that as a conflicted person himself, he is on the Capital Coast DHB, also a DHB with some problems. Are we not correct in recalling that Sir John Anderson is involved in some way with that DHB? That would not be much of an issue but for the fact that Ken Douglas was deeply involved in the governance committee that oversaw last year the finalisation of the Wellington Regional Strategy (there were people deeply unhappy about Ken's role - first some thought that the Mayor of Porirua Jenny Brash should have been perfroming that role - everyone else on the oversight committee was a Mayor, and secondly people thought that Ken was conflicted as he was Chair of Positively Wellington Business, one of the entities most affected by the outcome of the Wellington Regional Strategy process.) Ken was part of a committee that selected - guess who, to Chair The Wellington regional Strategy Committee, a remunerated position??? Yes, Sir John Anderson. We think this is beginning to stink.
We have also been asking how Hausmann is so conflicted in Hawkes Bay when there must be conflicts around Ken Douglas in Wellington. The company involved, of which Douglas and Hausmann are directors is big throught the North Island. Sure enough Ken has had to declaare an interest - see an interesting post by Whaleoil. Note also the role that Douglas is currently playing at the Capital Coast DHB - With Anderson really busy, who do you think is calling the shots????
Finally we find the whole role played by Douglas in acting as the mouthpiece for Healthcare NZ and in reviewing the first draft of the review committee's report very strange. Has he never been to an IOD training course? What is the difference between Governance and Management? he is playing a non-governance role even tough he keeps on stressing that he is an non-executive Director.
The Hive is non-political and has no real axe to grind with Health Minister David Cunliffe. David, you thought that you might be able to get this one to go away. It won't and it is just about the get very bad. To survive you are going to have to take some very bold decisions. You are going to need to disolve Capital Coast DHB (to be consistent) and you might need to start moving away from Sir John as your savior. And avoid Ken Douglas like the plague (Yersinia pestis).
