Membership and Functioning of the Interagency Committee on the Health Effects of Non-Ionising Fields
Michael Vaughan made this Official Information request to Ministry of Health
The request was refused by Ministry of Health.
From: Michael Vaughan
Dear Ministry of Health,
1) Please give details of the consumer representation on the Interagency Committee for Health Effects of Non-Ionising Fields over the last three years. Please state the name of the consumer representative and how often this person has attended meetings during the last three years.
2) Please supply all information about the 'terms of reference' for this Committee.
3) Please supply the Minutes of the most recent meeting of this Committee
4) Please specify who wrote the most recent Minutes
5) Please specify who selected the scientific reviews presented to the Committee at the most recent meeting
4) Please supply full details of the way in which Conflicts of Interest are managed with particular reference to Mr. Martin Gledhill. Please specify how the Ministry of Health is ensuring that advice provided by Mr. Gledhill is independent and in no way influenced by his company's contracts with major telecommunications companies.
Yours faithfully,
Michael Vaughan
From: OIA Requests
Kia ora Michael
Thank you for your request for official information. The reference number
for your request is: H2023029088
As required under the Official Information Act 1982, Manatū Hauora will
endeavour to respond to your request no later than 20 working days after
the day your request was received. If you'd like to calculate the
timeframe, you can use the Ombudsman's online calculator
here: [1]http://www.ombudsman.parliament.nz/
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on [2][email address]. If any additional factors come to light which
are relevant to your request, please do not hesitate to contact us so that
these can be taken into account.
Under section 28(3) of the Act you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to
review any decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be
contacted by email at: [3][email address] or by calling 0800
802 602.
Ngā mihi
OIA Services Team
Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health
M[4]inistry of Health information releases
U[5]nite against COVID-19
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4. https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...
5. https://covid19.govt.nz/
From: OIA Requests
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Kia ora Michael
Please find attached the response to your request for official
information.
Ngā mihi
OIA Services Team
Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health
M[1]inistry of Health information releases
U[2]nite against COVID-19
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References
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1. https://www.health.govt.nz/about-ministr...
2. https://covid19.govt.nz/
From: Michael Vaughan
Dear OIA Requests,
Thank you for your response dated August 4, 2023.
1) Inadequate consumer representation
Your response confirms that there has been inadequate consumer representation on this Committee during the last three years. Attendance at two meetings in three years is hardly providing 'the consumer's voice' on this Committee. Furthermore, it is outrageous that you are declining to identify the consumer representative on the Committee - this person is my representative as a consumer.
2) Conflict of Interest
Your response confirms that Mr. Martin Gledhill is writing the Minutes of the meetings and that he compiled and provided the International Reports on Radio frequency (RF). Therefore, your response confirms that Mr. Gledhill is effectively controlling the information that comes before the Committee on health effects of non-ionising radiation as well as providing Committee members with his summary.
Given Mr. Gledhill's contractual relationships with major telecommunication companies, it is completely inappropriate for him to be carrying out these roles and effectively feeding the Committee members with information of his choosing. I draw your attention to 'A Guide for Public Servants on Matters of Integrity and Conduct' on the Public Services Commission's website:
"As public servants, we and our agencies have a duty to uphold high standards of integrity and conduct. New Zealand’s public sector is in the privileged position of having high levels of public trust and confidence. However, this shouldn’t be taken for granted. We need to keep behaving in a way that retains the faith of Ministers, Parliament and people of New Zealand, or we will lose our legitimacy and undermine the credibility we need to do our work. We must be able to show we are trustworthy, that we act in the interests of the people in New Zealand, and never for our personal gain."
Clearly, this statement is recognising the importance of public service officials being 'seen' by the New Zealand public to be trustworthy and acting totally in their best interests. Given Mr. Gledhill's contractual relationships with telecommunication companies, there is clearly the potential for members of the public to question whether or not Mr. Gledhill is acting without bias and entirely in the best interests of the NZ public.
Furthermore, in your response you have stated that Conflicts of Interest are managed in line with the Controller and Auditor-General guide for public service. This guide includes the following statements:
"You need to ask yourself not just whether the interest or relationship means you are biased, but also whether someone looking in from the outside could have reasonable grounds to think you might be.
The “rules” for managing conflicts of interest in the public sector are generally stricter than in the private sector. If you work for a public organisation, the public needs to have confidence that any decisions you make:
• are made impartially and for the right reasons; and
• are not influenced by personal interests or ulterior motives"
Applying these statements to Mr. Gledhill's leading roles on the Committee.....it is not just a question of whether or not Mr. Gledhill is biased. The more important question is: Could someone looking in from outside have reasonable grounds to think he might be? Clearly, the answer to this question is 'yes' and therefore I contend that the Ministry of Health is NOT managing this Conflict of Interest in line with the Controller and Auditor-General guide for public service.
My closing question, therefore, is: On what grounds is the Ministry of Health claiming that Mr. Gledhill's Conflict of Interest is being managed, given that it is NOT being managed in line with the Controller and Auditor-General guide for public service?
Yours sincerely,
Michael Vaughan
From: OIA Requests
Kia ora Michael,
Thank you for your follow up email.
As previously advised, Manatū Hauora has described our awareness and
management of any conflicts of interest arising for Mr Gledhill and have
nothing further to add on this. Manatū Hauora considers this matter
resolved and refer you to our previous correspondence on these matters.
Under section 28(3) of the Act, you have the right to ask the Ombudsman to
review any decisions made under this request. The Ombudsman may be
contacted by email at: [email address] or by calling 0800 802
602.
Ngā mihi
OIA Services Team
Manatū Hauora | Ministry of Health
M[1]inistry of Health information releases
U[2]nite against COVID-19
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Michael Vaughan <[FOI #23479 email]>
Sent: Thursday, 21 September 2023 23:16
To: OIA Requests <[email address]>
Subject: Re: Response to your Official Information Act request: ref,
H2023029088
Dear OIA Requests,
Thank you for your response dated August 4, 2023.
1) Inadequate consumer representation
Your response confirms that there has been inadequate consumer
representation on this Committee during the last three years. Attendance
at two meetings in three years is hardly providing 'the consumer's voice'
on this Committee. Furthermore, it is outrageous that you are declining to
identify the consumer representative on the Committee - this person is my
representative as a consumer.
2) Conflict of Interest
Your response confirms that Mr. Martin Gledhill is writing the Minutes of
the meetings and that he compiled and provided the International Reports
on Radio frequency (RF). Therefore, your response confirms that Mr.
Gledhill is effectively controlling the information that comes before the
Committee on health effects of non-ionising radiation as well as providing
Committee members with his summary.
Given Mr. Gledhill's contractual relationships with major
telecommunication companies, it is completely inappropriate for him to be
carrying out these roles and effectively feeding the Committee members
with information of his choosing. I draw your attention to 'A Guide for
Public Servants on Matters of Integrity and Conduct' on the Public
Services Commission's website:
"As public servants, we and our agencies have a duty to uphold high
standards of integrity and conduct. New Zealand’s public sector is in the
privileged position of having high levels of public trust and confidence.
However, this shouldn’t be taken for granted. We need to keep behaving in
a way that retains the faith of Ministers, Parliament and people of New
Zealand, or we will lose our legitimacy and undermine the credibility we
need to do our work. We must be able to show we are trustworthy, that we
act in the interests of the people in New Zealand, and never for our
personal gain."
Clearly, this statement is recognising the importance of public service
officials being 'seen' by the New Zealand public to be trustworthy and
acting totally in their best interests. Given Mr. Gledhill's contractual
relationships with telecommunication companies, there is clearly the
potential for members of the public to question whether or not Mr.
Gledhill is acting without bias and entirely in the best interests of the
NZ public.
Furthermore, in your response you have stated that Conflicts of Interest
are managed in line with the Controller and Auditor-General guide for
public service. This guide includes the following statements:
"You need to ask yourself not just whether the interest or relationship
means you are biased, but also whether someone looking in from the outside
could have reasonable grounds to think you might be.
The “rules” for managing conflicts of interest in the public sector are
generally stricter than in the private sector. If you work for a public
organisation, the public needs to have confidence that any decisions you
make:
• are made impartially and for the right reasons; and
• are not influenced by personal interests or ulterior motives"
Applying these statements to Mr. Gledhill's leading roles on the
Committee.....it is not just a question of whether or not Mr. Gledhill is
biased. The more important question is: Could someone looking in from
outside have reasonable grounds to think he might be? Clearly, the answer
to this question is 'yes' and therefore I contend that the Ministry of
Health is NOT managing this Conflict of Interest in line with the
Controller and Auditor-General guide for public service.
My closing question, therefore, is: On what grounds is the Ministry of
Health claiming that Mr. Gledhill's Conflict of Interest is being managed,
given that it is NOT being managed in line with the Controller and
Auditor-General guide for public service?
Yours sincerely,
Michael Vaughan
show quoted sections
Michael Vaughan left an annotation ()
Yes, they use a stonewalling approach when 'inconvenient' questions are asked. I have found the Ombudsman's office to be helpful though. After the intervention of an Ombudsman-appointed investigator, the MOH finally revealed the identities of the members of the Interagency Committee. And, surprise surprise, it is heavily loaded with government and industry representatives....making sure that all runs smoothly according to the agendas of government and industry of course.
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Athina Andonatou left an annotation ()
Following with interest. It seems what they're doing in this area, they are doing in many others - climate, fluoride, pharmaceuticals, media etc
Link to this