Former Health Minister and outgoing National MP Jonathan Coleman hung up during a live interview with Radio New Zealand on Friday morning.
He was being questioned on Morning Report about whether he knew about mould growing in the walls at Middlemore Hospital in south Auckland over the past few years.
- DHB slammed for slow progress on rotting Middlemore Hospital buildings
- Sickening state of Auckland hospital buildings revealed
- Jonathan Coleman resigns from politics
Journalist Susie Ferguson said a former Counties Manukau DHB chair told her the mould growing in the walls was "common knowledge" in Wellington.
She asked how Dr Coleman didn't know when he was the Health Minister at the time, and he said he simply wasn't told.
Dr Coleman became frustrated and said he hadn't been informed that he'd be questioned about Middlemore Hospital.
"This is not the topic of the interview so I'm bit disappointed that once again Radio New Zealand rang up and said they wanted an interview on something which was simply my exit from politics and then make it about something else," he said.
"Anyway have a great day...I'm leaving politics so thanks very much Susie. Bye-bye," he said before hanging up the phone.
Morning Report has since tweeted that Dr Coleman's staff were told via email last night that he'd be questioned on Middlemore Hospital.
The email said: "Interview would be along lines of whether [Dr] Coleman had any knowledge of the state of Middlemore Hospital buildings during his time as Minister of Health."
Ms Ferguson has tweeted that she had "a whole string of questions about him leaving Parliament that didn't get asked".
Newshub.
