Medical Council of New Zealand appointments and reappointments

Media releases

The Medical Council of New Zealand has two new members.  

The Hon Matt Doocey, Associate Minister of Health, made the appointments, which are effective from 1 July 2024 for a three-year term.  

The Minister also reappointed two current members for further terms.   These four appointments follow the election by the profession, earlier this year. 

Welcoming the new members to Council, Dr Rachelle Love, Council’s chairperson said, ‘Nau mai, haere mai ki ngā mema hou. The new members bring a wide breadth of experience and skills to Council that will be invaluable in assuring public health and safety.’

‘At the same time, I am delighted to see the reappointment of experienced and knowledgeable members.’

‘We look forward to welcoming the new Council members, and to working together in the years ahead on behalf of the people of Aotearoa | New Zealand.’

The new medical practitioner members of Council are:

  • Professor Marie Bismark | A psychiatrist, public health physician, health lawyer, and company director. She divides her time between the Kapiti Coast, New Zealand and Melbourne, Australia; and 
  • Dr Alexandra Muthu | An Occupational and Environmental Physician with a career-long interest in worker health and wellbeing, sustainable work, and healthy workplaces.

The following Council members were reappointed by the Minister:

  • Dr Stephen Child | A General Physician with an interest in Respiratory Medicine who is a consultant with the Department of General Medicine at Auckland DHB.
  • Dr Ainsley Goodman | urgent care physician and general practitioner whose career experience has been diverse, including emergency medicine, telehealth and as a civilian doctor in the military.

Both reappointments are for a further three-year term.

The new appointments see Dr Curtis Walker and Dr Pamela Hale stepping down from Council, effective from 30 June 2024.  Dr Love acknowledged the contributions of both Drs Walker and Hale during their terms as Council members.  

Other members of Council are:

  • Dr Rachelle Love (Chair)
  • Dr Kenneth (Ken) Clark
  • Dr Charles Hornabrook
  • Dr David Ivory
  • Dr Hinamaha Lutui
  • Kim Ngārimu
  • Professor Ron Paterson
  • Mr Simon Watt

For more information please contact:

Janette Deed
Kaitohutohu Mātāmua – Whitiwhiti Kōrero | Principal Communications Adviser 
E: jdeed@mcnz.org.nz