Blair Vining’s Epic Journey shared a post on Facebook:
“I am feel really sad seeing Professor Chris Jackson’s integrity being questioned because his wife happens to be a Labour MP.
I’ve known Chris now for nearly 8 years, through both Labour and National governments, and I’ve watched him consistently advocate for what he believes will deliver better cancer care for New Zealanders regardless of who is sitting around the Cabinet table.
He has spoken up when governments of both sides have got things wrong and always, in my experience, because he believes patients deserve better.
Chris and I don’t always agree either. We’ve had plenty of different views over the years, I have never questioned where his motivation comes from. Patients are at the heart of what he does. To this day Chris gives his time to me to support individual patients, explain medical and ethical concepts that assist me in my own thinking.
Of course people should debate his views on the proposed cancer centre. Challenge the evidence, the model, the cost, the workforce implications and whether it will improve outcomes. That is exactly the debate we should be having. But suggesting his professional opinion is somehow compromised because of who his wife is feels both unfair and deeply personal.
Chris has spent decades treating cancer patients and contributing to cancer research, policy and advocacy in New Zealand. He has an enormous amount of knowledge and experience of his own and, having known him as long as I have, I can assure you he certainly doesn’t need a politician to tell him what to think!
Behind these public debates are real people who have dedicated huge parts of their lives to trying to make things better for New Zealanders. We can disagree with Chris. We can challenge him. We can have robust debate about the future of cancer care.
But I hope we can do that without questioning the professional integrity of someone who has spent so much of his career standing up for cancer patients.
Whatever our politics, surely that is something worth protecting.
Shame on you to the people who talk this swipe at him.”
You cal also read: How One Doctor Helped Transform Cancer Care in New Zealand: Dr. Christopher Jackson 
