Letter to the Editor, Thursday July 30, 2015

Health wrangle

I read with cynicism David Williams' letter of July 14, 2015, the latest in a sustained campaign against the Whangaroa Health Services Trustees, elected by our community.

Williams was not founding chairperson of WHST as he claims. He was elected chairperson seven months after the trust was formed, following John Dow, who resigned on August 12, 1996, and Christine van der Veen, who was temporarily chairperson until Williams was elected on September 13, 1996.

Williams makes reference to the trust deed. Which deed is he referring to? The founding trust deed which previously he has claimed is the only valid deed? The very same one he moved amendments to (Whangaroa Health Services Trust minutes, July 1, 1999 available at Health Centre administration) before resigning from the trust and going to live in Thailand for some years.

These amendments led to the democratic structure of the trust becoming so distorted and the loss of Whangaroa Health Services was narrowly avoided in 2013.

Or, is it the current deed which provides for people with specific skills who live outside Whangaroa to be co-opted to the trust for specific projects or representations?

Williams has a lot to say about trustees not living in appropriate places, according to him.

A ruling from the Charities Commission in 2009 about Grant Lane, a Totara North resident, standing in the Whangaroa riding, stated that within the boundaries of Whangaroa county internal boundaries can be flexible and anyone residing in Whangaroa county can be nominated for any riding.

Williams obviously does not recall this. He himself lives in Kerikeri and is not registered with WHS as his health provider.

His ties to this community are historic.

P LATO

Kaeo