Simeon Brown’s Ideology Bent
Simeon Brown once told Kiwis he tries to represent his deep sense of faith by interacting “with integrity”.
“It’s important that there’s Christians in Parliament…and from my perspective, it’s great to be a Christian in Parliament and to bring that perspective to [laws, conversations and policies].”
And with that power, Simeon voted strongly against abortion, end of life choice, and medically supervised cannabis for people with a terminal illness or debilitating condition.
Here he is voting against abortion again in 2020:
What Brown didn’t mention about what’s good to have in Parliament are attributes that others can benefit from, not just what’s good for his type of faith.
Those attributes include: empathy, intelligence, leadership skills, technical capability, humility, thoughtfulness, care.
I’m not sure I have seen Simeon demonstrate any of those attributes.
To give you a sense of Simeon Brown in action, look at how he handled his blanket speed increases as Minister for Transport.
And/or watch him in Parliament.
In that latter setting, Brown is invariably at his most confident now he is in Government.
He is frequently loud, aggressive, gestures wildly with bodily actions, barrelling down at the Opposition with sneers and/or populist claims such as ‘we’re getting Kiwis to where they want to go faster, and we will improve economic efficiency in this country’.
Thump!
But evidence says that the time savings for his much heralded speed limit increases are 1 to 2 minutes on major roads, while putting lives at risk.
And they will cost tens of millions in signage costs alone.
In Auckland, for examples, his demands that render zero proven benefit apart from ideology, will take $25mn to implement.
But that’s not all.
Brown’s claims about higher speed limits and their correlation to economic efficiency is not based on any evidence at all.
And Brown knew that the whole time - wholly debunking his“integrity” speech.
Simon Wilson (NZ Herald) in November 2024:
(It’s been revealed) no evidence has been released by Cabinet that the Government has any analysis at all of the overall economic consequences of higher speed limits.
Connor O’ Sharp (Greater Auckland) in November 2024:
There will be no ‘economic growth and productivity’ as claimed – only needless, senseless, and preventable harm….
Fox Meyer (Newsroom) in September 2024:
Truckies say higher speed limits won’t boost freight efficiency..
Former Chief Science Advisor to the Ministry of Transport and transport researcher, Simon Kingham said in September 2024:
"We will see more people die on the roads; we will see increases in pollution and greenhouse gas emissions; we will see it becoming less attractive for children to walk to school; we will see it less attractive for people to talk to their neighbours on the street - there's a whole bunch of metrics for which this is going to lead to really bad outcomes."
"The minister hasn't shown any interest in the evidence or the science. He just seems to be blindly following some sort of ideological approach.
When Auckland Transport won the global road safety award in December 2024 for saving lives lives, Simeon Brown trashed their accomplishment as “woke”.
No-one asked Brown if he thought that 30% reduction in deaths and serious injuries from lower speed limits is woke to him - because that’s what the award really means, Mr Brown.
Auckland Council, led by a very non ”woke” Wayne Brown, also pushed back.
In July, the Council voted to oppose reversing the reductions and the variable limits outside schools:
"As the council we've been pretty aware of the high rate of road deaths and serious injuries that occur in New Zealand and Auckland as much as anywhere, so our record over the years isn't too stellar.
"The council was definitely coming down quite clearly today on the side of real safety, drivers and particularly vulnerable groups like around schools."
None of that mattered to Simeon.
Not one bit.
As summarised by the traditionally bipartisan GA, Simeon Brown delivered one of the “most ideological, unbalanced and petty transport policy the country has seen.”
And his leadership skills leave much to be desired too:
Simeon Brown Now Tasked With “Ruthless Execution” of Health
With Shane Reti admitting to health practitioners last year it wasn’t his “overt” policy to privatise health, Luxon had to send in a much better, and ruthless, marketing man.
Reti was demoted, his Health Ministry stripped, and Brown elevated in his place.
[Bishop, a “friendlier” ex tobacco lobbyist, took on Transport.]
Announcing the appointment, Luxon told Kiwis that Brown had delivered successfully for the government in other priorities and would now help with:
“ruthless focus on execution in healthcare”.
NZ Doctor’s Editor Barbara Fountain penned an editorial hinting at the real issue:
While Mr Luxon talked of his government’s record spending on health – an additional $17 billion, Budget 2024 saw the amount of day-to-day spend per person on health in the current year reduce by 3 per cent to $4686 per person: $143 per person less in real terms.
And
Alas, for Dr Reti, from day one, the message from the boss, aka finance minister Nicola Willis, was that no matter Dr Reti’s plans for the sector, there was no more money for health aside from fulfilling the election promise of cancer drugs and even that money was tainted – taken in advance from Budget 2025…..
It’s ironic, really, because Dr Reti did execute and deliver for the Government. His appointment of commissioner Lester Levy has seen a slash-and-burn culture unleashed at Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora and ensured that those in the publicly funded sector, aka primary care and community services, have either seen their contracts cancelled, cut or blithely ignored. And that’s set to continue.
Indeed days into his job, emergency doctors and GPs warned the new Health Minister the targets would not be achievable without more funding.
Except they forgot that one trick -
This National / ACT Government is gaming it.
Pause surveillance colonoscopies in multiple regions and stop others from joining
Ask pregnant women to travel 3 to 4 hours for high risk births instead of hiring and retaining doctors
Placing palliative care on the rocks as part of ongoing funding cuts
Freeze doctor and frontline hires without replacing lost staff
Slash IT investments and implement “fail early, fail often” for medical IT
Heck they may even set up contracts for lower costs in the short term - Nicola has run out of money after all and it’s a win-win for private healthcare to get firmly embedded into NZ.
The privatisation formula is as Noam Chomsky called it:
Defund, destabilise, call it a crisis, then claim privatisation is the only way
“Bloodbath”
It’s no surprise then that Simeon’s arrival has led to a near immediate “bloodbath” in Health NZ.
Margie Apa was first, saying in her resignation last week that “a different leadership approach is required”.
3 days later, the Director of Public Health, Dr Nicholas Jones was next. He will be returning to his old role in Hawkes Bay from February 28.
Today, Director-General Diana Sarfati, who has headed the Ministry since Dr Ashley Bloomfield resigned in 2022, announced her imminent departure
RNZ reports reactions:
A leading oncologist, Dr Chris Jackson, said he hoped Dr Sarfati would not be lost to the New Zealand health system.
"The health system is in a much better shape for her leadership and we all owe her a great deal of gratitude."
A former colleague, who worked with her closely, said to lose a leader of her stature and expertise was "gutting".
"It's so disappointing, and frankly it leaves the Government - and the health system - in a perilous position."
Te Aho o Te Kahu's chief executive Rami Rahal:
Dr Sarfati provided "strong, evidence-informed leadership and guidance to a health system emerging from substantial reforms".
Is it any wonder she left?
Amidst all of this, Simeon Brown was in Wellington - talking up a new, fancy, private hospital as apparent evidence that "partnering with private sector" is key to our health, and leveraging their “capacity” is important for public outcomes.
These are the same types of lines that David Seymour used about school lunches, by the way.
All preppy, corporate, and positive sounding which goes against facts and proven evidence.
Pull the other one.
Just like the Kāinga Ora narratives paraded by this government with its predictable progression to cut state housing and de-mobilize Kāinga Ora , the ideology of this government was to privatise our healthcare from Day 1.
This is why:
They ignored funding requests and underfunded Health in the May 2024 budget
It’s why Luxon and Reti lied about the $1.4b deficit
Why they installed a “run healthcare as a business” private healthcare Director Lester Levy, as a Health NZ Czar
Reti and Lester Levy tried to “cook the books” and,
It’s why Luxon and Reti toured Ormiston Private Hospital last year saying - in pretty clear terms - they were going to privatise our healthcare.
And completely unreported for some bizarre reason - bar in one media masthead -was the news last month this government cancelled AT COST surgeries to move them to MORE EXPENSIVE private hospitals.
Yes they are choosing higher cost procedures for Kiwis.
How is this all even possible?
The more this government shifts capacity, skills, investment, and money, to the private system, the more our public system will diminish and shrivel.
It’s an intentional destabilisation of the system that protects us all.
More than that, this government’s changes will influence the NZ health culture to one predicated on money first, and not service or a duty of care towards our vulnerable, sick and elderlt.
It’s honestly astonishing how uncaring a government can be - against all evidence - towards caring for the lives of its citizens and residents.
Against the well being of the elderly and the sick.
We all fall sick sometimes.
In my personal opinion, Simeon Brown is a dangerous ideologist who has given no indication he cares for evidence, research or feedback.
He was prepared to win the populist vote even if it meant children may die as Transport Minister. He was warned of that many times over.
Including from the very non-woke Auckland Council.
Nothing touched him.
Not even empathy.
And I think we all know he won’t budge now either now he has Health.
“Ruthless execution”, it is.
It’s the government too many Kiwis voted for.
Cartoon:
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