Judith Collins National Party Health Spokeswoman

18 November 2004

Screening audit shows hiding stats hurt Maori

National's Health spokeswoman, Judith Collins, says the Ministry of Health's Cervical Screening Audit shows that hiding the cervical cancer statistics for Maori women for so long has put their health at risk.

Ms Collins says the health cervical screening kaitiaki regulations have prevented the access and dissemination of cervical cancer rates among Maori.

She says the statistics have been hidden for too long, and that this is part of the reason why Maori cervical screening levels are so low.

"If Maori women knew their cervical cancer rates were so high, they would be more inclined to get screened.

"Maori women deserve to know the facts. Information, like that made available today, is the only way to encourage fuller participation in the cervical screening programme.

"It is time the Government reviewed the workings of regulations," says Mrs Collins.

ENDS

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>