Jim Bennett

In my recent writings on the need to restore the quality of our democracy, I have highlighted how the Coalition Government has increased cabinet ministers’ decision-making power.

This week, another alarming example has come to light.

In November last year, health minister Simeon Brown changed the terms of reference for the Public Health Advisory Committee, allowing publication of their reports only if he had given his approval for their release.

Some recent correspondence to the Beacon has, without illustration, thrown the word “communist” to describe political parties.

Such emotive language is inappropriate, inaccurate and is actually more befitting of the parties on the “right”.

This kind of autocratic centralisation of power, pursued by the coalition, was a characteristic of the past communist regimes in Eastern Europe.

Six reports have been written by the Health Advisory Committee in the past three years.

Of those, only two have been released to the public and two of them were written quite some time ago, in 2024.

Experts in the health field describe this as a disgrace and against the spirit of open government.

Our community knows well the pattern of declining quality in our public health system.

Journalists have asked for these reports via Official Information Act applications. The answer – “they’ll be released soon”.

Such reports should be public before an election, not withheld until after it.

Sitting on such advice gives the impression that the recommendations are being modified to suit the minister, when they should be in the public domain for consideration prior to decisions being made.

Let’s vote for a return to quality democracy, with open government.