Halfway through the week, Dunedin city councillors and the mayor were in a right shemozzle over what they planned to do to best express the outrage of a city and region, and demonstrate how they would no longer be strung along by health bureaucrats and politicians, particularly Health Minister Dr Shane Reti.
Councillors ended the week exuding an apparent sense of unity, striding out of the Civic Centre on to George St wielding their "They Save, We Pay" banners and proudly wearing the T-shirts.
The hospital rebuild is the biggest show in town, in fact across the entire South.
For too long, southerners promised one thing have been mucked about and meddled with by a North Island-centric government and a health minister apparently out of his depth, all hell-bent on curbing spending and with little visible understanding or empathy for how desperately the new hospital is needed.
A protest march through the streets of Dunedin next Saturday is just what the doctor ordered. It will show the depth of feeling and will hopefully leave Health New Zealand-Te Whatu Ora commissioner Dr Lester Levy "shaking in his boots", according to Dunedin Hospital former emergency department head Dr John Chambers.
The march will start at noon outside the University of Otago’s dental school. Led by Mr Radich, clinicians and city councillors, it will progress along George St to the Octagon, where speeches will be made.
It’s good to see there is now a stronger mandate for protest. And it’s also encouraging that Mr Radich seems to have become more determined that direct action needs to be taken to show Wellington how the South is feeling.
After all, it was just a few days ago, on Tuesday, that the mayor went to the capital to get some answers from Dr Reti. Somewhat bizarrely, he did so off his own bat, not telling councillors of his trip north. The first his colleagues knew of a confusing situation was when he tendered an apology for a meeting that day.
The mayor was accused by Cr Jim O’Malley of charging in "with a white flag", to front up to the minister in a meeting which was more appease than a piece of his mind.
Cr Sophie Barker said the council needed to work together to ensure a "strong, combined, credible message" could be sent, while Cr Steve Walker was frustrated at the mayor’s announcement of the meeting with the minister without involving councillors.
The outcome of the mayor’s Wellington meeting became even more baffling after his office released statements late on Tuesday afternoon.
The first one signalled absolute victory from fronting up to Dr Reti, claiming "the minister has said there will be no clinical cuts to this hospital project, and our campaign puts him on notice that we expect nothing less". Cue region-wide celebrations.
The mayor then asked the ODT to take out that line, saying he had not said that and neither had the minister. However, even more bewilderingly, Mr Radich "clarified" it to say "Dr Reti had reversed the previous clinical cuts to the hospital", but declined to reveal details of the meeting.
What on earth was going on? No wonder councillors were confused and irritated. This had shades of British prime minister Neville Chamberlain returning from a meeting with Adolf Hitler in 1938, carrying a piece of paper promising peace in our time.
Despite such weird goings on, the city council has finally arrived at a point where all seem agreed that protest action is essential. Dr Reti’s and Health NZ’s prevarications and confounding messaging over promises have gone on far too long.
Mark the date on your calendars and in your diaries now.
The government has picked a fight. Make sure you get out there next Saturday and show it your concerns.
Send the message that it’s time to stop the uncertainty and all the infuriating game-playing.
