There's no small irony yesterday in watching Sam Neill's lovely interview on the ABC about his diagnosis and ongoing battle with blood cancer.

His family featured some of his background and his arrival from Ireland. I didn’t know he was called Nigel, but hated being called Nigel so changed it to Sam.

It looked at his life in Australia and his passion project in Central Otago with that pinot noir that’s turned out to be such a success story.

The prognosis isn't that flash. The experimental medicine he is on will not work forever.

Which then led me to the article on Sue Wall-Cade.

She is an advocate of funding life-prolonging cancer medication, the very sort Sam Neill is on. She is a survivor, or what she calls a METAvivor. She, like so many of us, is furious at Pharmac over the Sarah Fitt scandal.

She wants Fitt gone and the board not far behind her.

This is over the emails that have exposed Fitt's attitude to journalists and her general contempt for pretty much anyone who would dare ask a few questions and want a few answers.

Wall-Cade says the emails are sickening and derogatory, and she is right. And possibly a little contained in the description.

Part of the trouble with the story, to this point, is the election got in the way.

Last time we talked about it with Chris Hipkins all he would say was the Health Minister had had a word with the chairman, who is Steve Maharey, a former Labour minister who would do... well... who knows what.

He's done nothing so far as far as I can tell.

What strikes me as alarming is the lack of apology from Fitt herself. I am happy to be corrected, but I have not heard from the woman post the revelation through the Official Information Act.

Where is she?

Does she want to apologise? Does she not want to apologise? Why hasn’t the minister told her to front? Why hasn’t the chair fronted? Why hasn’t the chair told Fitt to front?

To a degree, this is the level of contempt that not just Fitt, but clearly chunks of the public service, and indeed the Government, hold the public in.

It's sniggering, condescending chat that we aren't supposed to know about, if it wasn’t for the sheer stupidity of Fitt having put it all in writing.

So lets start with the apologies, shall we? It needs to be genuine and fulsome and then follow it up with at least one, if not, two resignations.

Or is this to be a final mark of this Government to deal with nothing and hope it goes away?

There's no small irony yesterday in watching Sam Neill's lovely interview on the ABC about his diagnosis and ongoing battle with blood cancer.
His family featured some of his background and his arrival from Ireland. I didn’t know he was called Nigel, but hated being called Nigel so changed it to Sam.
It looked at his life in Australia and his passion project in Central Otago with that pinot noir that’s turned out to be such a success story.
The prognosis isn't that flash. The experimental medicine he is on will not work forever.
Which then led me to the article on Sue Wall-Cade.
She is an advocate of funding life-prolonging cancer medication, the very sort Sam Neill is on. She is a survivor, or what she calls a METAvivor. She, like so many of us, is furious at Pharmac over the Sarah Fitt scandal.
She wants Fitt gone and the board not far behind her.
This is over the emails that have exposed Fitt's attitude to journalists and her general contempt for pretty much anyone who would dare ask a few questions and want a few answers.
Wall-Cade says the emails are sickening and derogatory, and she is right. And possibly a little contained in the description.
Part of the trouble with the story, to this point, is the election got in the way.
Last time we talked about it with Chris Hipkins all he would say was the Health Minister had had a word with the chairman, who is Steve Maharey, a former Labour minister who would do... well... who knows what.
He's done nothing so far as far as I can tell.
What strikes me as alarming is the lack of apology from Fitt herself. I am happy to be corrected, but I have not heard from the woman post the revelation through the Official Information Act.
Where is she?
Does she want to apologise? Does she not want to apologise? Why hasn’t the minister told her to front? Why hasn’t the chair fronted? Why hasn’t the chair told Fitt to front?
To a degree, this is the level of contempt that not just Fitt, but clearly chunks of the public service, and indeed the Government, hold the public in.
It's sniggering, condescending chat that we aren't supposed to know about, if it wasn’t for the sheer stupidity of Fitt having put it all in writing.
So lets start with the apologies, shall we? It needs to be genuine and fulsome and then follow it up with at least one, if not, two resignations.
Or is this to be a final mark of this Government to deal with nothing and hope it goes away?

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Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show. Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda. The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion, delivers the best talent, and always leaves you wanting more. The Mike Hosking Breakfast always cuts through and delivers the best daily on Newstalk ZB.

Open your mind to the world with New Zealand’s number one breakfast radio show.Without question, as New Zealand’s number one talk host, Mike Hosking sets the day’s agenda.The sharpest voice and mind in the business, Mike drives strong opinion,...