Rob Campbell says he’ll reply to David Parker’s letter tomorrow, Campbell to be fired, Herald understands

Ousted Te Whatu Ora chair Rob Campbell. Photo / Michael Craig

Environment Minister David Parker has written to ousted Te Whatu Ora-Health NZ chair Rob Campbell concerning Campbell’s position as the chair of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).

The Herald understands he is to be sacked from that role.

Campbell is giving nothing away, telling the Herald he has seen the letter and will reply to it tomorrow.

“I have had a letter from the minister. I will be replying to it tomorrow. I’ve got nothing further to say at the moment,” Campbell told the Herald

Earlier, Campbell told the Herald not yet seen the letter and has only been alerted to its existence by the media.

“I’ll see it and think about it when I get it,” Campbell said.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins spoke of the ongoing talks between Parker and Campbell earlier in the day, saying there was “a process in train”.

“I understand he’s having conversations with the Minister for the Environment today as he had conversations with the Minister of Health yesterday,” he said.

“Clearly, there are processes that need to be followed in these sorts of circumstances,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Campbell said it was not his view that he would have to quit the EPA.

“That is not my view, and that has not come up at this stage,” he told RNZ.

On Tuesday, Campbell was sacked from his role as the chair of Te Whatu Ora - Health NZ by Health Minister Ayesha Verrall.

Verrall said she had lost confidence in Campbell who made comments that breached impartiality provisions in the Code of Conduct for Crown Entity board members.

It is not clear whether Parker has also lost confidence in Campbell. If he has, the same avenue to sack Campbell is open to him.

Campbell has not gone quietly and has said legal action against the Government remains on the table.

Campbell was in trouble for a LinkedIn post slamming National’s Three Waters policy, accusing the party of blowing the “dog whistle on co-governance”.

He also personally attacked National’s leader, writing: “Christopher Luxon might be able to rescue his party from stupidity on climate change but rescuing this from a well he has dug himself might be harder.”

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins described the remarks as “inappropriate” and did not express confidence in Campbell when asked on Monday.

Campbell continues to claim that his dismissal runs deeper than concerns over impartiality.

He said that since Hipkins became prime minister and Verrall became health minister the Government has shifted away from its co-governance agenda, something he had been very supportive of.

Campbell said Verrall pulled him up for a column published in the Herald in which he defended co-governance.

“Since Minister Verrall took over - she informally expressed some concern to me about the emphasis I was putting on Te Aka Whai Ora [the Māori Health Authority] and its centrality to the reforms.

“She thought my language was stronger than she would like it to be,” Campbell said.

“It was a view that we might become not quite aligned and - and you don’t need to be a genius to see why that’s happening,” he said.

When asked whether he was referring to the fact the Government was shifting emphasis away from co-governance, Campbell confirmed he was.

“There was no formal warning, it was an adult-to-adult discussion,” he said.