A campaign to stop Dunedin’s planned new hospital from being shrunk had messy origins, including a few barbs between city councillors, correspondence shows.
A united position from the Dunedin City Council was established within days of the Government’s pre-Christmas announcement that escalating costs had resulted in a funding boost for the hospital, coupled with cuts to the approved design.
A letter from Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich to then health minister Andrew Little was sent on December 23, advising "people are in no mood to accept any cuts to the capacity and functionality of their new hospital".
By the end of January, the council had voted unanimously to fund a campaign pushing the Government to build a facility up to the standard that had been promised.
The resolution resulted from a notice of motion brought by Cr David Benson-Pope, seconded by the mayor.
The situation was rather different on December 20 last year.
Mr Radich initially welcomed a funding boost of $110 million, together with savings of $90 million identified through design changes, as delivering certainty for the project.
This, and subsequent comment from Mr Radich, prompted Cr Benson-Pope to ask colleagues if they agreed a more robust response was required.
All replies were in support of retaining the full suite of services for the new hospital, Mr Radich confirmed.
Cr Andrew Whiley advised the mayor to send a strong but relatively short letter to the health minister and issue a "simple" press release, "saying you are taking a firmer approach in the new year".
He also observed "even" Crs Benson-Pope, Steve Walker, Christine Garey and Marie Laufiso were "very hot on the fact that the Government is failing our city".
Deputy Mayor Sophie Barker said she would be happy to take part in a street protest, as she had when neurosurgery services were under threat in 2010.
"This hospital is the most important build in Dunedin for our generation and for a generation to come," Cr Barker said.
"Cutting beds, especially those for aged people, has huge ramifications."
In an email to Crs Barker and Whiley, Mr Radich reflected that his earlier comments "probably galvanised public sentiment against the cuts".
Cr Benson-Pope issued a little advice to the mayor on December 23.
"Given how much your initial comments have undermined our case, I wonder if the best way forward is to simply advise the minister that you have completely misread public feeling on this issue, and that there is no tolerance in the Dunedin or Otago community for any reduction in the capacity or operational efficiency of the new Dunedin Hospital."
Cr Carmen Houlahan said there was no need for Cr Benson-Pope to "continually" attack the mayor and it was "not constructive to be waiting to attack everything".
He should lobby his "Labour mates" and "tell them to pull their [heads in and fund] this hospital", Cr Houlahan said.
Cr Brent Weatherall said "some of the venom" being tossed around at the council might be better directed at the minister and Labour Government.
He suggested Cr Benson-Pope, a former Labour Cabinet minister, and Cr Walker, the party’s "representative in council", were perfectly placed to lobby the Government.
Cr Walker replied he was a Labour-endorsed candidate who happened to be elected on to the council, rather than being a Government appointee.
