Alexander (Sandy) Milne

This being election year, I have stepped up my campaign for a reversal of the still rapidly expanding privatisation of clinical laboratory diagnostic services in communities like ours all over New Zealand.

I am doing this because of mounting concern about shortcomings in our current services as we face increasing bacterial resistance to antibiotics, and for other reasons.

I am sure to be bad-mouthed by stakeholders, as I was during our eventually successful hepatitis B virus (HBV) control campaigns.

That being the case, please re-run these comments from the late Sir Wira Gardiner regarding the manipulation he experienced at the time,

“I have come to the view that it was totally inappropriate to describe you as ‘culturally unsafe’ for the very strong manner in which you acted in highlighting the plight of Māori with regard to hepatitis B.

“The use of such put-down terminology unforgivable for senior public servants. I understand that you, personally, and your organisation suffered immeasurably as a consequence of the use of my letter by other government officials for their own ends to effectively stymie your efforts with their ministers.”

I received that apologetic email from Sir Wira just a few days after my wife Valerie died following a long illness. She had been aware of the insults and never heard the truth from an independent and informed source.

It should be noted; the upcoming battle is far more serious than was that hepatitis campaign. I hope that I am supported earlier this time.

European children in our area had the highest rates of HBV prevalence amongst European children word wide. We fixed that, and they also benefited.

I have continual and recent strong support from the world experts who set the standards for handling specimens.

I would like to hear from any Beacon readers who would support and even guide me in future.

I don’t need money. I would just like them to lend me their ears for an hour or two.