Ian Powell

Puberty blockers ban – a political or clinical decision? On 19 November Minister of Health Simeon Brown announced that the Government had introduced a ban, from 19 December, on new young patients being medically prescribed puberty blockers in order to de…

Health systems blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ discusses the Government’s decision to ignore clinical expert advice and ban puberty blockers for young people suffering gender dysphoria.

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/12/06/p...

Tucker Carlson ‘tuckered out’ with Donald Trump and Israel: insights for New Zealand rightwing politics The origin of the expression ‘tuckered out’ goes back to the east of the United States around the 1830s. After New Englanders began to compare the wrinkled and drawn appearance of overworked and un…

Politics blog ‘Political Bytes’ discusses the public fall-out between fellow far right-wingers Tucker Carlson and Donald Trump and the insights it might provide for New Zealand politics.

politicalbytes.blog/2025/11/30/t...

What’s the difference between private management of public hospitals and a ‘perfumed turd’? I am a panellist on Radio New Zealand’s The Panel ably run by Wallace Chapman. It is an early evening programme (6-7pm), Monday to Friday. Each programme involves two co-panellists selected from a …

Health systems blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ discusses the pitch by Serco to run public hospitals, including new builds and public private partnerships, in New Zealand,

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/11/22/w...

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Politics blog ‘Political Bytes’ discusses the genocide in Gaza through a doctor’s eyes and what the New Zealand government should learn from this.

politicalbytescom.wordpress.com/wp-admin/pos...

Health minister walks alone down boulevard of broken dreams Opinion: Simeon Brown's new performance targets could turn into a nightmare for GPs, and their patients, writes Ian Powell.

Newsroom has published my column (link below) discussing the key issues and risks arising out of the Government’s intention to introduce for the first time a health target on access to general practitioners in New Zealand’s primary healthcare system.

newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/14/h...

General practices and Primary Health Organisations fighting back against corporate threat Edited by ‘acute nose for a good story’ Barbara Fountain, it is difficult to beat NZ Doctor for drilling down beyond the headlines in order for a good solid piece of published reporting on what is …

Health systems blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ discusses the response of general practices and Primary Health Organisations to increasing corporate power in general practice ownership, including private equity investors.

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/11/09/g...

Far-right cannibalising the mainstream right-wing; implications for New Zealand Until recently I used the terms ‘hard right’ and ‘far right’ interchangeably. Certainly, dictionary definitions didn’t substantively differentiate. Broadly speaking they refer to people in politica…

Politics blog ‘Political Bytes’ discusses whether the trend of the far right cannibalising the mainstream rightwing in Europe might follow into New Zealand in the context of uneven and combined development.

politicalbytes.blog/2025/11/03/f...

Private health insurance a symptom, not a cause, of New Zealand’s public health system crisis There is a common belief that the expansion of private health insurance is a threat to Aotearoa New Zealand’s public health system; the more it expands the more the system is threatened. While I ca…

Health systems blog discusses where private health insurance fits in with the crisis in New Zealand’s public health system, particularly the rundown of public hospitals.

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/10/30/p...

Health minister unethical over medical ethics On 17 October I received a brief email from a former Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) Vice President: “Can’t wait for your blog covering the reception of Simeon Brown at conferenc…

Health systems blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ discusses, with a bit of help from Hippocrates, Health Minister Simeon Brown’s accusation that senior doctors taking strike action were crossing an ethical line:

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/10/25/h...

The Ignoble Nobel: from Hitler to Kissinger to Machado Much to the disappointment of US President Donald Trump, on 10 October the Norwegian Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Maria Corina Machado. In the words of the Committee the award was “…for her tir…

Politics blog ‘Political Bytes’ discusses the controversy over the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize:

politicalbytes.blog/2025/10/18/t...

Politics, Ideology and Health Targets On 14 October I had the pleasure of being one of two speakers to address the monthly public meeting of the Fabian Society in Wellington. My fellow speaker was Dr Ganesh R Ahirao (aka Nana) who desc…

Health systems blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ discusses how health targets have evolved to the point of shifting from a policy to a legislative requirement:

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/10/15/p...

Corporate ownership of general practices extends power into Primary Care Organisations The growing influence of corporate ownership in general practices is an increasing concern among many general practitioners. I discussed this in some detail, including its background, in my last po…

@bsky.app Health systems blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ discusses the extension of corporate ownership of general practices into Primary Care Organisations in New Zealand’s health system:

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/10/12/c...

A sinking heart over Palestine non-recognition decision After a period of political ‘game playing’ over making an announcement, insensitive given the tragic circumstances of the genocide in Gaza and increasing Palestinian expulsions on the West Bank, th…

Politics blog ‘Political Bytes’ discusses the decision of, and reaction to, the New Zealand government not to recognise the state of Palestine.

politicalbytes.blog/2025/10/01/a...

A sinking heart over Palestine non-recognition decision After a period of political ‘game playing’ over making an announcement, insensitive given the tragic circumstances of the genocide in Gaza and increasing Palestinian expulsions on the West Bank, th…

Politics blog ‘Political Bytes’ discusses the decision of, and reaction to, the New Zealand government not to recognise the state of Palestine.

politicalbytes.blog/2025/10/01/a...

Rhyming holocausts from the Herero in early 20th century to Gaza today From time to time people assert that history is repeating itself. I don’t necessarily agree, depending on how far one wants to drill down. However, history does rhyme a lot (echo a lot is another w…

Politics blog ‘Political Bytes’ discusses the rhyming blogs of the Herero in south-west Africa in the early 20th centuries and Gaza today.

politicalbytes.blog/2025/09/28/r...

He grew up under apartheid, and became our authority on race. Here's his view of NZ's Palestine stance Foreign affairs minister Winston Peters told the United Nations that New Zealand government would not officially recognise Palestinian statehood at this time.

Well said by Gregory Fortuin on disgraceful NZ government decision not to recognise Palestine as a state.

www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360...

Growing Corporate Power and General Practice The increasing level of corporate ownership of general practices is a ‘below the radar’ growing concern within Aotearoa New Zealand’s health system, including many general practitioners and their p…

Health systems blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ discusses the growing power of corporate ownership of general practices in New Zealand’s health system:

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/09/26/g...

Pae Ora Act amendments and Māori healthcare It is difficult to characterise the bill in the name of Minister of Health Simeon Brown which is going through the parliamentary process. It seeks to several varying amendments to the Pae Ora (Heal…

Health systems blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ critically discusses proposed amendments to New Zealand’s health system legislation that directly affect Maori healthcare, including functions and the Iwi Maori Partnership Boards.

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/09/23/p...

The Misrepresentation of Luddism Whenever the terms Luddism and Luddites are used they are invariably used in a negative or derogatory manner. Calling something Luddism and people Luddites is intended as an insult, sometimes force…

Politics blog ‘Political Bytes’ discusses Luddism as a positive and popular force, including in a historical and contemporary New Zealand context.

politicalbytes.blog/2025/09/19/t...

Health alert: Health Minister threatens patient safety What would I do as a health commentator and health systems blogger without the excellent daily (Monday-Friday) online coverage by NZ Doctor with its focussed and industrious journalists? The short …

Health systems blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ discusses the threat to patient safety by proposed amendments to New Zealand legislation governing health regulatory authorities:

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/09/15/h...

‘For the love of god’; why say so much when saying so little? ‘For the love of God’ is a commonly voiced expression. Generally it involves a high level of frustration or exasperation. Often it also includes a call for something corrective to be done. This was…

Health systems blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ critiques the NZ Medical Journal editorial by the Chair of Health New Zealand on the precarious state of our health system.

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/09/06/f...

There is a plot Mr Luxon: Its ethnic cleansing of Palestinians based on biblical justification Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu has “lost the plot” and has condemned attacks on Gaza. It is among the strongest language the New Zealand leader has…

politicalbytes.blog/2025/08/29/t...

The threat to health professionals’ voice OPINION: A proposed change requiring political neutrality for senior health professionals would severely threaten existing rights to voice their concerns over patient safety and other issues.

Here is the link to my column in Stuff’s ‘The Post’ published today. It discusses the legislative amendment that threatens rights of health professionals to give public voice to their concerns (unfortunately paywalled):

www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3608...

Grog’s own country or Grog’s own health system? Richard Seddon is Aotearoa New Zealand’s longest prime minister (back then called premier). He assumed the position in 1893 and continued for over 13 years without losing an election until his deat…

Health systems blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ discusses the secretive attempts by the alcohol industry to influence health policy on alcohol harm in New Zealand.

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/08/21/g...

When the privatising rubber hits the climate change denial roads First a disclosure. I’m the co-owner of a plug-in hybrid car. It cost in the vicinity of $20,000 more than if it had been completely petrol fuelled. A key factor in the purchase decision was to mak…

Below is the link to my latest politics blog ‘Political Bytes’. It discusses the New Zealand government’s recent road user charges announcement in the context of climate change indifference (and denial) and privatisation.

politicalbytes.blog/2025/08/19/w...

Simeon Brown places target on patients' heads Opinion: The wrong targets in the wrong place will worsen the health system's inflexibility, writes Ian Powell.

My latest ‘Newsroom’ column discusses the implications and politics of the Government attempt to put its overhyped and simplistic health targets in New Zealand’s health system legislation.

newsroom.co.nz/2025/08/15/s...

Heart health care system “verge of collapse” a barometer of wider public hospital verging It has been said more than once that overcrowding in emergency departments is a barometer of how public hospitals as a whole are performing in Aotearoa New Zealand’s health system. It has now emerg…

Health system blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ discusses the reported heart healthcare system “verging on collapse” as a barometer for the state of New Zealand public hospitals in general.

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/08/12/h...

The forgotten health professionals On 4 August Radio New Zealand’s Morning Report broke a story about North Shore Hospital having an entire ward of people with no medical reason to be there: Patients stuck in hospital ward. North Sh…

Health systems blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ discusses the forgotten health professionals in the health system’s workforce – allied health professionals.

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/08/09/t...

A poser for Labour Party: Tax wealth or tax capital gains Veteran political journalist Vernon Small’s latest regular paywalled column in Stuff’s Sunday Star Times (3 August) has brought to life a subject that by its very nature can put many people to slee…

Politics blog ‘Political Bytes’ discusses the debate within the New Zealand Labour Party over whether to base its tax reform policy for next year’s election on taxing capital gains or wealth.

politicalbytes.blog/2025/08/06/a...

Flawed and Predetermined: Postscript on Waikato medical school decision The business case used to justify the Government’s decision to establish a third medical school at Waikato University “…seemed to have a predetermined outcome: to favour the Waikato medical school …

Health systems blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ further discusses, and drills down into, the Government’s decision to approve the business case for a third medical school at Waikato University.

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/08/04/f...