John MacDonald: The get-stuff-done guy is on a collision course

If you believed the Prime Minister when he said yesterday that he still has confidence in the now-former health minister Shane Reti, you will believe anything.

Let’s face it, though, he couldn’t have said anything different. But whether you believe it or not - that’s another thing. And I don’t.

Because he clearly doesn’t - or he clearly doesn’t have as much faith in Shane Reti as he used to. Otherwise, Simeon Brown wouldn’t be the new health minister.

And who would want to be Simeon Brown? Being the minister of health, you’re on a hiding to nothing.

And who would want to be working in the health system? I wouldn’t. Because, trust me, it’s about to get ugly.

I know people working in health might say “it’s pretty ugly already mate”.

In fact, one person I know who works pretty high up in the health system - and who is a big advocate of the public system - they’ve been telling anyone who will listen that they should be getting private health insurance. If they can afford it, of course.

So here’s why I think things are about to get ugly - or uglier - with Simeon Brown in charge of health.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Kerry Wood of Morning's podcast from
News Talks. He'd be now if you believed the Prime Minister,
if you believed him what he said yesterday, that he
still has confidence and that now former Health Minister Shane Retty.
If you believed that, you will believe anything. Let's face it,
though he couldn't have said anything different. But whether you

(00:29):
believe it or not, that's another thing. And I don't
because he clearly doesn't or he clearly doesn't have as
much faith in Shane Retty as he used to. Otherwise
Simmy and Brown wouldn't be the new health minister this morning,
would he? And who would want to be Simmy and Brown?
Ah being the Minister of Health you're on a hiding

(00:49):
to nothing. And who wouldn't want to be working? Who
would want to be working? This is the second question.
Who would want to be working in the health system
this morning? I wouldn't because trust me, it's about to
get ugly. I know people working in health might say
it was pretty ugly already. Mate. In fact, one person
I know who works pretty high up in the health

(01:11):
system and who has always been a big advocate of
the public system. They've been telling anyone who will listen
recently that they should be getting private health insurance if
they can afford it. Of course. See here's why I
think things are about to get ugly or ugly er
with Simeon Brown in charge of Health. Christoph Luxon says

(01:32):
he's given him the health job because he gets things done, which,
as an aside, that's a term that just drives me
nuts because this whole idea of getting things done says
nothing about quality or improvement. It's just black and white,
ticking things off to do list or tacking things off
the quarterly plan. The other reason why it's going to

(01:53):
get ugly in health, Simeon Brown has form. He's got
a track record from the other ministerial roles he's had
so far where he does get stuff done. But he
gets stuff done by telling people what they're going to do.
I've got examples local government. He's made it very clear,
hasn't he to local councils who's running the shop, and

(02:14):
he's made it very clear that they're not running the shop. Transport,
he's flying in the face of what the experts say
about speed and he's going to increase speed limits and
as of yesterday's announcement, Dunedin or Dunedin can kiss goodbye
to the hospital the people there thought they were getting
and the hospital they still want to get because the

(02:37):
Prime Minister is going to be putting some ofon on
a plane heading south to bang heads together. And that's
what the Prime Minister was really saying yesterday. You know,
it might have sounded like he was saying that the
new health Minister got the job because he gets stuff done,
But what the Prime Minister really meant was that Simeon's
got the gig because he's very good at banging heads together.

(03:02):
Don't get me wrong, he does get things done. But
is that really the approach we should be taking when
it comes to something as critical as our health system.
I don't think it is. Not that I think Shane
Rettie was up for the job either, And you know,
like you, this is something that we all have familiarity with.

(03:25):
We've all had dealings at some point with the health system.
Last year I ended up in hospital for a night.
This was after some pretty bad complications from a flu
bug I picked up traveling back from the UK. And
if you ask me how I felt about that experience,
it was brilliant, best place to be. I mean, sure

(03:46):
I would have preferred not to be there in the
first place, but I could not have asked for more.
And a lot of the time, from what I hear
people say, from what people say to me, it seems
that most are pretty happy, if not delighted, with the
care they receive in hospital trekkers. Though that's generally once
the made it through the door. Get on the door

(04:08):
of your local hospital and generally you're fine, aren't you.
The only provisor I would put on that is that
I live in New Zealand's second largest city and I
know things even once you through the door can be
a bit average at some of our smaller hospitals. Take
what was it Darkville Hospital? Remember last year there was
that issue with no doctors on the wards overnight that

(04:30):
had been going on for a few months, and the
nurses there weren't happy about it. In fact, the nurses
didn't want to work overnight with no doctor on the wards,
and poor on Shane Retty, he was in the firing
line pouring cold water on rumors that the whole place
was going to be shut down. Of course, hospitals are
only part of the health system. GPS are another part.

(04:51):
I saw Brian Betty on the news last night. Here's
the head of the organization representing GPS, and he was
saying that he thought Shane Retti had been doing a
pretty good job, which is another reason why I think
Sylmy and Brown is on a collision course Because even
though the Prime Minister didn't like the pace Shane Retty
was working at, and even though I don't think Shane
Retty was all that good as a health minister, I

(05:11):
don't think Simeon Brown's approach is going to do us
any favors at all, because mister gets stuff done is
also going to be mister get people's backs up. And
that's not going to do anyone any favors. It's not
going to do you any favors. It's not going to
do me any favors, and it's certainly not going to
do any favors for anyone working in the health system.

(05:33):
But if sime and Brown proves me wrong, and if
he does manage to get people on side, and if
he does manage to make the health system better than
it is now, then I will be one of the
first people to acknowledge it. For more from Kerry Wood
and Mornings. Listen live to news talks it Be from
nine am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio