Podcast appearances and mentions of ashley bloomfield

He was the Director-General of Health leading the country through the hardest health challenges New Zealand has faced in modern history. Today, he's a Professor at the University of Auckland's School of Population Health. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Here was a headline to mark the day: "We aren't ready, the next pandemic is coming." In that line of paranoia is everything that was wrong with the five year anniversary, if that's the right word, of our first lockdown for Covid. As two commissions have, or continue, to wade through any number of submissions, it's all a waste of time. There are those who are determined to forecast doom and, as such, would do exactly the same next time as they did five years ago. I noted Ashley Bloomfield popped up for a chat. He told us the bird flu is a worry, and he should have listened more. What's that actually mean? Listen more? Does it lead to anything? Of course not. It's a sop. The epidemiologists who flooded our living rooms would unquestionably be no different in Covid 2.0 than they were with the original. In fact, if anything should have come out of 2020 and lockdown it should have been we don't mark anniversaries. We shouldn't be allowed to interview either Hipkins, Bloomfield, or Ardern about Covid ever again. Hearing them whine is bad for your health. It is triggering. One Covid report is already out. It was a reflection, ironically, of the Covid response itself, limited in its scope. It was a stitch up designed to look like a report. You've had a bit of a look at how we handled it. But the terms of reference were very much designed not to illicit anything too dramatic. Part two is being driven by the new Government, aghast at part one's scandalous limitations. They're working away feverishly as we speak. But it doesn't matter what it says. Nothing will come of it. As I've said from day one, luck is your pre-determining factor. Get a government of competence and you stand a chance. Get some interlopers the way we did, and you're done for. If I learned anything, it is that warnings about doom from the likes of Bloomfield mean little, or nothing. If any Government here ever tries half the stuff they did again, from the pulpit of truth to vaccine mandates, to lockdowns for spurious reasons, the reaction would be vastly different. And you don't need a commission of inquiry to figure that out. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People are calling or Chris Hipkins to retract his comments re: Tamatha Paul after she pointed out that a higher Police presents in our communities is making some people, particularly Māori, feel less safe.Ashley Bloomfield has a chat to Patty Gower to discuss his time as Director-General of Health during C-19 and the need for govt to set long-term plans for the public health sector.Chris Bishop has opened the door for community housing providers to build more housing, and the ability to borrow from the government to help with funding these builds - is there a catch? Or a genuine win for the Bish.=================================Come support the work we're doing by becoming a Patron of ⁠⁠#BHN⁠⁠ www.patreon.com/BigHairyNews⁠=================================Merch available at www.BHNShop.nz Like us on Facebookwww.facebook.com/BigHairyNews Follow us on Twitter.@patbrittenden @Chewie_NZFollow us on BlueskyPat @patbrittenden.bsky.socialChewie @chewienz.bsky.socialEmily @iamprettyawesome.bsky.socialMagenta @xkaosmagex.bsky.social

I'm neither happy or unhappy that Adrian Orr is no longer Reserve Bank Governor, but I do have a piece of advice for whoever ends up taking over from him. Just be the complete opposite. Because I reckon he fell into a trap that ended up with him getting too big for his boots. Which, maybe, is very hard to avoid when you're in a job like his, but the next person needs to make sure they stay in their lane and keeps themselves in check. When you're the Reserve Bank Governor, your job is to work on creating a rock star economy - you're not the rock star yourself. No one can argue that his tenure coincided with a time when what you would consider to be the most grey and dull jobs in the world, took on a whole new meaning. Ashley Bloomfield, for example. Because of COVID, everyone knew who he was. And Adrian Orr. Because of COVID, he was elevated to a level no other reserve bank governor got to in terms of profile and recognition. If you ask me to name another Reserve Bank Governor, the only name that comes to my head straight away is Don Brash. That's because of his political career that he got into after he left the bank. And if I think a little bit more, there's Alan Bollard. But that's it. But everyone pretty much knows who Adrian Orr is and I think it went to his head. I think he loved the limelight, and, in the process, he got a bit too cocky. I think he lost sight of what his job was actually all about. Nevertheless, I don't think he personally is to blame for everything when it comes to us feeling more hard up than ever. And, if he hadn't fallen into the trap of letting the job go to his head, he might not be copping as much criticism as he has and is. I'm with economist Tony Alexander who is saying today that business people and homeowners who blame Orr for their cashflow problems are both right and wrong. He's saying that they're right in that he oversaw the continuation of excessively loose spending during 2021 and into 2022, which over-stimulated the economy and pushed inflation up to 7.3%. He also was boss of the Reserve Bank when the official cash rate reached 5.5%. And then got it down to 2.2% by what Tony Alexander describes as Orr “crunching the economy”. But he also says, let's not forget Labour's Grant Robertson's role in all of this. He was the guy who kept fiscal policy loose. My understanding is that staff at the Reserve Bank had no idea this was coming until after it was announced to the media. Which is a shocker. And, apparently, staff at the bank have no idea what's behind it. I'm picking that he's thrown his toys out of the cot because the Government wants to cut the budgets at the Reserve Bank. And a lot of that will have to do with what the Government probably sees as the former Governor's obsession with things outside what it considers core business for the central bank. But, from the very limited things that have been said since the announcement yesterday afternoon, it's obvious that he's quit. Because when the chair of the bank Neil Quigley said it was “a personal decision” by Adrian Orr, that says he's quit. It doesn't say he's leaving for personal reasons, it says he's walking away. He's going to be on the payroll until the end of the month, but he's not Governor of the bank anymore. An acting Governor took over at midday yesterday. The other thing too about all this secrecy, is that I don't think it's acceptable when you've got a senior public servant who earns more than $800,000 a year quitting like this. On the basis of what we kind-of know, I think we deserve more of an explanation. If the guy's thrown a hissy fit - tell us. Because, for someone who seemed to love the limelight as much as he did, disappearing the way he has is not only very strange, it's also somewhat disrespectful. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The man whose name became a byword for medical leadership during the pandemic, former Ministry of Health director-general Sir Ashley Bloomfield spoke to Alexa Cook.

Fluoride is a funny thing. I like it. Not too much, but just enough to help out in the water. Not everyone shares the view, but science is on the right side. Before he left his job Ashley Bloomfield (remember him?) issued an edict to a number of councils to fluoridate the local water. He had the power to compel them to do it. Most have, some have had a bit of an angst about it. Tauranga wasn't thrilled, but the problem was if you didn't, you could be fined a couple of hundred grand and then $10,000 a day for each day after that if you don't follow the rules. On Friday Whangarei voted not to. Their argument was several fold. It was a tight vote of 7-6. The public gallery was full, and I can bet who it was full of. The mayor says fluoride won't help the local area's dental hygiene, which is of course complete nonsense and probably why we have people specialising in the health area as opposed to councillors who generally specialise in nothing. They also argued the area doesn't want it. A decent question to ask is - does that matter? Are there areas and issues where the locals actually don't get a say, kind of like how we don't get to set our own speed limits or whether we pay our taxes? Or do you argue at local level democracy is everything? Mind you, even if you did argue that, they didn't poll everyone so who knows what the locals think in totality. The interesting thing for me is, is this an issue you really want to die on a hill over? If you're a council in the northern part of this country, are you honestly telling me this is as pressing as it gets? Forget the dilapidated state of the place, the fact it gets cut off from the country too often, or the grinding poverty and health issues. How long do you want that list to be? No, we will defy Wellington and get fined over fluoride. Too many councils nationally of late are not giving local representation a good name and this lot aren't helping. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government has released Phase One of the Covid inquiry - all 700 pages of it. Here are some key points: There was an issue with focusing on people's health rather than all aspects of their lives. Vaccine requirements were too broad and were in place for too long. Ardern's "single source of truth" comment was found unhelpful. Former Director-General of Health Sir Ashley Bloomfield joins with his thoughts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This Covid phase one report – the verdict is in, and it's pretty much ‘guilty your honour'. Fine to begin with, and then they as the single podium of truth basically went too far, for too long. Tell us something we don't know. Trust in our institutions as shot, media took a hammering —and rightly so in some cases— Labour supporters and hysterical scientists and other groups went full militant. I never spoke about the messages I got from some of them during my interviews, challenging old Jacinda Ardern during that period, especially those outside of Auckland during the lockdown to end all lockdowns. They were threats of beatings on my social media, loads of homophobia, I was killing people with my questions, there was hate, there was vitriol. Now I'm not complaining about this, this is part of my job. But it just shows how wacko everyone got. Which is not to say the anti-mandate lot were angels either, but what we, the public were fed was a meal from only one of the two menus. Then there was the MIQ cruelty – you will never get another opportunity to kiss a loved one goodbye. Never. I watched Hipkins in his media stand up yesterday with the usual half mere culpa lines. We can learn lessons from this in the future and the benefit of hindsight is a great thing. What's the problem with that? Well, there were plenty of people with plenty of advice at the time. He could have listened to but chose not to. Instead, they labelled the protest as a river of filth, we wrote off entire sectors of scientific community in the name of social cohesion. Like a pack of rabid dogs attacking a limp lamb – that's what we were, we turned into that. Had they listened to Auckland, to the Plan Bers, some economists and experts and other fields, to Lady Deborah Chambers who bravely put her head above the parapet on behalf of the legal fraternity, Simon Bridges basically lost his job over a Facebook post, pointing out many of the problems that turned out to be quite accurate. But now it was all Siouxsie Wiles and Co. crying because we didn't go further and go harder. And where are we now? Kids not going to school, productivity jabbed in the face, crime out of control. Mental health and anxiety, particularly for kids, also taking a hit to the face. The wait list for critical medical treatments delayed, construction stopped, projects delayed despite the Aussies being faster and looser on both counts. It was the biggest overreach of power, both in real terms and in some cases, legally, this country has potentially ever seen. And only now do they say we might reconsider forcing a barista to get a jab that they don't want. Don't get me wrong, I got the jab twice, but that was my choice to a large extent. And is this all Labour's fault? No. The bigger culprits, in my mind: media hype, social media pylons, and unwavering support for the party pushing that lockdown agenda. The problem was tunnel vision. It was arrogance, ignorance or both, and now we're all paying a very hefty price tag for it. There was just one thing missing from yesterday. Any response from the four horsemen of the Apocalypse: Grant Robertson, Jacinda Ardern, Ashley Bloomfield, and Adrian Orr. Where were they? Grant's on $800,000 at Otago University, Orr's doing victory laps for cutting rates he hiked too high and then flooding the country with cash. And Adern, remember, she said her single biggest driver in politics was to fix child poverty, now living in New York while the cost of living crisis she helped engineer, then deny was existing, hammers some of our poorest, and to use a word they made famous during the Covid catastrophe, our most vulnerable. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A homegrown programme aims to help children become more resilient. Sir Ashley Bloomfield has launched a new mindfulness practice in schools through Pause, Breathe, Smile. It comes as Southern Cross's latest Healthy Futures survey shows 60 percent of parents are concerned about their children's ability to cope with the pressures of life. He says it's shown to drive more positive behaviours, help children regulate emotions and pay attention. "You don't just want something that's going to work while the children are in class - but actually, it does endure and it carries over into other aspects of their lives." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In an exclusive interview, perhaps the most famous health figure in Aotearoa takes aim at talk of a failing system and bloated bureaucracy - but doesn't dispute that both staff and patients are at risk. He talks hospitals without doctors, how the reforms have been handled, funding, patient equity - and has strong words about the tobacco industry and its newly-gained tax breaks.

Key figures in our Covid-19 response could have to give evidence publicly for phase two of the Government inquiry. Its focus is vaccine efficacy and safety, Auckland and Northland's extended lockdowns and the disruption to health, education, and business. Phase One examined the lessons learned from the pandemic. Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden says it's possible Dame Jacinda Ardern and Sir Ashley Bloomfield could be among those needing to appear. "It could be a range of different people. Like I say, I can't give a guarantee on what that will look like, because that's up to the Commission at the end of the day." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tomorrow marks the 46th year of Round the Bays Wellington, an iconic community event bringing together people of all ages and backgrounds to celebrate physical activity.  Over 10,000 people are expected to take part in one of three distances, Sir Ashley Bloomfield among them.  He's taking part as a Pause Breathe Smile ambassador, which is a free mental health program for primary and intermediate schools.  Bloomfield is doing the 5.5km event, telling Newstalk ZB's Jack Tame that he's been taking it easy with his training this week, to ensure that he'll be able to finish the run.  He said he's been running in some capacity for his entire life, having run a few marathons and as well as having a group of friends he goes on Saturday morning runs with whenever possible.  “That fellowship kind of aspect of it, spending time with friends and in terms of both physical and mental wellbeing, to me you couldn't tick many more boxes than that.”  One of the reason's Bloomfield enjoys running is its accessibility.  “All you really need is a pair of shoes.”   Regular exercise is also known to be a benefit for those in high stakes environments and high stress jobs, both of which Bloomfield was facing in the last few years.  “Being able to kind of decompress, as well as get out and keep active and fit was a lifesaver for me.”  “Literally a lifesaver.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"One of the conclusions I've drawn from COVID...in a sense, was that our communications approach was our most important public health intervention" - Sir Ashley Bloomfield, Former Director General Of Health, New Zealand.In this episode, Sir Ashley Bloomfield reflects on his humble upbringing and how he approached being a generalist and took on new opportunities. He goes on to explore early experiences as a doctor, and how he picked up on leadership behaviors from others. Sir Ashley Bloomfield goes on to describe what it's like to be at the nexus of public health, public service and politics. He elaborates on the importance of the public service in being a trusted institution and how this was vital to New Zealand's COVID-19 response. Sir Ashley's enlightening insights provide a roadmap for governments around the world to navigate public health crises.In the final segment of our discussion, we zoom in on Sir Ashley's perspective on leadership and communication during a pandemic. He underscores the power of learning from global contexts and how transparency and effective communication build public trust. His emphasis on continuous learning and growth is a testament to his own journey and the lessons he has gleaned from it. This enriching and enlightening conversation with Sir Ashley Bloomfield isn't just a podcast episode—it's a masterclass in leadership in the face of unprecedented challenges.Follow Sir Ashley Bloomfield* Twitter/X* LinkedInAbout our guest:Sir Ashley Bloomfield trained in medicine at the University of Auckland and specialised in public health medicine. He has 25 years of experience in public policy and health leadership, including at the World Health Organization in Geneva. He was Director-General of Health from June 2018 to July 2022 and led the country's health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was appointed a Knights Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (KNZM) in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to public health and is now a Professor at the University of Auckland's School of Population Health.Additional resources mentioned in the podcast* Developing Future Public Service Leaders for Aotearoa New Zealand* New Zealand's COVID-19 response saved 20,000 lives - researchContact Information: If you have any feedback, questions or if you'd like to get in touch, reach out at jono@clinicalchangemakers.comIntro and Out Music Attribution: Music by AudioCoffee from Pixabay This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.clinicalchangemakers.com

The use of so-called well-known people in scams, I would argue, is now so common that a couple of things should be happening.  The first question: is there anyone left who is moderately well known that hasn't been used in some sort of scam?  Given virtually everyone you have ever heard of has been used in a scam, surely the penny is dropping that, well, it's a scam.  Yesterday it was Wendy Petrie. I didn't bother to look at what it was she was allegedly pedalling, the same way we don't respond to all the people who still believe I am into cryptocurrency.  There was a scam over the holidays that had a photo of me injured. I don't know what it was they were selling or what they wanted you to do.  There was even a new gossip website out of Ghana that had me as a lead story.  Surely the bit where they say they are a new gossip website out of Ghana is about all the heads up you need to know you are being played.  I asked a media executive the other day, at what point does the media stop covering these endless scams, given at some point they must be so voluminous you can't possibly cover them all?  I asked that question the day the Ashley Bloomfield scam was in the news. Ashley was pedalling some blood pills.  I asked the media executive at what point do we start taking responsibility for our own actions? What moron believes Ashley Bloomfield is in the business of dodgy pills?  At which point, I was told the problem was that a major media outlet had in fact fallen for it and run it as a bona fide story.  So, maybe my faith in common sense has a way to go.  But I apply the same approach to AI. Nothing in terms of imaging and voice I have seen from AI yet has come close to being what you would suggest is so real as to sucker me in.  Somewhere in here there has to be room for common sense, for a bit of logic.  Have we collectively lost the ability to step back and ask a few basic questions, like, is this real? What are the odds of this being real? How legit does this look or sound?  Is Mike really the crypto king? Is Ashley likely to be the blood pill peddler of the Western world? Or maybe this is a form of Darwinism?  Maybe those who are that gullible deserve it? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Generate KiwiSaver scheme Summer Series. Volume 1!Coming up on this episode, excerpts from a heap of different guests who appeared on the podcast in the first 4 months of 2023 (the hope is that if some of the snippets ahead of you pique your interest, you'll make a note and go back to listen to the full episode sometime).2.07: Dame Lisa Carrington7.30: David Seymour15.10: Simone Anderson18.20: Ryan Fox22.30: Max key27.10: Dean Lonergan35.10: Dai Henwood44.00: Guyon Espiner48.40: Adam Parore1.01.00: Rachel Hunter1.08.00: Zane Robertson1.11.00: Sir Ashley Bloomfield1.18.00: Rich Farrell1.24.00: Mitch James1.27.40: Mike Rudling1.32.40: Suzy Cato1.42.10: Billy Evans1.44.30: Campbell JohnstoneThanks to the sponsors of this series, the Generate Kiwisaver Scheme.Generate is an award winning KiwiSaver provider, with at rack record of chart topping long term performance.If you want to make sure you're making the most of your KiwiSaver account, talk to an adviser now. Head to:www.generatekiwisaver.co.nz/getadvice/(A copy of their product disclosure statement can be found there too. The issuer of the scheme is Generate Investment Management Limited and, of course, past performance does not guarantee future returns). Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sir Ashley Bloomfield was the Director-General of Health in New Zealand from 2018-2022 and became one of the country's most recognisable faces during the Covid-19 pandemic.  In this episode, we talk about the anxiety of facing the media and nation every day at 1 pm and the effect it had on his personal life, the power of ‘I don't know', his weekly interviews with Mike Hosking and Kim Hill, dealing with fame, lessons in leadership and much, much more.  Ashley is brilliant company and an exceptionally articulate communicator – with so many valuable lessons to share. This was a really cool opportunity to probe away at the *other side* of such a high-profile public figure – and he didn't disappoint.  Listen on iheart or wherever you get your podcasts from, or watch the video on Youtube.   If you'd like to hire one of our guests to speak at your function or event, flick us a message by going to B2Bspeakers.co.nz.  This episode was brought to you from the Export Beer garden studio. Enjoy.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this compelling episode, I sit down for an intimate conversation with none other than the now 'Sir' Ashley Bloomfield, the man who spearheaded New Zealand's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We explore the highs, low's, regrets and triumphs that came with being at the coalface during one of the most challenging and dividing periods in New Zealand's history. Ashley is able to offer a unique perspective on the intricacies of leadership during a crisis and the influence it has on public trust and response. Through it all, Ashley's optimism and his focus on kindness and fairness shone through, and to me he remains a genuinely nice guy who loves his country and wants to do everything he can to make it the best it can be. Chapters: 3:47 - Slam Dunc 6:33 - Sir Ashley Bloomfield 49:06 - Letters To The EditorSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There has been so much money wasted by the Government in the last six years that it really takes something quite profligate to warrant a mention nowadays. And man alive does the money wasted on those expiring Covid RAT kits warrant a mention. That wastage is out the gate and completely unnecessary. Last week we thought it was just $160m worth of kits due to expire without being used, today we find out it's actually $530m worth. $530m is almost enough Government money to set up two Medical schools at Waikato University. It's half of Pharmac's annual budget... that's six months of life saving drugs.  It would pay for all the beds, operating theatres, and imaging services being cut from Dunedin's new hospital to save money… six times over. And it didn't need to be spent. That is the frustrating thing. Private businesses were prepared to spend this money instead the Government spending it. Remember that?  Remember in January last year when private businesses were ordering RAT kits for their staff at the height of the Covid outbreak, and then in swooped Ashley Bloomfield and Jacinda Ardern and basically confiscated those RAT kits that were on order by telling the suppliers to give the RATs to the Government and not to private businesses.   And for what?  For them now to sit in storage and go to waste. There is no way that we are going to use those 40 million remaining RAT kits by April; there are only 5 million of us. Each of us would have to use 8 boxes of RATs each... and remember there were three to five tests in each of those boxes.   So we have to use 8 boxes each by April next year, and I haven't even used one box this year. It's not going to happen.  That is money wasted. I can't understand why the Government did it, why they swooped and bought all the RATs —way more than we needed— when other people were prepared to spend their money instead. The only explanation you can come to is mad control freakery from Jacinda and Ashley. Just look around you. Look at all the things your town or region needs right now, because the Government can't afford it. And to think it can't afford it because half a billion dollars is sitting in warehouses going off.   Of all the wasted money in the last six years this has got to be the worst. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sir Ashley Bloomfield says his parents were at the front of his mind while he was being knighted today. The former director general of health received the honour in Wellington this morning in recognition of his service during the Covid-19 pandemic. Ashleigh McCaull and cameraman Sam Rillstone have the story.

A mindfulness programme for school children around the country has just attracted a high profile ambassador in the form of Sir Ashley Bloomfield. Pause Breathe Smile is a programme developed by Grant Rix, in collaboration with the Mental Health Foundation.It is funded by Southern Cross and available free to all kura, primary and intermediate schools - so far reaching 114,000 students. The former Director General of Health, Ashley Bloomfield, has joined the programme as an ambassador, and will travel the country speaking to school children about the benefits for all ages of breathing techniques and mindfulness. He speaks with Kathryn, along with programme founder Grant Rix.

Sir Ashley Bloomfield was the director general of health when Covid-19 came to New Zealand early in 2020.He became one of the most recognizable faces and names in New Zealand for his daily 1pm briefings with the PM which because essential viewing.We sat down for this podcast conversation on the 3rd anniversary of New Zealand's initial Covid lockdown. He turned up to my place on a bike (not one with a battery either, full old school bike) wearing a correctly fixed helmet, of course.We chat about his marathon running experiences and why he is taking a break from mountain biking for a while.His early life growing up and meeting his wife Libby at medical school.The anxiety of facing the media at 1pm every day and the terror of doing radio interviews with Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB.His relationship with Jacinda Ardern during the pandemic and their relationship nowThe viral "spread your legs" moment. His Knighthood and much more.We had limited time so there was a lot of stuff I would have liked to cover that we didn't get round to. But I can't thank Dr Bloomfield enough for being so generous with his time, experience and stories. I loved his company and our chat- he came in with really good energy. I genuinely hope you guys like it too.Thanks to my friends at Radix Nutrition for sponsoring this episode. If you haven't tried their stuff, you should give them a go:https://radixnutrition.co.nz Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sir Ashley Bloomfield was the director general of health when Covid-19 came to New Zealand early in 2020.He became one of the most recognizable faces and names in NZ for his daily 1pm briefings with the PM which because essential viewing.We sat down for this podcast conversation on the 3rd anniversary of New Zealand's initial Covid-19 lockdown. In this short teaser from next weeks episode, he reflects on the viral "spread your legs" moment from (now Prime Minister) Chris Hipkins as he stood on stage next to him.Thanks to my friends at Radix Nutrition for sponsoring this episode. They pride themselves on being the best in the world. Their products, made in the Waikato and shipped anywhere. If you haven't tried their stuff, you should give them a go:https://radixnutrition.co.nz Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

THE BEST BITS IN A SILLIER PACKAGE (from Wednesday's Mike Hosking Breakfast) Paying Teachers More Hasn't Worked/Petrol and Pies/Ashley Bloomfield; Podcaster/Will the Real Mike Hosking Please Stand Up?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the wake of the Rob Campbell saga, Sir Ashley Bloomfield talks to The Detail about why political neutrality in the public service is so important. 

Introducing The Detail: In the wake of the Rob Campbell saga, Sir Ashley Bloomfield talks exclusively to The Detail about why political neutrality in the public service is so important. Try NZ's top daily news podcast.

Part of the answer to the Rob Campbell scrap is to employ people in the public service differently. David Seymour says those in the public service are sympathetic to the Government, Ashley Bloomfield says they aren't. Rob Campbell wants to say whatever he likes as a private person, but still allegedly be neutral when he's a public person. Maybe part of the problem with the public service is you have to be some sort of robot to simply carry out instruction. I find it hard to believe you can work for a Government if you genuinely believe what you are being asked to do seems wrong to you. How many people want to spend all day feeling like they are wasting their time because some minister told them to implement an idea that is either going nowhere or not going to work? Rob Campbell's appointment was clearly based on his passion for the co-governance type structure of the new health system. He likes it and he wants to see it widespread. So, surely you appoint an advocate of an idea, as opposed to merely a public servant? In Campbell's case, he came with form. He's an old unionist, he is of the left, he has a record - but that didn't stop a bunch of companies sticking him on a board - so he clearly has talents elsewhere where political leanings mean little, if anything. It's fairly clear Adrian Orr would not be appointed by National, but is he considered a leftie? We never thought about that when he ran the Super Fund. But he is inextricably linked to Grant Robertson and a general view that an astonishing amount of printing was required to fund Covid and, as it turns out, land us in the economic crapper. Bloomfield you couldn't pick as left or right, even though a lot of people, including myself, saw him as far too close to Labour and their Covid agenda. And that's ultimately the point, isn't it? We will see what we want to see and within all of us is an agenda of sorts. Surely the large swathes of the media in these past five years are living proof that you can pretend to be neutral until the excitement over a late arrival from Mt Albert sees you swooning just a little bit embarrassingly. So, instead of a job for life, what about the best person for the job for a public service appointment? And as the job changes, as it always does with Governments, the same way it does as one chief executive leaves and a new one arrives, you appoint the people most aligned with the thinking, and therefore the greater desire to get it done. 'Yes Minister' and 'Yes Prime Minister' had the reality of the public service worked out - and that was 40 years ago. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Ashley Bloomfield is a public health physician and leader, having been the chief advisor of public health in Ministry of Health New Zealand, before moving to become the Director of Services of Population Health across the Wellington District Health Boards, then Chief Executive at Hutt Valley DHB. He is best known as our immediate former Director-General of Health, famed for his COVID response and compassion in his communication.In this episode, we discuss his journey into public health and the various leadership roles he has held before his position as Director General. We discuss his gap year, his time locuming in the UK, before finally returning to NZ for training. He unpacks his lessons leading before and during the pandemic, challenges of being Director General, and what work-life balance and resilience means to him. Support the showAs always, if you have any feedback or queries, or if you would like to get in touch with the speaker, feel free to get in touch at doctornos@pm.me. Audio credit:Bliss by Luke Bergs https://soundcloud.com/bergscloudCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/33DJFs9Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/e9aXhBQDT9Y

The former director-general of health has a new job title. Ashley Bloomfield stepped down earlier this year after a gruelling few years leading the country through the start of the pandemic, and will join the University of Auckland as a professor in January. He'll work in the School of Population Health, chairing a new Public Policy Impact unit.  Bloomfield spoke to Corin Dann.  

It's the impossible inquiry isn't it? Do we want a Royal Commission into Covid? Of course we do. Are there aspects we found to be wanting, if not completely cocked up? Of course there were. But are they going to look at them in the sort of detail we want or need? Is the Government really going to learn anything? Remember it won't be 'this Government' and in that is the crux of all of this. Would a different Government have handled the same thing differently? Yes they would. How much of what we got out of this pandemic was specific to the Labour Government and its inability to deliver anything, far less a major health response? MIQ is widely seen as being needlessly cruel, the lockdowns, although not unique, were at the extreme end of the spectrum and the vaccine roll out was abysmal. Others would have done it differently. Can a commission ever come up with a blueprint that involves any form of specifics? How do they deal with the dishonesty? In my mind there is not a shadow of a doubt that we were, at times, misled and at other times straight up and down lied to. How does a commission tackle that, if they tackle it at all? The pulpit of truth, the political sermons that went on for 20 minutes before we got a shred of actual detail, are they in the commissions purview? Do we see the paperwork on the Pfizer deal and why it was so slow? Ashley Bloomfield is long gone but does the boss of health play a critical role? Yes they do. So how dependent are we on who that person just happens to be next time a pandemic arrives? In other words, how much of it is luck? How is it possible that the Reserve bank is not included in this? Covid and its fallout goes on, businesses are still falling over to this day, mental health is still an issue, access to health is still an issue and the job market is a mess because of all this. That surely is as much Covid as the case numbers and percentage of people that got jabbed. This looks to me like an exercise, if not in futility, certainly in disappointment. The thing I will remember about the Covid response here was the maniacal and dictatorial approach from a Government that revelled in the fear and power, mixed with their ineptitude. There is not a shadow of a doubt in my mind that we could have done a hell of a lot better, and I don't need a Royal Commission to tell me that. And if you are as bereft of talent as this Government is, no Royal Commission is going to be able to fix that.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After four years as Director General of Health, Dr Ashley Bloomfield is having a temporary break from work. He chats to Jesse Mulligan about some of the "cracking good" podcasts, books and songs he's been checking out.

Nice try but no potato for New Zealand couple's giant find A New Zealand couple who believed they had dug up the world's largest potato in the garden of their small farm near Hamilton have had their dreams turned to mash after Guinness World Records wrote to say that scientific testing had found it wasn't, in fact, a potato after all. 紐西蘭一對夫婦相信，他們在漢密頓附近自家小農場的菜園中，挖到世界上最大顆馬鈴薯，但金氏世界紀錄寫信告知他們，科學檢測發現這玩意兒完全不是馬鈴薯後，他們的幻想破滅了。 Colin Craig-Brown, who first hit the tuber of a gourd with a hoe last August when gardening with his wife Donna, said it sure looked and tasted like a potato. 去年8月，科林‧克雷格—布朗和太太多娜一起做園藝時，率先用鋤頭挖到葫蘆塊莖，並認為這看起來且嚐起來絕對就是馬鈴薯。 After months of submitting photos and paperwork, the couple got the bad news from Guinness in an email. 在提交照片和文件數月後，這對夫婦收到金氏世界紀錄用電子郵件寄送的壞消息。 "Dear Colin," the email begins, going on to say "sadly the specimen is not a potato and is in fact the tuber of a type of gourd. For this reason we do unfortunately have to disqualify the application." 信件以「親愛的科林」起頭後接下去說：「很遺憾，這個樣本不是馬鈴薯，實際上是某種葫蘆的塊莖。因此，很不幸的，我們必須撤銷這次的申請。」   Next Article   New Zealand announces measures to keep out omicron variant 紐西蘭宣布防範Omicron變種病毒株的措施 New Zealand will shorten the gap between second COVID-19 vaccine doses and boosters and push back the phased reopening of its borders in measures announced Tuesday to keep the omicron variant at bay. 紐西蘭週二宣布遏制Omicron變種病毒株的措施，將縮短接種新冠病毒疫苗第二劑以及加強劑的間隔時間，並延後逐步重新開放邊境的時間。 COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkin told reporters the government has agreed to a ``suite of precautionary measures'' in light of the threat posed by the omicron strain of the coronavirus. 新冠病毒疫情因應事務部長希普金向記者說，鑑於新冠病毒Omicron病毒株構成的威脅，政府已經同意「一套預防措施」。 The gap between a second vaccine dose and a booster will be shortened from six to four months, meaning 82 percent of vaccinated New Zealanders will be due for a booster by February. 第二劑和加強劑疫苗的施打間隔，將從6個月縮短為4個月，這表示82％已接種疫苗的紐西蘭人，將在2月前接種一劑加強針。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1531064 ; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1495418   Next Article   New Zealand announces measures to keep out omicron variant New Zealand will shorten the gap between second COVID-19 vaccine doses and boosters and push back the phased reopening of its borders in measures announced Tuesday to keep the omicron variant at bay. 紐西蘭週二宣布遏制Omicron變種病毒株的措施，將縮短接種新冠病毒疫苗第二劑以及加強劑的間隔時間，並延後逐步重新開放邊境的時間。 COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkin told reporters the government has agreed to a "suite of precautionary measures'' in light of the threat posed by the omicron strain of the coronavirus. 新冠病毒疫情因應事務部長希普金向記者說，鑑於新冠病毒Omicron病毒株構成的威脅，政府已經同意「一套預防措施」。 The gap between a second vaccine dose and a booster will be shortened from six to four months, meaning 82 percent of vaccinated New Zealanders will be due for a booster by February. 第二劑和加強劑疫苗的施打間隔，將從6個月縮短為4個月，這表示82％已接種疫苗的紐西蘭人，將在2月前接種一劑加強針。   Next Article   Middle Earth beckons in Air New Zealand safety video 中土在紐航飛安影片中召喚影迷 Fight a hobbit for an aisle seat? Get life jacket instructions from a beautiful female elf? Only on a plane to Middle Earth - or in an Air New Zealand safety video. 跟哈比人爭奪走道旁座位？由美麗的女精靈解說救生衣使用方式？這種事只會發生在飛往中土的飛機上，或者在紐西蘭航空的飛安宣導影片裡。 The company's latest in a series of variations on the usual dull pre-flight safety instructions has lifted a page from J.R.R. Tolkien's classic "The Hobbit" in the run-up to the world premiere of the film later this month, a bid to attract visitors to the nation where much of the film was shot. 紐航曾數度讓這種通常枯燥乏味的起飛前安全說明影片面目一新，而最新的一段影片則取自作家托爾金名著「哈比人歷險記」中的段落，並且趕在本月底由這部小說所改編的電影全球首映前推出，企圖吸引遊客前往電影拍攝地點紐西蘭觀光。 "An Unexpected Briefing," a play on the movie's title of "The Hobbit： An Unexpected Journey," features crew members explaining flight safety to passengers embarking on a pilgrimage to Middle Earth, Tolkien's land of treasure, dragons and magic rings. 這段影片名為「意外的簡報」，不但片名仿效電影「哈比人：意外旅程」，片中的機組人員更向準備前往中土，也就是托爾金作品裡充滿寶藏、惡龍和魔戒之地朝聖的乘客解釋飛安說明。 Director Sir Peter Jackson, who received Academy Awards for the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, makes a cameo appearance in the four-minute video, playing a passenger among the Orcs, pointy-eared elves and furry-footed hobbits that otherwise pack the seats. 曾因「魔戒」三部曲獲奧斯卡獎的導演傑克森也在這段四分鐘的影片中客串一角，坐在擠滿了半獸人、尖耳朵精靈和毛毛腳哈比人的機艙裡。 Die-hard Tolkien fans have flocked to the town of Matamata in the country's North Island, which earlier this year began tours to the set of Hobbiton, the town from which the story's hero, Bilbo Baggins, starts his journey. 托爾金的死忠書迷早已湧向紐國北島的馬塔馬塔市，當地於今年初開始推出哈比城場景的旅遊行程，哈比城則是故事主角巴金斯展開探險旅程的出發地。 Wellington, where Jackson and his Weta Workshop and studios are based, also has been cranking up the publicity machine before it rolls out the red carpet later this month. 傑克森及其威塔工作室所在地威靈頓同樣也在本月底電影正式上片前，全力發起宣傳活動。Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1495418; https://monyear.pixnet.net/blog/post/66206828   Next Article   Mittens the cat could become New Zealander of the Year Mittens, a famous feline from Wellington, is in the running to be voted New Zealander of the Year, going up against Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Director-General of Health Dr. Ashley Bloomfield. 來自威靈頓的知名母貓「米坦斯」，正在角逐紐西蘭年度人物票選，對上紐西蘭總理賈欣達．阿爾登與衛生部衛生事務首長艾希莉．布魯斐德博士。 The feline joins a host of nominees for the annual Kiwibank award, including figures from sectors such as politics, media, health, music and design. 這隻母貓獲得年度奇異鳥銀行獎的多項提名，該獎項包括政治界、媒體界、衛生界、音樂界與設計界的年度人物。 Other nominees for New Zealander of the Year include microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles and lawmaker Chloe Swarbrick. 其他紐西蘭年度人物的被提名人，還有微生物學家蘇西．威爾斯，與國會議員克羅伊．史瓦布里克。 The Wellington Museum has also dedicated a mini exhibition to Mittens and his adventures, named "Floofy and Famous." And in May the mayor of Wellington, Andy Foster, gave Mittens the key to the city, an honor previously granted to "The Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson. 威靈頓博物館也已經為米坦斯與牠的冒險辦了一場迷你展覽，名為「蓬鬆而知名」。5月時，威靈頓市市長安迪．佛斯特也給米坦斯這座城市的鑰匙，一項以前曾授予「魔戒」導演彼得．傑克森的榮譽。   Next Article   New Zealand votes to legalize euthanasia for terminally ill patients／紐西蘭表決通過絕症病患安樂死合法化 New Zealanders have voted in favor of legalizing euthanasia for people with a terminal illness － clearing the way for the controversial proposition to become law in 2021. 紐西蘭人已投票贊成絕症病患安樂死合法化——剷除讓此一具有爭議性的提案在2021年立法的障礙。 More than 65% of voters backed the proposed law, according to preliminary results of a referendum announced by the country's electoral commission Friday. 根據該國選舉委員會週五宣布的公投初步結果，超過65%的選民支持這項法律議案。 Lawmakers voted 69-51 to approve the End of Life Choice Act 2019 last year before sending the issue to a referendum. 該法案在（紐國）國會議員去年以69比51通過「2019終結生命選擇法」後，送交公投。 More than 2.4 million people took part in the poll, which was conducted alongside New Zealand's general election on October 17. 超過240萬人參加與10月17日紐西蘭大選一同舉行的投票。 Source article: https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1422581; https://features.ltn.com.tw/english/article/paper/1396855

'Kia ora koutou katoa' - a phrase Dr Ashley Bloomfield uttered more than 300 times as he fronted Covid media conferences through the last two and a half years. His image was turned into tea towels and tote bags, as he became something of a cult figure during the pandemic. Today's his last day in the job, leaving the role he says he has 'given his all' . Samuel Rillstone reports.  

The Director-General of Health has used his final media conference to announce he's directed fourteen councils to fluoridate their water. Dr Ashley Bloomfield says he is a long-time supporter of fluoridation as a safe, affordable and effective way to prevent tooth decay. Lauren Crimp reports.

Director General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield has been in charge at the Ministry of Health during the Covid-19 pandemic, and now he's leaving his post - one year early. At the same time, the country is embarking on a dramatic reshaping of its health system. At a media standup yesterday, Dr Andrew Old, Deputy Director-General of the new Public Health Agency, paid tribute to Dr Bloomfield. During his tenure Dr Bloomfield was something of a cultural phenomenon. He spoke to Susie Ferguson.

Taranaki's leading public health dentist says councillors 'gave in to quackery' when they voted to removed fluoride from the New Plymouth water supply in 2011. Departing health head Dr Ashley Bloomfield yesterday ordered 14 local councils to fluoridate their water - the first time he's used the power following a law change last year. Taranaki's clinical lead for dental Dr David Antunovic says the move couldn't have come soon enough. He spoke to Susie Ferguson.

After leading the country's Covid response for the last two years, Dr Ashley Bloomfield is stepping down from the role of Director General of Health.

Wastewater testing for Covid-19 has shown a spike in the last two weeks due to the BA.5 variant. Earlier this week Dr Ashley Bloomfield estimated that half of all positive Covid-19 cases were going unreported, making wastewater testing one of our most valuable metrics. Dr Brent Gilpin is from the Institute of Environmental Science and Research, which has developed a new public dashboard for testing data. He spoke to Susie Ferguson.

It's fight day babbbyyyy: Dr Ashley Bloomfield joins us  Tegan's pre-birthday birthday What's the best lie you told to get out of work? Funny Joke Thursday  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The country's two top doctors signed off on a suggestion to end MIQ in November last year. Dr Ashley Bloomfield and Dr Caroline McElnay agreed MIQ was no longer justified on public health grounds, for most returnees. But it took another three and a half months and seven rounds in the lottery until the system was wound up. Katie Todd reports.

Up to 40,000 people could have skipped MIQ from November last year if the Government had followed top health advice. A Ministry of Health document shows Dr Caroline McElnay and Dr Ashley Bloomfield agreed MIQ was no longer justified. Now those who paid for quarantine want to be compensated - and an apology for what they say is the needless stress they suffered because of the MIQ system. Tessa Guest reports.

The Acting Prime Minister says Omicron held up an end to MIQ recommended last year. The government's facing criticism for waiting till February to ditch the hotel isolation, even though Dr Caroline McElnay and Dr Ashley Bloomfield told the government from November last year, it was no longer justified. Up to 40,000 people could have skipped MIQ if the Government had followed that advice. Now those who paid for quarantine want to be compensated - and an apology for what they say is the needless stress they suffered. Robertson says the government held back when the new variant spread wildly overseas. He says a delayed end to MIQ bought time to lift vaccination rates.

As NZ dispatches a 1969 Herc, 59 personnel and “lethal aid” cash to support Ukraine, how big a shift is it in our contribution? Plus: will fair pay agreements be this government's biggest achievement? What is Ashley Bloomfield's legacy? What is Louisa Wall up to? And a word on Moana Jackson. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ashley Bloomfield's been a regular in our living rooms over the past two years. But how did a public servant become one of the most recognised faces of our Covid-19 response?

An Auckland University epidemiologist wants pharmacies to be doing RATs, to improve the accuracy of tests and better capture the results. There are increasing reports of people being having the virus, but recording negative RATs - sometimes multiple times. Our reporter Robin Martin has more.

From August, the 1pm press conferences won't be the same, after Director General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield announced he'll step down at the end of July. Covid Response Minister Chris Hipkins has heaped praise on Dr Bloomfield, crediting him with saving thousands of lives. Here's our poltiical reporter, Katie Scotcher.

Dana talks to Lynn about Super Rugby and crowd sizes, with Dr Ashley Bloomfield assuring the Super Rugby franchises that officials are looking into the rules around crowd restrictions at rugby games. Also the new women's competition Super Rugby Aupiki wraps up this weekend and a setback for the White Ferns losing their Cricket World Cup match to South Africa. Dana Johannsen is Stuff's National Correspondent specialising in sport.

Stalling booster rates are worrying health chiefs, who say people shouldn't consider themselves fully vaccinated unless they've had their third dose. The number of COVID-19 infections has edged up again, with 21-thousand-616 new community cases and two deaths. 960 people are in hospital with the virus, 22 of them are in ICU or HDU. Jean Edwards reports.

Covid-19 hospitalisations hit a record high today with Director General of Health, Ashley Bloomfield announcing 845 people are now admitted. There's also been rising abuse towards GPs, changes to New Zealand's recording of Covid-related deaths, and how teen booster shots may be on the cards. Niva Chittock has more.

Annabelle and Toby are joined by The Spinoff's political editor Justin Giovannetti to talk about the latest from the parliamentary occupation and the government's response. Did Jacinda Ardern get it right? Was Chris Luxon right to diagnose a New Zealand divided? And should the action be called “an anti-mandate protest” or is it something else? Also: the dramatic wave of omicron washing across the country, Ashley Bloomfield's mea culpa on a big overestimation of PCR test lab capacity and the New Zealand response to Putin's invasion of Ukraine. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The government has outlined its staged approach to the highly transmissible Omicron variant that is already in the community. There were 56 new cases on Wednesday. As infections spread, the isolation period for cases and close contacts reduces to 10 and seven days respectively, at phase two and three. Also in phase three - when there will be thousands of cases a day - the definition of close contacts who need to isolate will be narrowed down. Critical workers who are contacts of infected people will be able to bypass isolation and get back on the job as long as they return a negative rapid antigen test. But details are short on the chosen businesses and the other thing that's short is the supply of rapid antigen tests. Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield talks to Lisa Owen.