More Maori, Islanders and women on health boards

Maori, Pacific Islanders and women all have increased representation on the country's new health boards, announced by Health Minister Annette King yesterday.

She has appointed 79 new health directors on the 22 hospital and health boards.

Thirty 30 current board members have been dumped.

Thirty-three of the new directors are Maori, making 45 Maori representatives in all.

Among the new Maori directors is Druis Barrett, who is on the committee of inquiry investigating the misreading of cervical smears in Gisborne.

She has been appointed to Northland Health.

All eight Pacific Island directors are new appointees.

Mrs King said 63 of the 171 directors on the new boards were women.

Among the new members are prominent unionists and Labour Party supporters.

Seafarers union president Dave Morgan will direct Wairarapa Health, while former Labour cabinet minister Margaret Shields has landed a job with Hutt Valley Health.

Health Waikato's board includes former Coalition for Public Health spokesman and nurses' union organiser James Ritchie, and an Alliance activist and Hamilton city councillor, Dave MacPherson.

Gary Taylor, a former Auckland Area Health Board chairman, wins a seat in the new Auckland Healthcare lineup.

The environmentalist, light-rail advocate and former regional politician and Labour parliamentary candidate was appointed deputy commissioner of the old health board when its members were sacked in 1991.

Tairawhiti Healthcare is left without a board.

Mrs King decided to leave Northland Health chairman Wayne Brown in charge of the East Coast hospital and health service while he sorts out several health scandals that have rocked the region.

Mr Brown was appointed to run Tairawhiti last month, after Mrs King sacked the board for its handling of the problems.

More than 2100 people were nominated for the board positions and 198 interviewed.

Auckland Healthcare

Richard Waddel (chair), Andrew Strange, Brian Corban, Sven Hansen, John Walters, Rees Tapsell, Patrick Snedden, Moera Douthett, Margaret Horsburgh, Gary Taylor.

Health Waikato


Ian Wilson (chair), Tony Cull, Piers Hamid, Ian Glennie, Taitimu Maipi, Bernadette Doube, Leaupepe Karalus, James Ritchie, Rea Wikaira, Dave MacPherson.

Waitemata Health


Alison Paterson (chair), Rita Evans, Eric Stephens, Robyn Woodward, Pare Keiha, Everdina Fuli, Lannes Johnson, Helen Capel, Michael Cohen, Rodger Fisher.

Lakeland Health


Judith Stanway (chair), Alan Vane, Rees Tapsell, Te Taru White, Steve Ruru, Desmond Epp, Jenny Dowthwaite, Fred McRae.

Northland Health


Wayne Brown (chair), David Booth, Lynette Stewart, Shane Reti, Druis Barrett, Kevin Robinson, Tony Birch.

Pacific Health


Robin Wray (chair), Mark Arundel, Janie Elrick, Joan Kehely, Douglas Leeder, Aubrey Temara, Heather Thomson, Taari Nicholas, Mary Hackett, Colin Bidois.

South Auckland Health


Ross Keenan (chair), John Scott, Geoffrey Wales, Metua Faasisila, Robert McKegg, Deborah Ryan, Wayne McLean, Peter Jansen.

Tairawhiti Healthcare


Wayne Brown (commissioner).