Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield has apologised for accepting tickets to a Black Caps match, after being lobbied for access to the Covid-19 vaccine at the game.
Bloomfield has faced questions this week about attending the Twenty20 match between the Black Caps and Australia on Sunday, where New Zealand Cricket lobbied him for early access to the Covid-19 vaccine, so its cricket players could attend matches overseas.
He had said he attended the match in a “private capacity”, but on Thursday issued a statement saying, “I was incorrect”.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has come into bat for Bloomfield, saying: “I don’t think anyone in New Zealand would want to deny Dr Bloomfield the opportunity to watch some cricket.”
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“If someone raises a question mark over travel and vaccinations, I don’t immediately take the view that anyone had any ill-intent with that – certainly not Dr Bloomfield,” she said to reporters at an event in the Hawkes Bay.
Bloomfield, in his statement, said he now recognised he was invited to the game due to his position as the director-general of health.
“It is important that I avoid any potential for perception of a conflict of interest or personal benefit.”
Bloomfield said he thought he was acting within the expectations set for how public sector chief executives should receive gifts and benefits.
ROBERT KITCHIN/Stuff
Dr Ashley Bloomfield at Parliament on Wednesday.
“On re-reading the guidelines, I now accept that declaring the complimentary tickets to the game on a gift register was insufficient and that they should have been refused, as they will be from now on.”
He said he had now clarified this with the Public Service Commissioner Peter Hughes.
“I have donated the price of the tickets, and also the price of tickets to two Hurricanes games last year (also previously declared), to Wellington City Mission.”
John Cowpland/Photosport
New Zealand’s Ish Sodhi bowls to Australia during their 5th T20 cricket international match at Wellington Regional Stadium in Wellington on Sunday, March.
Bloomfield, when attending the match on Sunday, was invited to meet the Black Caps in the changing room at Wellington Regional Stadium.
“We talked about a range of things, mostly the cricket game that was on; in passing, the conversation that happened around vaccines, I said that I would take that away,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
“But obviously, I didn’t make any promises. No decisions were taken. And it’s one of a number of conversations I’ve had with a whole range of parties.”
He said he received regular representations from groups about who should have access to the vaccine when, and had recently spoken with Sport NZ chief executive Raelene Castle about vaccine access for Olympians.
“I have regular conversations with different groups who contact me directly. I am very accessible about clarity around access to vaccines. This came up is a small part of a conversation,” he said.
New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Wednesday confirmed its chief executive David White had raised the prospect of players receiving a Covid-19 vaccine with Bloomfield at the match.
But NZC said it had not applied undue pressure. The organisation has not received a response to its plea, though has said it remains hopeful its players will move up the queue.
The Government has yet to settle on the criteria for any early access to the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for “national significance” reasons, which could include a need to represent New Zealand in sports matches overseas.
Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins, when announcing the schedule for the vaccine roll-out on Wednesday, was unwilling to speak on who might fit within the category.
“I’m not going to comment on sports teams, because we will set out that national interest criteria very clearly once Cabinet’s signed that off,” he said.