As the Chair of Te Whata Ora/Health NZ, Rob Campbell's recent remarks have caused a stir, all eyes are on the Government to see how it will react.
The controversy stems from Campbell's vocal criticism of National's three waters policy, which has received a mixed response from various quarters.
The National Party aims to transfer the responsibility for water infrastructure back to local councils, who would be obligated to pay for the necessary upgrades to the infrastructure.
Campbell expressed his belief on LinkedIn that the policy proposed by the National Party was a thinly veiled cover for dog-whistling on the topic of co-governance.
"What on earth would make anyone think this was a sensible idea for debt raising alone, let alone the management and delivery of the tasks," he wrote.
According to the code of conduct of the Public Service Commission, it is expected that directors of Crown Entities conduct themselves in a politically neutral manner.
Despite calls for him to retract or apologise for his statements, Campbell remains steadfast and unapologetic, refusing to back down on his stance. This has only intensified the spotlight on him and the government, with many eager to see how the PM will address the issue.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins told Tova O'Brien the wheels are in motion, and they are taking action.
"There's a conversation taking place at the moment," said Hipkins.
"I'm not going to pre-judge that, I'm not going to publically pre-empt the outcome."
Campbell has stated his criticism of National's three waters policy announcement was made "as a private citizen," and stands by his actions.
Listen to the full interview between Prime Minister Chris Hipkins and Tova above.
You can also download the full interview on the Tova podcast, and listen on the go. Download the rova app on apple or android to listen to this podcast on the go, or anywhere else you get your podcasts.
