Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says Pharmac board chair Steve Maharey would understand the government’s disapproval of his chief executive’s comment about a journalist. 

But Hipkins told Mike Hosking this morning it was up to him to assess what further action was required. 

The Herald revealed on Friday that the government agency’s chief executive Sarah Fitt had been criticised by the health minister, Maharey and the public services commissioner for “unacceptable” and “unprofessional” comments about journalist Rachel Smalley and her campaigning efforts to reform the drug-funding entity. 

Newstalk ZB PLUS asked the organisation whether Fitt would comment on the matter, however, they referred back to their previous statement by Maharey.  

“The board chair is the spokesperson for Pharmac on this matter.” 

In his statement, Maharey said the board had “communication” to Fitt that her comments, both made by her and other members of staff, in internal emails were “unacceptable and unprofessional”.   

“She has assured us this was an isolated and unique situation and that the comments are not reflective of Pharmac’s culture.” 

Smalley, who most recently was a Today FM host, had been an outspoken critic of Pharmac and the way it decides which drugs to fund. 

Fitt wrote several emails, including regular messages to her communications team about Smalley’s tweets. 

In July 2022, Fitt sent to her communications team a Today FM tweet, highlighting an article that Smalley had written on the radio station’s website about a group of cancer patients funding their own drugs. They would have been dead if they were relying on the public system, Smalley wrote. 

“Sigh...” wrote Fitt in the email header field. 

One of her communications team replied that Smalley was an activist not a journalist, to which Fitt responded: “Yep agree, the good thing is that she has a terrible time slot [on Today FM] and not much of a following.” 

On another occasion, Fitt floated the idea of a trip to Auckland to meet Smalley: “Anything is possible although not wild on a 6am studio appearance. Was thinking of a separate meeting off-air with her. Just an idea. If we don’t do her, we could do NZ Herald/Stuff/usual suspects or we could just go up and sit in the Viaduct in the sun.” 

A senior communications team leader wrote in September 2022 that Smalley would be “mega shitty” at the CEO’s decision not to be interviewed by her about the Pharmac Review. 

Asked about the ordeal on the Leaders Breakfast series, Hipkins told Mike Hosking the comments were “unacceptable” and were not appropriate. 

“I think this is unacceptable.” 

It was up to Maharey, a former Labour minister, to say whether Fitt should be sacked our over it saying “there are employment matters after all.” 

Maharey would understand the government's disapproval of Fitt's comments.