As a born and bred Hawkes Boy (hell, my great great gandmother was Hawkes Bay born and bred) I'll tell you what the HB DHB row is all about: An insular, born-to-rule local squatocracy is immensely resentful of an?

if you don't believe me just check the editorials in the back issues of Hawkes Bay Today.

Oh yes — I'm familiar with that particular oeuvre.

Hmmm....email received at 10:54am....beer all gone at 11:02am...call me a sceptik but did 100 people really receive a free dozen beer today??!!

Yep. The last successful text seems to have been sent at 11.02am, exactly 25 minutes after I hit "save" on the post.

There might be some free beer left at Spare Room – same deal.

Oh you slutty readers — always off to anywhere with free beer ...

The extra twist of bitterness comes from an extraordinarily poisoned right wing exceptionalism that has seeped into every nook and cranny of this particular sleepy hollow, if you don't believe me just check the editorials in the back issues of Hawkes Bay Today.

Tom: Perhaps we could forget its election?

Tom: Perhaps we could forget its election year for a moment,

To be fair, I hardly think that it's Tom who has made this dispute into a political issue ...

Oh you slutty readers — always off to anywhere with free beer ...

Theirs was posted before 5:00am, so it'd be a miracle in the Feeding Five Thousand league if there was any left now!

But when I was a lad, information wasn't controlled by the local caudillo's like it is now. Newspaper wise we had the old-school Labourish Napier Daily Telegraph and the voice of?

To be fair, I hardly think that it's Tom who has made this dispute into a political issue ...

No, but I don't think nutting off about some filthy "right wing exceptionalism" is much use either. As I said earlier, the public health system runs through vast amounts of public?

I don't see that our health needs or ability to meet them?

We get a vote on the members, but it's pretty hard to pick out who they are, even if you read the candidate book cover-to-cover. They have no control over funding allocation (it's not as if they had a health rate or something to?

Hausmann, like the other parties to the dispute, had the opportunity to review the draft, claimed it was "factually incorrect in several key areas" and had it peer-reviewed by a QC.

And just to get nit-picky, Russell, I wonder if 'peer-review' (a term which bears connotations of disinterested academic scrutiny)?

I wonder how many of the free beers went to Public Address regulars and how many went to lucky friends and workmates of PA regulars who were suddenly ordered to "OMG! Text this to get free beer! Free beer! Do it! Now! Right now!!!"

Cross my heart, it was 100%?

It also distracts from the more important issues – in manawatu, wanganui, rangitikei areas, we have no adolescent/teen specialist psychologist and rely on a locum from Auckland visiting.

I would suspect having local district health boards, with elected officials, would be more likely that things like this would get local?

Missed this beer but got 6-pack of Amstel Premium through exactly the same mechanism last week.

And you didn't tell us??!!

Missed this beer but got 6-pack of Amstel Premium through exactly the same mechanism last week.

And you didn't tell us??!!

I wash totally *hic* going to menshion it *hic* but shumone got me intoxshicated *hic*

In the context of a drug trial, I think any academic journal would not publish on the basis of a peer review commissioned either by a pharmaceutical company with a very direct interest in publication.

Sure. Let's just say he exercised his right to have the report reviewed by a?

Can someone tell me why, in a country of 4 million people, we need so many DHBs?? Does Sydney have this many managerial units to oversee health delivery?

I was wondering on this last night. Local accountability would be the one answer – and then sydney isn't 1800km across.

I?

Sure. Let's just say he exercised his right to have the report reviewed by a a QC, then. I hold no brief for Hausmann — he might be a right royal bastard for all I know — and it doesn't really alter my point.

And a reasonable one it was?

Are they just there to give the government someone to blame when things go wrong?

Yes.

(And yes, while I'd be happy enough to do away with this parody of democratic accountability, I'm not under any illusions it would save us money. Sure, we'd save on the board-members salaries, but?

In the context of a drug trial, I think any academic journal would not publish on the basis of a peer review commissioned either by a pharmaceutical company with a very direct interest in publication.

Academic journals use blind peer reviews. But they're interested in academic quality, not natural justice.

Former Hawke's Bay DHB chairman Kevin Atkinson expects to ask questions over whether Hausmann and his legal team had preferential access to the panel over himself and other former board members. But Atkinson notes that their hands are tied to some extent?

I would suspect having local district health boards, with elected officials, would be more likely that things like this would get local attention.

It would, if they had control of their budgets. But they don't. The services they provide are contracted by Ministyr of Health, and if MoH doesn't think?

(UPDATE: All gone in 25 minutes! But it looks like you'll still get a two-for-the-price-of-one offer if you text in?

Dunno, if you had a local income tax paying for health it'd reduce the headline rate for national income tax.?

Academic journals use blind peer reviews. But they're interested in academic quality, not natural justice.

Exactly my point, I/S, and you'd think O'Sullivan would be aware of the distinction. Then again, I do grind my teeth whenever she uses 'refute' as an synonym for deny.

Happy Birthday Sam – you can have half of mine!!

A conflict of interest inquiry into Hawke's Bay District Health Board has slammed it for failing "the most simple test of good governance", but also criticised Government appointee Peter Hausmann for not making full diclosures about work sought by his company.

Director-General of Health Stephen McKernan?

I/S

Democracy implies accountability, and we can indeed "hold DHBs accountable" by de-electing them. but when you look at it, there's actually not much they're really accountable for.

They are accountable for ensuring that contracts are awarded in a fair way and carried out?

Can only endorse the call for removal of the elected Boards if there is an apolitical authority erected to investigate and prosecute the type of corruption that is alleged in this instance and apparent in the Medlab/Labtests fiasco.

The Labtests debacle was much worse than what Hausmann did. He didn't?

I haven't read the HBDHB report yet, but I covered the Medlabs case pretty closely.

Bierre and the ADHBs got a bit of a bum rap on that case. Justice Asher, in the High Court, effectively invented a new?

He repeatedly made the point that even within the narrow terms of reference the review was given, its authors found sufficient dysfunction that they'd have essentially recommended something similar to what the minister did — implying, as?

This very clearly was not a good board. Tom S's comments upthread about the local media's performance seem quite relevant.

Russell: Who would would you actually rate among local media as covering DHB's well – if at all. Not many, if any (your cheque is in the mail, Mr Scribe)?

And just wait a mo', Russell. Before we get together and give Cunliffe a hand job

Eeew.

perhaps there's one or two questions to be asked about how the hell things got this bad in the first place.

Before Cunliffe was Minister of Health, you mean?

The allegations have been?

Before Cunliffe was Minister of Health, you mean?

No, I mean while he was part of a government that was supposed to be making sure that this kind of bullshit wasn't going to happen any more. That was trumpeting elected DHBs as some rebirth of community involvement, transparency and all?

He's also?

I see that you are being painted as a the big bad wolf who made the poor ACT advertising man feel bad.

I fail to see how they got away with those billboards. If they were a company it would have been done for misleading advertising.

Yet the Herald?

Oh how the chattering snobs of Havelock North will be busy dissecting the fall-out over their "wain" tonight.

*cough* Might not be the best place to hoist that particular chip onto one's shoulder. :)

I see that you are being painted as a the big bad wolf who made the poor ACT advertising man feel bad.

What on earth is John Ansell on about? As far as I can tell I've never even mentioned him by name — and even on the two occasions?

What on earth is John Ansell on about? As far as I can tell I've never even mentioned him by name — and even on the two occasions I expressed some distaste for the iwi-versus-kiwi billboards, my language wasn't exactly angry. How bizarre.

He was probably using "Russell Brown" as?

Maybe the truth hurts? And this is the nature of your attack. The fact that there was some?

Yeh. Ironically in 2005 I remember you and few others here generously remarking on their cleverness. I?

But gee didn?t Don look good. Why are we still dealing with an Act party? Do the people of Epsom still feel victimized so much they need their own party? Has the price of pool cleaning gone up recently? Maybe we should have a telethon for them?

Oh, piss off.?

*cough* Might not be the best place to hoist that particular chip onto one's shoulder. :)

Why not? I don't get it. Could you be more specific please, Craig?

Oh, fuck off (wow, abuse it's so easy). Socialist oppression, Evelyn Waugh. You should really go for a walk and meet the citizens of New?

Why not? I don't get it. Could you be more specific please, Craig?

I just thought it was a rather peculiar sneer, considering that Public Address readers sure seem to be a pack of shameless elitists who aren't averse to setting the world to rights over a faine whine or?

What on earth is John Ansell on about? As far as I can tell I've never even mentioned him by name — and even on the two occasions I expressed some distaste for the iwi-versus-kiwi billboards, my language wasn't exactly angry. How bizarre.

I thought he was trying to take?

No, I mean while he was part of a government that was supposed to be making sure that this kind of bullshit wasn't going to happen any more. That was trumpeting elected DHBs as some rebirth of community involvement, transparency and all that other good stuff.

I think whenever you?

I think whenever you elect boards of this sort, some are going to fuck up.

Kyle:

Entirely fair comment: Out of the crooked timber of humanity no straight thing was ever made, and all that. But what I find enormously frustrating about this whole exercise is that there are people?

But what I find enormously frustrating about this whole exercise is that there are people whose lives and well-being quite literally depend on major contracts being awarded on the basis of merit not patronage.

Yeah, that's the crappy part. There are fuck-ups, there probably always will be fuck-ups, but they?

If true there sould be a secure future for those involved.

So we need more Policy and it needs to be highly prescriptive for businessmen/women to act ethically?

That doesn't sound like Nationals doctrine of the moment.

Apparently HBDHB couldn't RTFM because there is no Manual...creating one for Governance and other tricky procedures (like, conflicts of interest) is in the recommendations from the Report.

Oh boy... You'd think the Cabinet Manual, the State Sector Code of Conduct and sheer common sense would have prevented Messers Logan and?

I just thought it was a rather peculiar sneer, considering that Public Address readers sure seem to be a pack of shameless elitists who aren't averse to setting the world to rights over a faine whine or?

Has the price of beer and cigarettes gone up recently?

Always good to counter one sort of I dunno, anti-rich person stereotyping, with another sort with racist undertones.

Always good to counter one sort of I dunno, anti-rich person stereotyping, with another sort with racist undertones..

But, Kyle, Everyone's A Little Bit Racist!

Has the price of beer and cigarettes gone up recently?

Always good to counter one sort of I dunno, anti-rich person stereotyping, with another sort with racist undertones.

Er, that was precisely my point.

Jeremy made the ludicrous assertion* that the people of Epsom were motivated by a rise in?

Er, that was precisely my point.

Yeah, the "you said something crappy, I'm going to provide another crappy example" annoys me.

It's the 'how low can you go' approach to life.

Do we need to point out how bad that thing was, by bringing out something else bad, just to?

Your comment, whilst possibly made with frivolity in mind, conveyed an unnecessarily patronising view of a group of people who have as much of a right as anyone to vote in their own interests

would have got the point across quite so vividly...

Somehow I doubt that

Your comment, whilst possibly made with frivolity in mind, conveyed an unnecessarily patronising view of a group of people who have as much of a right as anyone to vote in their own interests

would have got the point across quite so vividly...

So you prefer?

Beats the spokesman for failed Fijian Timeshares and Perk-buster but only after he cleared?

Sure, Sam, but can you understand why I get really irritated when people make dumb – and frankly rather offensive – generalisations about quote unquote 'Christians' based on the latest brainfart from Brian The Bish?

Oh, absolutely – I'm not defending those sort of broad-brush claims at all, but rather?

I even respect Rodney Hide now he's had a change of life. Not trashing people and standing on principle – Foreshore & Seabed etc.

Yes, there's more than one way to skin a cat. He's a good sparing partner for the greens, with his Masters Degrees in resource management and economics.?

Minister of Health David Cunliffe is threatening to issue further damaging details about conflicts of interest involving the former Hawkes Bay District Health Board.

A bitter row is deepening following the issue?

Sorry for sliding back on topic

Not at all. I'm the first to admit that the erratic train of thought is of paramount concern. I's just a mater of convincing my local DHB.

Sorry for sliding back on topic — if Cunliffe on the utu trail is really a smart move:

Yeah, I thought the same thing when he said it on the radio this morning. having come out of the whole thing looking quite composed, it doesn't seem like a good idea?

Yeah, I thought the same thing when he said it on the radio this morning. having come out of the whole thing looking quite composed, it doesn't seem like a good idea to start mud-wrestling with everyone else..

Indeed. The one thing I will give Annette King credit for is?

Challenge him to a nude jelly wrestling death match. It won't be any more insightful, but infinitely more fun.

That's your second eeew this week. And it's only Tuesday!

That's your second eeew this week. And it's only Tuesday!

You just hope I get it all out of my system before Thursday afternoon, or we may not be on speaking terms for much longer. :)

I hope he's calmed down by the time he writes it.

Guess you're not a media lawyer then ...

The more outrageous, the better:-)

BTW, I gather from his strange outburst on Radio Live this afternoon ("wanker", "worst commentator", etc) , that Bill Ralston is planning some utu on me in his next column.

Weird. I thought I was reading all the comments, but somehow I skipped that comment.

So what was he barking on?

I gather from his strange outburst on Radio Live this afternoon ("wanker", "worst commentator", etc) , that Bill Ralston is planning some utu on me in his next column.

he's probably never forgiven you for sullying his brand by talking about ingesting X on bfm.

revenge. cold dish. etc.

So what was he barking on about?

The Hawke's Bay District Health Board, I presume.

Well , I?m a suburb bigot. I just love the instant label machine. ..but hey I got some time off from,ummm what do people do that stops them commenting on threads all day ( adopts best John Stewart Voice) ?.Worrrrking.

Like the great Dave Chapelle said ,?I?m?

I?m not being partonising to the people of Epsom, only the ones who voted act , the most useless party in the history of New Zealand politics.

I've lived in the Epsom electorate for the last two general elections. (Are there any other Epsomites here?) I live in the Mt?

So they blitzed a very well heeled community into letting them stay in parliament , a community who had been ready to support the National incumbent until the order was given..

Jeremy: I know I'm going to regret asking, but WTF are you going on about? Richard Worth is a?

I just replied with likewise language to prove my point like Professor International Observer. ..you old racist.

Like yourself Jeremy, I've been unable to get back into this thread until now....

Wow – so you're calling me racist! Careful you don't compare me to Hitler or someone might call "Theatre!" Sorry?

Besides don't the cartels in Northland and the Coromandel, for that mater, have indoor?

When Kyle said the above I felt he was still missing my point.

Yeah I get your point. And the reasons why it's 'ok' to poke at Epsom and swimming pools, but not Maori and beer/cigarettes – that's valid to explore.

I just don't like the model of 'let me?

Hi Craig,

I?ll explain when I get off work but I really wish you?d stop starting your posts in such a cuntish partonising way, habit of a lifetime I guess?.and the quotes, ......I'm thinking?

Epsom is a well to do electorate, a success story of the New Zealand economy. Yet they have?

Ya know lets get our Obama on or we?ll look out of touch with the rest of the world.

Okey dokey. Obama has just made a speech disagreeing with those who blame all ills on white people who live in nice surburban neighbourhoods. That it is really a stupid?

That's why I like him. ....but it's not a particular big call , it's just a rational call and has nothing to do with my original post. I?

I?ll explain when I get off work but I really wish you?d stop starting your posts in such a cuntish partonising way, habit of a lifetime I guess?

Well, it is my habit to be a cunt with pricks, and take serious people seriously. Its a proportional response. But lets?

So why do you stump for the crazies? and where's my evelyn waugh quote?

too long buddy, ya should have moved on after Muldoon.

The post was questioning what the act party actually brings to our political forum apart from crazy economics (which by the way are well catered for by the right wing of the national party) and bad dancing.

Bad dancing is catered for by all parts of parliament. Particularly Pete Hodgson?

Re: Recent NZ pols history.
Muldoon becomes Peters.
Lange becomes Locke?

And Christians, sometimes are really lovely people but , the son of god and the old ?virgin birth? thing, come on you are a bunch of irrational space cadets.

Threadjack!

Some decades ago I did a 6 month Intro to Religious STudies course at Vic. Can't remember why. Jim Veitch?

There' s a lot of historical and of course scientific evidence to make religion extinct tomorrow but that wont happen and as we speak some poor kid in a religous school a few streets away from your?

If correct, that takes some of the supernatural gloss off the nativity story.

That would indeed be hilarious, but the mistranslation is the Hebrew "almah", young woman/girl, rendered as Greek "parthenoi", a virgin.

Well, it is my habit to be a cunt with pricks, and take serious people seriously. Its a proportional response.

Oh, shit. I am going to call theatre on myself, and kick my own arse.

I'm not going to apologise for the substance of my comment, Jeremy. But I am?

You can?t ban words, so?

I should have thought twice when ending Lent with the new Monteith's Lager priced at $18.90 a doz compared to SteinLager Pure at $25 a doz.

At?

Monteith's New Zealand Lager – The new Vanilla Coke of beers, drinkable and (hopefully) forgettable. A metalic after taste that was really, urrgh

I took that as a serious critique until I read this:

Last night we had a tasting, put it to the back of the fridge and drunk?

It's... well OK, but nothing special. I can't say it stands up to the rest of their line at all.

Monteith's New Zealand Lager – The new Vanilla Coke of beers, drinkable and (hopefully) forgettable. A metalic after taste that was really, urrgh.
I should have thought twice when ending Lent with the new Monteith's Lager priced at $18.90 a doz compared to SteinLager Pure at $25 a doz.
At?

I am puzzeled as to what Int Beers your comparing it to.
Bud US or CZ doesn't fit, neither Heino or Stella. To my taste anyway.

The bottle though is really nice,?

Willing to accept it may have been my abstinence from the drink that means I'm less tolerant of 2nd rate largers.

Must get to The Dux de Lux or Twisted Hop soon.

(I had one from the glass but it didn't seem right).

There might have been a problem with the glass. Beer glass's are fussy buggers, they really don't like residues of soap left in them. Best to rinse in boiling water, preferably in an industrial dish washer, then polished with?

I took that as a serious critique until I read this:

Last night we had a tasting, put it to the back of the fridge and drunk everything else first.

I thought it was a completely fair comment. One should always drink the good champagne/wine/beer first, and then move down?

t both Monteiths were at least comparable with Asahi Super Dry or Kirin Ichiban, and I'd have no hesitation getting more of either provided they were equivalent in price.

I think the NZ Lager is well compared to those beers. And Tui is awful. Unfortunately, it's the only one you?

Going in to the trade fair as a homesick Kiwi, I made a point of buying several bottles of each (even at 500 yen per bottle ... i.e. twice the price of the local brands).

$75 a dozen for takeaway beers!

$75 a dozen for takeaway beers!

Yeah, it's enough to drive you to drink... happoshu (the near-beers that are the only alcohol available in Japan under 600 yen for a half-dozen cans. Some of them are actually drinkable).

endless departmental staff meetings in Japanese

I was told prior to going on my one and only trip to Japan that "the purpose of a meeting in Japan is to arrange the next meeting". It was certainly true some of the time.

the purpose of a meeting in Japan is to arrange the next meeting

In my darker moments, I incline to the view that the purpose of a meeting (anywhere in the world) is primarily as an anaesthetic, numbing the senses so that decisions can be enacted that would never be?