30 November 2004

Minister makes DHB appointments

Health Minister Annette King has announced the names of deputy chairs for District Health Boards, and the names of some appointees to each board.

Seven members of each board were elected in October 2004, and Ms King, who can appoint up to four extra members to each board, announced the board chairs on October 14. Mr Ross Keenan was appointed deputy chair of all three Auckland region boards at the same time.

"I had hoped to be able to announce all board appointees by now, but we had to wait some three weeks longer than expected for election results to be known because of difficulties in counting votes in the new STV system. This delay has had a flow-on effect, and I am not able to announce all appointments yet.

"While I am disappointed at that, it seems STV has worked well in many cases, such as the election of the first Pacific candidates and of more Maori candidates. We will thoroughly analyse the new system before the next election."

Ms King said the task of appointing the extra board members had also been made more difficult because of the calibre of individuals available. "There have been so many good people who want to get involved on DHB boards.

"The first job was to take a thorough look at the skill and experience of the seven elected members of each board so that I could determine those skills and backgrounds that might be missing from each board. The disappointment for me is that I have been unable to choose some people who could also have made an excellent contribution to health, but I am confident that each board has a good mix of suitable skills and backgrounds."

Ms King said that while she had appointed most board chairs, generally to give continuity of experience, she was delighted that most deputy chairs were elected members.

Ms King said that where vacancies still remain to be filled, consultation, assessments and interviews were continuing, and appointments would be announced as soon as they could be. A list of board members and deputy chairs is attached. Appointees take office alongside elected members on December 6.

Under the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000, the Minister of Health is entitled to appoint up to four members to each DHB. Chairs and deputy chairs are selected from the elected and appointed members.

Appointments to DHBs are as follows.

Northland DHB - Stan Semenoff (new appointment as deputy chair; elected member) - Maureen Allan (new appointment as member) - Shane Reti (reappointed as member) - Steve Watene (new appointment as member).

Waitemata DHB - Everdina Fuli (reappointed as member).

Auckland DHB - Harry Burkhardt (reappointed as member) - John Retimana (reappointed as member).

Waikato DHB - Sally Christie (new appointment as deputy chair; elected member) - Peta Karalus (reappointed as member).

Lakes DHB - Joan Williamson-Orr (re-appointed as deputy chair; elected member) - Sharon Mariu (reappointed as member) - Fred McRae (reappointed as member) - Steve Ruru (reappointed as member).

Bay of Plenty DHB - Graeme Horsley (new appointment as deputy chair; reappointed as member) - Tamati Kruger (reappointed as member) - Punohu McCausland (new appointment as member) - Paula Thompson (new appointment as member).

Tairawhiti DHB - Pene Brown (new appointment as deputy chair; reappointed as member) - Lois McCarthy-Robinson (reappointed as member) - Ben Tahata (new appointment as member).

Taranaki DHB - Peter Catt (new appointment as deputy chair; elected member) - Alex Ballantyne (new appointment as member) - Kura Denness (new appointment as member). - John Young (reappointed as member)

Hawke's Bay DHB - David Marshall (reappointed as deputy chair; elected member) - Rangi Manuel (new appointment as member).

Whanganui DHB - Ormond Stock (new appointment as deputy chair; reappointed as member) - Heather Gifford (new appointment as member) - Di Valentine (new appointment of previously elected member).

MidCentral DHB - Ann Chapman (reappointed as deputy chair; elected member) - Dennis Emery (reappointed as member) - Danielle Harris (reappointed as member) - Cynric Temple-Camp (new appointment as member).

Hutt DHB - Sharron Cole (reappointed as deputy chair; new appointment of previously elected member) - Keith Hindle (reappointed as member) - Catherine Love (reappointed as member) - Chris Cunningham (new appointment as member).

Capital and Coast DHB - Judith Aitken (new appointment as deputy chair; elected member) - Margaret Faulkner (new appointment of previously elected member) - Kiri Parata (new appointment as member) - Karl Pulotu-Endemann (new appointment as member).

Wairarapa DHB - Janine Vollebregt (new appointment as deputy chair; elected member) - Cheryl-Anne Broughton-Kurei (reappointed as member) - Yvette Grace (new appointment as member) - Pamela Jefferies (new appointment as member).

Nelson Marlborough DHB - Liz Richards (new appointment as deputy chair; elected member) - Roma Hippolite (reappointed as member) - Kiri Rikihana (new appointment as member).

West Coast DHB - Christine Robertson (reappointed as deputy chair and member) - Glenys Baldick (new appointment as member).

Canterbury DHB - Olive Webb (reappointed as deputy chair; elected member) - Norm Dewes (reappointed as member) - Neville Fagerlund (new appointment as member) - Karen Guilliland (reappointed as member).

South Canterbury DHB - Neil Anderson (reappointed as deputy chair; elected member) - Quentin Hix (reappointed as member) - Ian Moore (new appointment as member) - Fiona Pimm (reappointed as member).

Otago DHB - Louise Rosson (new appointment as deputy chair; elected member) - Helen Algar (new appointment as member) - Susie Johnstone (new appointment as member) - David Stewart (reappointed as member) - Gail Tipa (reappointed as member).

Southland DHB Neville Cook (new appointment as deputy chair; elected member) Paul Menzies (new appointment of previously elected member) - Errol Millar (reappointed as member) - Maria Pera (reappointed as member).

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>