When Rob Campbell was sacked for his intemperate comments on LinkedIn, I said that it would set a precedent and that the actions of the ministers involved would likely see other scalps claimed. Steve Maharey is in hot water over similar comments attacking the National Party in political columns.
Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall says Pharmac chair Steve Maharey has tendered his resignation over political columns he wrote while holding the senior public service role.
Dr Verrall says she has confidence in Maharey and “I haven’t seen anything that concerns me here” but she is seeking advice from the Public Service Commission.
Maharey is the chair of Pharmac, ACC and Education New Zealand.
It follows the sacking of Te Whatu Ora chair Rob Campbell last week, after he attacked the National Party on social media.
The Government says the difference in Maharey’s case is that he has accepted an issue with his actions whereas Campbell stood by his comments.
“In terms of with Mr Campbell, he called the Leader of the Opposition stupid and he implied his policies were racist,” said Dr Verrall. “While he apologised to me, he then doubled down on those criticisms in the press. Mr Maharey has reached out and been contrite.”
In newspaper columns, Maharey compared National to the US Republican Party, said it had never been “the party of change” and that Luxon’s brand rests on him being “a good manager (of an airline)”.
National wants Maharey to resign.
“It’s the same principle that we talked about with Rob Campbell. In New Zealand, we want to have an impartial public service. It’s really important,” said leader Christopher Luxon.
“We don’t believe in an American-style public service where we make each time after each successive Government. He has a clear code of conduct, big governance job as the chair, needs to understand those obligations.”
Newshub
National are right to call for his head. But Steve Maharey will be protected much more than Rob Campbell. The precedent however has been set and if social media comments got Campbell sacked then political columns are an order of magnitude worse.
The key is that the columns are political, and Maharey is not allowed to be political.
The Government is between a rock and a hard place. If they refuse to accept Maharey’s resignation, after sacking Campbell, they could be open to judicial review in Rob Campbell’s case, and will also stand accused of rank hypocrisy.
Hypocrisy has never bothered the left; they always find an excuse to protect their own.
But this situation has arisen purely because they sacked Rob Campbell.
You can’t put the poo back in the goose when you’ve set a precedent. Maharey must go.
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