National Public Health Service director Dr Nick Chamberlain has issued a directive requiring all public health doctors’ statements to be approved at a national level, raising concerns about government overreach. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

Great minds share alike. Pass it on!

Economy

Health

Briefing for 19 March 2025

Doctors fear Govt instruction means they can’t talk freely about public health issues

Public health doctors are raising concerns about what they call government “overreach” after being instructed that all public statements must be approved at a national level.

The directive, delivered by National Public Health Service director Dr Nick Chamberlain, has sparked fears that doctors will no longer be able to speak freely about critical health issues in their regions.

New Zealand signs defence pact with India, boosts Indo-Pacific security ties

New Zealand has signed a defence cooperation agreement with India, strengthening military ties and committing to greater maritime security in the Indo-Pacific.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, where both leaders pledged deeper defence collaboration, regular military exchanges, and increased coordination on regional stability.

Has the Human Rights Commission gone rogue?

Yvonne van Dongen questions whether the Human Rights Commission is fit for purpose after endorsing puberty blockers for children despite global safety concerns.

She asks: Can an organisation that promotes unscientific ideology still be trusted?

Peter Williams: The Taxpayers’ Union sued for defamation

Veteran broadcaster Peter Williams argues that the Taxpayers’ Union (TPU) is facing an outrageous defamation lawsuit simply for exposing government waste.

At the centre of the controversy is Melanie Mark-Shadbolt, an “environmental sociologist” and director of New Zealand’s Biological Heritage National Science Challenge, which allocated $4 million in taxpayer funding to Te Tira Whakamataki, a company that Mark-Shadbolt herself leads.

Assoc. prof: ‘Merit’ is subjective, but race-based hiring should stay

Associate Professor Anaru Eketone argues Winston Peters’ bill targets affirmative action, which he says is still needed for fair representation.

He challenges merit-based hiring as too narrow, asserting that underrepresented groups bring “extra skills, knowledge, networks and life experience.”

NZ hospitals under scrutiny as COVID ‘persists’

Five years after the pandemic began, COVID is still being reported as New Zealand’s “most harmful infectious disease,” with claims that hospital-acquired infections are a major issue.

Despite this, hospitals have rolled back many COVID policies, and Health New Zealand no longer collects data on hospital-onset cases.