Public health experts are raising alarm bells over government-imposed restrictions on their freedom to speak out, with tensions escalating between doctors and policymakers. Minister of Health Simeon Brown has reportedly had enough of health professionals weighing in on issues like fast food, instead urging them to focus solely on immunisation and technical advice. Dr. Matt Shelton of NZ Doctors Speaking Out with Science (NZDSOS), among other outspoken voices, warns that such censorship undermines the broader health conversation, particularly around lifestyle-related diseases like cancer and heart disease. Meanwhile, the saga of medical professionals facing disciplinary action for questioning mainstream narratives continues, with suggestions that financial and reputational ruin are being weaponised to silence dissent. As political influence seeps into public health—who benefits?