Campbell said he had called Luxon and offered apologies for any personal offence caused by his comments and said Luxon had indicated he had accepted it.
He acknowledged the diversity needed in public service, saying: The public’s not well served by having crowd agency boards stuffed with people who are just like parrots on a perch who only think they’re allowed to say is ‘Polly wants a cracker’.
”Why would anyone join if they had to always make sure they did not offend any politicians’ sensitivities?
”It’s ridiculous when you think about it.”
Speaking to TVNZ’s Breakfast show, Campbell acknowledged it was not politically neutral in regards to the Three Waters Policy at all.
Campbell acknowledged that the National Party leader Christopher Luxon and ACT Party leader David Seymour did not like that.
”It’s not me they don’t like... They don’t like that we are changing the health system.”
Campbell said he wouldn’t be backing away from trying to introduce change to the health system.
”I will attack anybody, I will get into an argument with anybody - including the Prime Minister if he wants to - about why she shouldn’t be backing away from that.”
Campbell said he had messages from people who were now scared that their social media pages would be monitored.
A struggle played out behind the scenes all day Tuesday between Verrall and Campbell, who told the Herald Verrall wanted him to resign by 10.30am or be sacked.
That is eventually what transpired, and yesterday afternoon, Verrall released a statement saying: “I no longer have confidence that Mr Campbell is able to exercise the political neutrality necessary for his role at Te Whatu Ora”.
“I have decided to exercise my power under section 36 of the Crown Entities Act to remove him from this role, effective immediately,” she said.
Verrall said she “raised with Mr Campbell serious concerns about the political nature of his recent social media comments”.
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 told the Herald he had a “tense” conversation with Verrall.
“She threatened me that I could either resign or be sacked,” he said. “She said you have a choice between resigning or I will sack you by 10.30am. That turned into a rather longer day,” he said.
Campbell said he had apologised to Luxon. “I’ve spoken today to Christopher Luxon who accepted my apology for any personal offence my statements might have caused,” Luxon said. “He accepted my apology very graciously and we had a pleasant discussion about the issues.”
For his part, Luxon said Campbell’s sacking was “the right move”.
“But it would be far more productive if the Government focused on reducing ballooning health wait-lists than having to discipline officials for talking about National’s policies,” he said.
Campbell said he had also apologised to Verrall.
“I also apologised to [the] minister very well today but she seems to not accept my apology,” Campbell said.
He said he offered Verrall an apology and a “protocol” to handle future incidents going forward, but this was rejected.
“My lawyer and I offered her a fulsome apology and indicated that we would work on a protocol to handle any political sensitivities going forward,” he said.
Campbell defended his right to make political comments in a private capacity provided it didn’t erode trust in the organisation they were in charge of.
He said the comment about co-governance in his post was the only thing that could be linked to his role at Te Whatu Ora. The health reforms have an element of co-governance to them.
“The only link I can see between the comments I made on linked in about Three Waters and my role at health is to do with co-governance,” Campbell said.
Campbell said he remained committed to the health system and the people who worked in it, and in the concept of Treaty partnership.
When asked whether the Government was backing away from co-governance in general, Campbell said he was concerned.
“I’m concerned about that possibility,” Campbell said.
Verrall said it is “of vital importance that all Public Service board members, especially Chairs, uphold the political neutrality required under the Code of Conduct which they sign upon appointment”.
“I will announce a new permanent chair in due course,” she said. “I thank Mr Campbell for his contribution since the establishment of Te Whatu Ora last year,” she said.
Campbell is also the chair of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), and responsible to Environment Minister David Parker.
It is not clear whether he will stay on in that role.
Campbell said he did know if he would also be stripped of his other role as chair of the EPA.
