Woke Surgeons Only Need Apply
This is what the coalition govt is up against.
If you had impacted wisdom teeth requiring surgery, would it comfort you to know the consultant surgeon was competent in te ao Māori?
Or, say, if you needed oral cancer surgery, is it a bonus if the person operating on your mouth has had experience in projects and initiatives which give effect to Te Tiriti principles?
How about if you had to go under the knife for facial trauma - does it ease your anxiety knowing that the consultant surgeon is steeped in the application of Mātauranga Māori and Kaupapa Māori approaches, particularly as they apply in healthcare settings?
Southern Health thinks the answer is yes to all the above.
This week an advertisement on their careers website for a consultant oral maxillofacial surgeon at Dunedin Hospital stated that competency in te ao Māori, tikanga, and te reo Māori was a requirement. Or at the very least “a commitment to starting your journey and taking ownership of your learning and growth.”
As well, they asked for “Experience in projects / initiatives which give effect to Te Tiriti principals (sic) and frameworks, and the application of Mātauranga Māori and Kaupapa Māori approaches, particularly as they apply in healthcare settings.”
Apart from spelling principles incorrectly, Southern Health clearly thinks they know what the principles of the Treaty are, even though this is a topic hotly debated thanks to Act’s Treaty Principles Bill.
This position commands a salary of between $185,380 and $267,980. If that’s not tempting enough, perhaps the knowledge that the successful applicant will be able to bring “the real you on board” will winkle out shy prospects. In particular they welcome applications from “our diverse Māori, Pacific, disabled, and rainbow communities.”
The ad states skills are gained in many areas of life, not just formal employment. So if “you can demonstrate the skills listed in the ad, but the experience was gained through whānau life, community or mahi aroha (volunteering) we encourage you to apply and share your story with us in your cover letter.”
Frankly this is perplexing. Does that mean applicants might not be qualified but have indulged in a spot of facial surgery on the whanau as a hobby? Can the successful applicant be an unqualified surgeon who learned on the job, perhaps indulging in a spot of amateur dentistry on the whanau? Some of these medical professionals specialise in facial cosmetic surgery. Who needs qualifications for that? Seems Southern Health will take applications from anyone who has volunteered at an illicit backyard surgical outfit. Do they even exist? Is that what Southern Health is referring to?
Their ad also raises questions such as whether this is policy across all health districts and what that might mean for other medical positions. Could a farm worker who has helped deliver lambs or birth calves now be eligible for the position of hospital midwife? No, that’s not fair. That’s what people mean when they talk about the soft bigotry of low expectations. A farm worker with those skills plus knowledge of te ao Māori, tikanga, and te reo Māori Is worthy of the title of obstetrician, surely.
It’s also reassuring to know that Southern Health can be so specific about the criterion for employing a consultant oral maxillofacial surgeon. Clearly this indicates there is no shortage of these specialists, Data is sketchy but as of 2017-18 New Zealand had 39 practicing oral and maxillofacial surgeons. One wonders if each one fulfils these cultural criteria.
These questions were put to Health NZ who got the Head of National People Services Elizabeth Jeffs to reply with an acknowledgement that they were altering their job ad templates as a result of feedback. “No harm or offence was intended.”
The Minister of Health, Simeon Brown, was more explicit. He wrote that health appointments should be made solely on merit “and this advert is outside my expectations. Healthcare must be delivered on the basis of need. Not race.”
Someone tell the public service.
The website now states that the position is filled. But you can view it here.
https://archive.is/2025.02.12-015937/https://careers.southernhealth.nz/job/Consultant-Oral-Maxillofacial-Surgeon/936092910/
The internet is forever.
Personally I would avoid Maori and Pacifica surgeons as they might have gotten into medical school on lesser grades, passed through medical school with multiple failures, passed through two years as a house officer despite failing and passed through specialist training with multiple failures. All of this is as it actually happens and I have watched my colleagues and my husband's colleagues do exactly that. So I would never see a Maori or Pacifica specialist which is awful as there are obviously some very excellent Maori and Pacifica specialists out there but their names are destroyed by the incompetence of their DEI counterparts.
Reading this job and, it strikes me that very few specialists would meet the criteria. But there may exist a purple unicorn who does, which makes me wonder if specific individuals are already identified and the ad is a way of justifying their employment?
Looking at a number of job ads, it seems Aotearoa has been stealthily implementing affirmative actions for a small well connected segment of society, who are loading the dice to ensure that they and their friends are getting preferred access to jobs.
The National Party in South Africa called it Separate Development, the ANC called it Affirmative Action and Black Economic Empowerment.
I guess Aotearoa doesn't have any problems with institutionalised racism, judging by what has been happening since Ardern took over.