Rob Campbell had to be sacked
I love Rob Campbell.
He is the best and I support him.
He was 100% right about what he said in regards to National’s hollow 3 Water’s policy but as the chair of Te Whatu Ora/Health NZ and the Environmental Protection Authority, there was no way in hell he could say those things!
Chippy knew as soon as he heard what Rob had said that there was no way a high ranking Civil Servant could ever be that critical of a political policy from the Opposition!
It’s like hand ball in Soccer, you can’t just pick up the ball halfway through a game and run with it all the way to the Goal box while barging into the Goalkeeper.
I know.
I’m as shocked as you.
I used a Sports metaphor.
That’s how concerned every one who had any sense of what he had done felt, like this issue is so big it needs to be dumbed down to a Sports metaphor.
Some have attempted to defend Rob from the Free Speech perspective and while I accept his right to say whatever he likes (as long as it doesn’t incite violence), as a Public Official he immediately loses that job if he uses his Free Speech in a way that breaches political neutrality, and going medieval on National’s 3 Waters policy, while 100% true in its criticism, was something he simply can’t say in a senior political position.
Again, LOVE Rob, and agree with everything he said, but he’s the fucking Chair of our Public Health system, he can’t mouth off about opposition policy like this.
It’s so unacceptable because it could trigger an eruption of Public Officials doing the very same thing about any policy they don’t like and that would immediately politicise the civil service in a way that would be deeply unhealthy for NZ.
Political Neutrality is a facade that is so important that the mere perception of bias removes you from decision making.
His heel digging suggests he still doesn’t comprehend the enormity of what he did, you can’t express those opinions on your linked-in profile and not expect them to leak immediately to the media!
Chippy understood the sin Rob had committed and moved immediately to cauterise it because he appreciates the danger that would erupt if every Civil Servant started behaving like Rob.
Sacking Rob after giving him the option to resign was the right move, watching Rob attempt to paint his sacking as Labour going cold on co-governance is an embarrassment to Rob’s mana.
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As Chris suggests, the reason that liberal particularism is ultimately a con is because it actually obscures ‘who has the power’.
These theories attempt to bury any real analysis of the material conditions, which would ultimately expose the basis of class society in every epoch: the exploitation of man by man, where the working masses of society are ruled by a tiny exploiter class.
The Poststructuralist demagogues have managed to construct an ideology which arbitrarily divides society along the lines of physical human traits, and claims that everybody within such a division shares the same interests — regardless of class.
This conveniently busts up the working people into innumerable warring factions — so rather than working people recognising they all have common interests and a common exploiter, they become mired in sectarianism (and easily manipulated by the ruling elite).
Because it is anti-scientific (openly railing against the Enlightenment and the scientific method), this ideology is unable to produce any type of social progress. Instead, it is a destructive force: despite hiding behind ‘left-sounding’ phrases, it is really an ideology opposed to the ideas of socialism.
I didn’t find Campbell’s argument convincing at all. This infrastructure is already publicly owned and controlled by elected officials — allowing it to be manipulated by special interests, and potentially sold off to private investors, would put Labour’s policy to the right of the Tories!
His lack of understanding of what political neutrality means, even after it is pointed out to him; his lack of contrition, his “standing by his words, and his lack of spine by resigning for what he believes in when offered the chance, all show he is completely inappropriate for the Chairmanship of Te Whatu Ora, or the EPA for that matter, and the only option was/ is to remove him immediately.
Kia Kaha Rob Campbell. We have plenty of stuffed parrots who sit on their hands when the time to speak out loud and clear appears.
Let’s look at the regions seriously affected by the recent floods. Were these councils and politicians Stuffed Parrots?
There is plenty of history to show that the water infrastructure in these regions are inadequate, but these councils have obviously kicked the can down the road, can’t raise rates to fund what was urgently required, can’t stop forestry companies from creating unbelievable dangerous Slash, still building houses on flood plains, etc, etc.
We have well paid officials throughout this country who know what is needed to keep NZ’ers safe in their homes, but their silence is deafening. THEY ARE STUFFED PARROTS.
I have over the past 2 years written to my regional council and local council regarding the flooding that occurs at my property whenever we have heavy or continuous rain. Their response – a full page of legalese and meaningless solutions.
Rob Campbell is correct – National/Act criticism of 3 Waters is fuelled by their reluctance to allow Maori a seat at the tables. Their anti co-governance rhetoric is their way of ensuring they retain their power.
Strangely they forget their ancestors promised a sharing of power when they signed the Treaty of Waitangi.
Interesting days ahead. The floods will continue, the land will continue slipping away, and sadly more NZ’ers will die because we only listen to well paid STUFFED PARROTS.
AGAIN – KIA KAHA ROB CAMPBELL.
What a ridiculous statement. Rob Campbell, a Civil Servant?
Ha ha, Civil – no way, servant – unpaid. How do you sack an unpaid servant?
“I love Rob Campbell.
He is the best and I support him.”
I know I know. I just lerv Him as well. He’s just the best. A one time trade unionist concerned for His fellow man, to later, equipped with the attitude that He’s paid His dues and is therefore entitled to some elevated level of ego.
Not too dissimilar from someone that told me from those Olden Days that told me I was HARD left.
Someone that, along with the likes of Pat Kelly and others who stood up for the ‘working man’
Rob: On Yer Bike, Rack off – do the decent thing. Retire gracefully. If you really want to keep making a contribution, get yourself a Mr Green franchise, or maybe team up with a supermarket or Pizza franchise. There’s time to redeem yourself from the politics of the 3rd Way faith. You’ve helped swing the pendulum sufficiently to the Right, and earned yourself a comfy little pozzie along with some of your cohorts. Well done. Leave it be.
This was probably a setup like Ardern’s resignation. Campbell is far too familiar with how the game is played to unknowingly put his foot in it.
He obviously wanted out and its a way to make Hipkins and Verrall look good and decisive
Would he have received any golden parachutes as part of the process?