Minister King 'Saves' Plunket Line - Yeah Right

Thursday 8 Jul 2004 Heather Roy Press Releases -- Health

ACT New Zealand Health Spokesman Heather Roy today called on Health Minister Annette King to front up to Kiwis, and explain just how she thinks she will `save' Plunket Line by taking it off Plunket, and handing it over to the gargantuan Australia/US company McKesson.

"Before the 1999 election, Prime Minister Helen Clark and Ms King won the support of New Zealand mothers by promising them that Plunket Line would never close," Mrs Roy said.

"What Miss Clark and Ms King didn't say was that they would quite happily sell Plunket Line off to the Australian branch of America's 16^th largest company - a company with an annual turnover of more than $NZ75 billion.

"The fact that a Labour Prime Minister would break such a pledge, and give away a uniquely New Zealand service, must have Plunket founder Sir Truby King spinning in his grave.

"Plunket Line receives around 80,000 calls a year, and the service it provides is invaluable, having helped hundreds of thousands of mothers and their babies over generations.

"Ms King must front up and tell mothers why she is selling Plunket Line out, how much money she expects to save, and why this money is now more important than helping mothers and their babies with a dedicated Plunket Line," Mrs Roy said.

ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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