Steve Maharey

Dr Verrall says she has confidence in Maharey and "I haven't seen anything that concerns me here" but she is seeking advice from the Public Service Commission.

Health Minister Ayesha Verrall says ACC and Pharmac chairman Steve Maharey had offered to resign over columns he wrote criticising the National Party, ...

While he apologised to me, he then doubled down on those criticisms in the press.” He was not aware of what conversations Maharey had with other ministers, but he had been in touch with Hipkins’ office. “He indicated that if his resignation was requested that he would offer it. Verrall’s version differed to Prime Minister Chris Hipkins, who said that Maharey had not offered to resign. We don’t believe in an American, politicised public service where we make appointments each time under each successive government.” On her own refusal to front the media on the issue since a brief statement announcing she was sacking him last week, she said the statement had set out her reasons clearly and she had not wanted to get into a battle of words with Campbell. In New Zealand we want to have an impartial public service. She said the key issue in Campbell’s case was that she lost confidence in him following his refusal to back down on his criticisms, after breaching the code of conduct. He said he had not been aware of the Maharey columns that were in question. Verrall said she still had confidence in Maharey, and the situation in her view was different to Campbell’s. Hipkins said while Maharey had not offered to resign to him, it was possible he had done so to Verrall. However, she said his was a different situation to Campbell’s and she was awaiting further advice from the Public Service Commission on the issue.

Steve Maharey has offered to quit, but the health minister doesn't seem keen to take up his offer.

“Maharey's a very good public sector governor. While he apologised to me, he then doubled down on those criticisms in the press. The ministers said they had lost confidence in his ability to follow rules about public sector political neutrality. We will take the advice from the Public Service Commissioner,” Verrall said on Tuesday morning. “He indicated that if his resignation was requested that he would offer it, I would not ask for his resignation in these circumstances. He left Parliament in 2008, having served as minister for education and social development in Helen Clark’s Government.

Last month, Chris Hipkins incorrectly responded to a question by David Seymour by saying that “our government is actually taking less tax out of the economy as ...

And thirdly, I have nailed the dress code for the concert (head to toe holographic in case you were wondering, with a boa obvs). Secondly, it’s probably already too late to get a good spot in the stadium. [Stuff’s Harry Styles live blog](https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment/music/300823947/live-sound-check-starts-as-thousands-of-fans-flock-to-see-harry-styles-at-mt-smart-stadium) today which has taught me several things.

Current Pharmac and ACC chairman Steve Maharey is likely to conclude his column-writing days in light of the controversy caused by former Te Whatu Ora chai.

“We do not make political statements or engage in political activity in relation to the functions of the Crown entity. [exclusive opinion piece](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/rob-campbell-blatant-hypocrisy-of-public-service-commissioner-should-be-called-out/ZMVP7TQXXRBPDDO2SRI2OSPY2Q/) for the Herald, Campbell claimed Maharey’s comments in his January column being deemed acceptable by the Government was “blatant hypocrisy”. “I don’t ask for perfection but where there has been a breach of the code or where there has been a perception of a breach of a code, I think if somebody is open to receiving feedback on that and open to changing as a result of that, I think that’s all we can ask of them.” Pharmac/ACC chairman and former Labour minister in hot water for public political comments [column he wrote in January](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/opinion/300788564/without-covid-labour-would-have-made-more-progress), Maharey claimed “nothing seems new or fresh about the team National is offering” and likened the party to the Republican Party in the United States or Britain’s Conservative Party in that they “seem more interested in the past than the future”. - Author

“I haven't seen anything that concerns me here” Pharmac chair Steve Maharey has tendered his resignation over political columns he has ...

Former politician and political commentator Peter Dunne says if you're serving the Government, you need to be impartial. "But he's been going out there and ...

And that just seems to me to be a complete and utter shambles." - Publish Date - Author

Chair of ACC and Pharmac, Steve Maharey is facing criticism for penning articles critical of National. These comments draw comparison to former Te Whatu Or.

Prime Minister Chis Hipkins said the advice from Hughes found it was not serious enough to justify dismissing Maharey from his posts, which include chair of ...

“Their roles, however, come with obligations under the Code of Conduct and they are expected to exercise the appropriate levels of caution and discretion.” “However, particularly when they are historical and are at the lower end of the spectrum, my guidance to Ministers is that provided the person acknowledges and regrets the breach and is clear about adhering to the Code going forward, it should not necessarily result in the responsible minister losing confidence in them. The Public Service Commissioner Peter Hughes has found former Labour MP Steve Maharey breached a code of conduct on political neutrality in his columns, but it was at the “lower end of the spectrum”.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says Steve Maharey will keep his jobs as chairman of ACC, Pharmac and Education NZ.

Where the boundaries between your public and private personas are not as clear as they used to be.” She's now going to reflect on something which is blatantly a breach of the code of conduct. They have a greater role to actually play here.” [offered his resignation](https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/131422715/acc-chair-offers-resignation-after-political-columns-but-might-be-safe) to ministers when he self-reported his columns in the wake of Rob Campbell’s sacking from Te Whatu Ora and the EPA. “He proactively acknowledged the error, has undertaken to stop writing the column and apologised. She did not think signing or agreeing to it was a process board members went through. On Twitter, she describes herself as: “Former Labour Member of NZ Parliament. If she wished she had read it, Dyson said, "no". She faced questions about a tweet, which criticised National’s Christopher Luxon. “It's frankly appalling that she hadn't read the code of conduct. National pushed the Public Service Commission to play a greater role in stamping out a “culture of political bias” in senior public servants, but Hughes said it wasn’t their job to be “the comment police”. Hipkins said on Wednesday Public Service Commissioner Peter Hughes had advised Maharey’s political commentary breached the rules for political impartiality, “but at the lower end of the spectrum”.

Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall on Tuesday said Maharey had tendered his resignation, but she was still waiting on advice from the Public Service Commission.

A former Cabinet minister for Helen Clark's Labour government, he also writes a regular opinion column. The spotlight has fallen on politicised comments he made ...

Hipkins on Tuesday afternoon said the principle of political neutrality was long-standing, but was only laid down in the code of conduct as a core principle last year. Dyson, the deputy chair of the Earthquake Commission and Fire and Emergency New Zealand, admitted she had not read the code of conduct, but said she was rethinking her social media use in light of Campbell's sacking. "The Commissioner has characterised Mr Maharey's actions as 'unwise', but at the 'lower end of the spectrum'," Hipkins said.

Mr Maharey is the chair of Pharmac, ACC and Education New Zealand, and is also a former Labour MP and minister. In columns for Stuff, he likened National to the ...

Please support us and the hard work of our journalists by Mr Maharey has reached out and been contrite. While he apologised to me, he then doubled down on those criticisms in the press. Implementation of the Integrated Primary Mental Health and Addiction programme across metro Auckland is well under way. “But it is important to make clear the Government’s expectation of all Crown Entity board chairs and members in the future,” Mr Hipkins says. In his media release today, Mr Hipkins said there was “a clear distinction” between Mr Maharey and Mr Campbell’s cases “in patterns of behaviour and future intent”.