HB DHB Review Team

Even the coverups are getting worse. I’ve previously blogged on how the terms of reference for the HB DHB review are so narrow that any Minsiterial involvement is excluded. That is trick number one which CLark did with the Taito Phillip Field inquiry. She set the terms so narrowly that the inquiry could only report no breach, despite the fact the Police think he in fact broke the law.

So first rule of coverup is set terms of reference too narrow. The second fallback is who you appoint to the review team.

One of those appointed is David Clarke. The same David Clarke who Whaleoil reports himself was investigated by the Auditor-General after his firm was given 60 contracts (of which 56 were not tendered competitively) worth $1.4 million by the Ministry of Health. Could there be a more inappropriate choice?

Another member, Syd Bradley, has not been without controversy himself. He was involved in a stoush at NZ Post, where he was Deputy Chair, with TVNZ reporting “The board has decided not to pursue the allegations against deputy chairman Syd Bradley through an inquiry, and it considers the matter closed,”

People appointed to review alleged breaches of conflicts of interests of DHB members, senior managament, and Ministers need to be whiter than white. Having two of the three members of the review team themselves been subjects of inquiries is hardly reassuring.

UPDATE: Various people have helpfully pointed out that there are two David Clarkes who hold senior roles in the health sector. The one referred to above is a former MOH employee, while the one appointed to the review team is the former CEO of a South Auckland DHB. Apologies to both gentlemen for the confusion.

Interesting my spies do report an interesting background to the current CEO of the HB DHB. He worked as an executive assistant to Helen Clark from 1989 to 1990!