Axing Hospital Kitchens a Step Too Far for Regional NZ
Barbara Stewart MP
Spokesperson for
Health
10 April 2013
Axing Hospital Kitchens a Step Too Far for Regional NZ
Government plans to close all hospital kitchens across the country would be a kick in the teeth to provincial New Zealand which is being ignored by the Government.
New Zealand First Health spokesperson Barbara Stewart says the kitchen closures would result in up to 1300 people losing their jobs.
“It is unclear at this stage exactly how many jobs would be lost in provincial New Zealand under the plan to replace freshly cooked food with microwaveable ‘TV dinners’.
“But many regions are suffering so much now that even the loss of a few jobs would cause serious economic and social pain.”
Mrs Stewart says New Zealand First believes the health system needs to be run in an economically prudent fashion but scrapping kitchens is a step too far.
“The Government’s cost-cutting measures are out of control. It is clear that they don’t have the best interests of New Zealand and hard-working New Zealanders at heart.”
ENDS