Frugal Auckland DHB CEO spends just $39
NZ Doctor - Helen Tatham
15 February 2012
Taranaki DHB chief executive Tony Foulkes splurged the most, spending $23,246 on work-related expenses in the last half of 2011
Auckland DHB chief executive Garry Smith racked up just $39 in work-related expenses from July to December 2011, making him the most frugal of 19 DHB CEOs.
Chief executives of government departments, including all DHB chief executives bar one, have revealed their expenses for the six-month period with spreadsheets available online.
Mr Smith's costs comprised three car parking fees, two for $15 and another for $9.
In comparison, expenses for ACC's Jan White and Ralph Stewart totalled $31,701 between them.
Dr White was chief executive from 1 July to 16 September when Ralph Stewart took over the role.
Dr White spent $17,606 on travel and $442 on her farewell function, while Mr Stewart spent $13,493 on travel and $161 on hospitality.
And a bottle of rum
Director-general of health Kevin Woods' expenses totalled $25,205 for the six-month period. Almost half of this, $11,462, comprised flights to and from Washington DC for the 2011 Commonwealth Fund meeting.
Dr Woods accepted a few gifts but was careful to note on his declaration that these were not retained by him personally.
The most expensive of these gifts, valued at $100, was a wooden frame with a carved wooden fish hook inlayed with bone and paua presented to him by the RNZCGP and GPNZ for speaking at the Conference for General Practice in September.
Another gift not retained by the director-general personally was a bottle of Havana Club white rum, a Christmas gift from the Cuban Embassy. He also received a bottle of Carrick pinot noir, three boxes of chocolates and an IBM history book from IBM, and Martin Jenkins consultants gifted 500g of fresh cherries.
DHB and state sector chief executives' spending available online
When looking at DHB and state sector chief executives' spending on the Government's data website, New Zealand Doctor found some of the column totals were incorrectly calculated.
New Zealand Doctor calculated average expenditure for the 19 DHB chief executives whose spending records were available was $8659.
Of these 19, Taranaki DHB chief executive Tony Foulkes splurged the most ($23,246). South Canterbury's Chris Fleming came a close second with $22,347.
The expenses declaration for Southern DHB's chief executive was not available as this story was being published.
World Executive Forum big item
Most of Mr Foulkes' spending comprised travel expenses, with $11,198 being travel to and accommodation in Canada for the World Executive Forum.
Expenses for the remaining DHB chief executives were:
• Mid Central's Murray Georgel ($15,390)
• Hawkes Bay's Kevin Snee ($14,886)
• Nelson Marlborough's John Peters ($11,124)
• Whanganui's Julie Patterson ($10,385)
• Tairawhiti's Jim Green ($10,076)
• Bay of Plenty's Phil Cammish ($8481)
• Northland's Karen Roach and Nick Chamberlain ($6240)
• Waikato's Craig Climo ($5062)
• Waitemata's Dale Bramley ($5013)
• Wairarapa's Tracey Adamson ($4526)
• Capital and Coast's Mary Bonner ($3975)
• Counties Manukau's Geraint Martin ($3877)
• Lakes' Cathy Cooney ($3870), and
• Hutt Valley's Graham Dyer ($2746).
David Meates is chief executive at West Coast DHB and Canterbury DHB. His expenses were $7729 at the former and $5507 at the latter.
