Ian Powell
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otaihanga.bsky.social
Ian Powell
@otaihanga.bsky.social
18 followers 3 following 86 posts
Health systems & politics commentator, freelance writer and blogger; former Executive Director of salaried senior doctors union in New Zealand.
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otaihanga.bsky.social
This morning (29 January) I was interviewed live by Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB on the reported significant increase in ambulances taking patients to hospitals. I argued that this mirrored what was happening in acute patient hospital demand.

www.newstalkzb.co.nz/on-air/mike-...
www.newstalkzb.co.nz
January 29, 2026 at 12:49 AM
otaihanga.bsky.social
Health systems blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ discusses recent comments by Finance Minister Nicola Willis on why Health New Zealand is ‘failing’ and her solution. In doing so she fails to put diagnosis before treatment.

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2026/01/27/n...
Newsflash Nicola: Diagnosis comes before treatment, not after
Despite the health system being one of the major and most electorally sensitive issues of public (and voter) concern in Aotearoa New Zealand, when Prime Minister Christopher Luxon gave his recent a…
otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com
January 27, 2026 at 5:34 AM
otaihanga.bsky.social
Politics blog ‘Political Bytes’ discusses with an overdose of cynicism why Donald Trump should have been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.

politicalbytes.blog/2026/01/24/t...
Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize!
Readers familiar with my politics might be perplexed at least (shocked at worse) by the heading to this post. Trump acolyte Shane Jones should lead the charge Let me go further. Arguably Aotearoa N…
politicalbytes.blog
January 23, 2026 at 10:03 PM
otaihanga.bsky.social
On 15 January local Kapiti Coast online publication ‘KC News’ published my opinion piece on the apparent demise of a promising well-developed and publicly supported health polyclinic initiative.

www.kcnews.co.nz/2026/01/15/h...
Has the Kapiti polyclinic become a dead duck?
Opinion by Ian Powell The Kapiti Health Advisory Group (KHAG) is a formal advisory committee of the Kapiti Coast District Council (KCDC). Its members are all volunteers with an impressive range of var...
www.kcnews.co.nz
January 21, 2026 at 12:33 AM
otaihanga.bsky.social
Health systems blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ discusses the High Court injunction on the puberty blocker ban in New Zealand and the opportunity for Cabinet to reconsider the issue as a clinical rather than political one.

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2026/01/19/h...
High Court provides an opportunity for political puberty blocker ban review
On 17 December Radio New Zealand reported the decision of the High Court to delay the ban on puberty blockers (a non-medical intervention) to treat gender dysphoria in young people pending a judici…
otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com
January 18, 2026 at 11:23 PM
otaihanga.bsky.social
Politics blog ‘Political Bytes’ discusses the mass terrorist slaughter at Bondi Beach and the shameful attempt to use it to smear opponents of genocide in Gaza.

politicalbytes.blog/2026/01/15/b...
Bondi Beach murderous terrorism
On 14 December a father and son, reportedly linked to the ISIS, clerical fascist organisation committed a murderous attack on innocent participants at a Jewish celebration on Sydney’s famous Bondi …
politicalbytes.blog
January 15, 2026 at 6:22 AM
otaihanga.bsky.social
Health system blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ discusses when systems failure leads to unsafe staffing which in turn causes tragic outcomes in the context of a Health & Disability Commissioner decision contributing to a stillborn baby.

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2026/01/12/c...
Consequences of hospital maternity systems failure and unsafe staffing levels
The Health and Disability Commissioner Act 1994 is bipartisan (National and Labour) legislation which aims to promote and protect the rights of health and disability services consumers (predominant…
otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com
January 11, 2026 at 10:23 PM
otaihanga.bsky.social
My politics blog ‘Political Bytes’ discusses the implications of the US military attack on and political abductions in Venezuela including fabrications and agendas. Also refers to New Zealand implications.

politicalbytes.blog/2026/01/09/n...
Nicolás Maduro kidnapping, US imperialist expansion and implications for New Zealand
There is much to understand from the dramatic kidnapping (abduction is perhaps a better word) of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores last weekend by the United States…
politicalbytes.blog
January 9, 2026 at 5:21 AM
otaihanga.bsky.social
After reading an interesting article on free speech, politics blog ‘Political Bytes’ discusses the issue in the context of the ethics of conviction and the ethics of responsibility including neo-liberalism in the United Kingdom and New Zealand.

politicalbytes.blog/2025/12/19/f...
Free Speech – the ethics of conviction and the ethics of responsibility
On 25 September Kwame Anthony Appiah, who teaches philosophy and law at New York University, had a paywalled article titled ‘Watch What You Say’ published by the New York Review of Books.  It …
politicalbytes.blog
December 19, 2025 at 7:04 AM
otaihanga.bsky.social
This post of health systems blog ‘Otaihanga Second Opinion’ is the second of a two-part series on how New Zealand’s health system got into its current poop and how it might get out of it.

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/12/18/g...
Getting our health system out of the poop begins with an engagement, empowerment and relational cultural shift
My last Otaihanga Second Opinion post (8 December: link at end of this post) was the first of a two-part blog series based on an address I gave in November to Kapiti U3A (Third Age). The subject of…
otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com
December 18, 2025 at 6:53 AM
otaihanga.bsky.social
Yesterday ‘Newsroom’ published my column on the Labour Party’s recently announced loans policy to support GPs becoming general practice owners, partly in response to corporate ownership expansion.

newsroom.co.nz/2025/12/09/l...
Labour embraces GP-owned practices – up to a point
Opinion: No political party is fully embracing a health strategy that would focus on restoring sustainable primary care
newsroom.co.nz
December 9, 2025 at 8:57 PM
otaihanga.bsky.social
Health systems blog discusses how New Zealand’s health system got into the mess that it is now in.

otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com/2025/12/08/h...
How did our health system get into this poop
Last month (17 November) I gave an address to Kapiti U3A (Third Age) in Waikanae on the provocative subject of How did our health system get into this poop and how might it get out? The first part …
otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com
December 8, 2025 at 7:32 AM
otaihanga.bsky.social
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...
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…
otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com
December 6, 2025 at 5:17 AM
otaihanga.bsky.social
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...
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…
politicalbytes.blog
November 30, 2025 at 3:50 AM
otaihanga.bsky.social
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...
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 …
otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com
November 22, 2025 at 8:03 AM
otaihanga.bsky.social
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...
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politicalbytescom.wordpress.com
November 20, 2025 at 12:51 AM
otaihanga.bsky.social
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...
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.co.nz
November 15, 2025 at 9:31 PM
otaihanga.bsky.social
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...
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 …
otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com
November 8, 2025 at 9:52 PM
otaihanga.bsky.social
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...
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…
politicalbytes.blog
November 3, 2025 at 5:53 AM
otaihanga.bsky.social
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...
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…
otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com
October 30, 2025 at 1:06 AM
otaihanga.bsky.social
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...
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…
otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com
October 25, 2025 at 7:36 AM
otaihanga.bsky.social
Politics blog ‘Political Bytes’ discusses the controversy over the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize:

politicalbytes.blog/2025/10/18/t...
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…
politicalbytes.blog
October 18, 2025 at 7:16 AM
otaihanga.bsky.social
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...
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…
otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com
October 15, 2025 at 6:04 AM
otaihanga.bsky.social
@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...
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…
otaihangasecondopinion.wordpress.com
October 12, 2025 at 6:05 AM
otaihanga.bsky.social
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…
politicalbytes.blog
September 30, 2025 at 3:02 PM