National and ACT have called for the sacked chairman of Te Whatu Ora to also be removed from his role on the Environmental Protection Authority.
It comes after Rob Campbell was sacked yesterday by Health Minister Ayesha Verrall from his role chairing Te Whatu Ora, Health NZ, following comments he made online about the National Party's water infrastructure policy.
The policy was announced on the weekend, and Campbell took to social media site LinkedIn to express his discontent with the policy, calling it a “thin disguise for the dog whistle on co-governance”.
He is subject to a code of conduct which includes provisions around public service impartiality.
On Monday, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said the comments were "inappropriate" and on Tuesday night Verrall announced she no longer had confidence Campbell could exercise "the political neutrality necessary for his role" and had removed him from his role as Te Whatu Ora chairman, effectively immediately.
This morning National Party public service spokesman Simeon Brown said he wanted to see Campbell removed from his role as Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) chairman also - a call for Environment Minister David Parker.
Brown said Campbell's comments were a "clear breach of political neutrality rules" and there was "absolutely no justification" for Campbell to remain in his role at the EPA.
He said it was "entirely untenable".
“New Zealanders have high expectations of public servants, with political neutrality of the public service being critical to the functioning of our democracy.
“Rob Campbell continued to defend his comments about National party policy in media interviews this morning, demonstrating he has no regard for these rules."
ACT leader David Seymour also called for Campbell's dismissal from the EPA, saying Campbell's "immature comments have undermined the entire public service".
“The public service must be prepared to serve whatever Government the people elect, not just the ones they prefer. Campbell’s rant undermined this important principle. David Parker's silence cannot continue here."
Parker has been approached for comment.
Campbell's dismissal 'a significant loss' - nurses
Today health commentator Ian Powell told 1News Campbell had "clearly overstepped" with his comments and his actions were "irresponsible", but he thought sacking was an overreaction.
He said as the health reforms were so new - with Te Whatu Ora having formed less than a year ago - a senior figure's sacking could "only increase the destabilisation and the dysfunction in decision-making... that is already there".
Powell is a former executive director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists.
NZ Nurses Organisation president Kerri Nuku told 1News nurses had been surprised by Campbell's dismissal.
"We had confidence in Rob because of the work he'd done with nursing... I think it's a significant loss."
She also said his dismissal would lead to "instability".
"Rob engaged with lots of nurses frontline... he understood the issues, the resourcing concerns, and therefore was a key activist in raising those issues at board level."
She said there was a responsibility public servants had but they were still human.
"There's that real tension between what is your role as a public servant and also the freedom to be able to have your own opinions."
Last year, Campbell was also criticised by then-Health Minister Andrew Little when Campbell voiced support for a member's bill - sponsored by Chloe Swarbrick - that aimed to reduce alcohol harm. In that instance he also posted on LinkedIn saying he was "totally with" Swarbrick on the bill.
Not 'sitting there like a stuffed parrot' - Campbell
Campbell appeared on multiple media spots on Wednesday, including Newstalk ZB, RNZ's Morning Report and TVNZ's Breakfast.
On Breakfast he said he considered National's water infrastructure policy to be "wrong and misguided".
Campbell said he often engages with political topics he’s interested in on social media, but that doesn’t mean he’s not impartial.
He said the code of conduct only relates to political comments that could damage his organisation, which “doesn’t mean that publicly, I’m muted".
“It doesn’t mean that I’m sitting there like a stuffed parrot, or a parrot that’s been trained just to say 'Polly wants a biscuit' whenever the minister wants; that’s not what I’m there for.”
He admitted to being biased in regards to Three Waters but said that did not related to Te Whatu Ora.
Former Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield on Twitter said Campbell's comments were "a big story".
"I spent much of the last 25 years in NZ's excellent public service & saw no evidence of either left or right 'leaning'," Sir Ashley said.
"I have no idea how any of my former CE colleagues voted, we just didn’t talk about it. Rob Campbell's comments are a big story because it’s a very rare event."
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