Doctor at centre of free speech row appointed to Medical Council
Monday, 27 July 2026
A senior Auckland anaesthetist whose anonymous social media account became the focus of a high-profile Free Speech Union (FSU) campaign over scrutiny of practitioners’ personal views has been appointed by the Government to the Medical Council.
Dr Manoja Kalupahana - the anonymous X (formerly Twitter) commentator known as “Momo” - has been appointed by Health Minister Simeon Brown to the statutory body responsible for regulating New Zealand's 20,000 doctors.
In 2023, Kalupahana’s social media activity became the subject of a workplace complaint and media scrutiny.
A Stuff reporter contacted her seeking comment about her online posts and their relevance to her role as a doctor. No story was published.
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The case became a cause célèbre for the FSU, which argued it showed health professionals could face consequences for expressing lawful opinions outside their clinical roles.
While Kalupahana was still anonymous, the organisation mobilised supporters around the Momo “case”. In a September 2023 message to FSU supporters, lawyer Stephen Franks described her as a senior health practitioner and said protecting her could “help turn the tide” for other health sector workers who wanted to speak without fear of professional consequences.
Franks framed the dispute as part of a wider battle over whether employers and professional bodies should scrutinise practitioners’ political expression outside work. He encouraged supporters to write to the reporter, who no longer works for Stuff, and a senior editor. They received hundreds of emails.
The FSU later used the case as an example for a broader campaign pushing a proposed bill which would restrict regulators’ ability to take disciplinary action over lawful personal expression unrelated to professional practice.
Kalupahana’s appointment was confirmed in the Gazette on Friday and announced by Brown on the Beehive website on Monday.
The announcement, which was not distributed to media through the usual ministerial media channels, said four new members had been appointed to the Medical Council, including Kalupahana, alongside Derek Sherwood, Roderick Mulgan and Andie Cook. Two existing members were also reappointed.
The announcement did not outline the appointments process or whether candidates were recommended by the Medical Council.
The appointment comes after Brown moved to reshape the leadership of the Medical Council. In June, The Post revealed Brown had declined to reappoint chairperson Rachelle Love and deputy chair Simon Watt. He criticised the Council for pursuing what he described as an “ideological agenda”. The Post understood both Love and Watt retained the support of the Council to continue in their roles when their terms expired in August. Brown said ministerial appointments were ultimately a matter for ministers.
On Monday, the Medical Council said it was not involved in selecting Kalupahana for the role.
Council chairperson Kenneth Clark said members were appointed by the Minister of Health under the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act and that “the decision about who is appointed to Council rests with the Minister”.
He said the Council “was not asked to recommend or endorse Dr Manoja Kalupahana’s appointment” and was not involved in assessing or commenting on candidates beyond its statutory role.
Brown did not answer questions by The Post. In a statement via a spokesperson he said she was “a highly respected clinician who, according to the Ministry of Health, showed an understanding of the statutory role, functions, and regulatory responsibilities of the Council”.
Kalupahana’s LinkedIn bio says she has 18 years’ experience at Health New Zealand’s Waitematā district, in paediatric anaesthesia, clinical governance and recruitment.
She is also a director of private specialist practice Anaesthesia Auckland, has served as an anaesthetic adviser with Mobile Health Group and has held governance roles including with the Auckland Medicolegal Society and the Southern Cross Brightside Hospital Clinical Governance
In an October 2023 blog, Kalupahana wrote: “…my troubles began when I got involved in a dispute over a tweet regarding a gentleman denied entry to a Perth pub due to his Maori facial tattoo, which covers half his face.
“I commented that such a practice was cultural but not applicable in Australia, and my comment was perceived as aggressive. This, coupled with an older tweet in which I criticized an iwi for withdrawing support for the Kermadec Marine Sanctuary, led to accusations of racism. As I had also retweeted well-known academics debating gender issues and condemned violence at the Posie Parker protests, I was unjustly labeled as transphobic.”
Kalupahana said on Monday she was “honoured” by the appointment.