Call to Bring in Free GP Visits Immediately

Free GP visits for six to 12s – great steal, but why not now?

“It’s a Budget 2014 promise, straight out of New Zealand First policy, but the Government is making families wait more than a year, till 1 July 2015, to do it,” says New Zealand First Leader Rt Hon Winston Peters.

“Like much in Budget 2014 there is nothing right now, it is all coming in next year and some of it in 2020. This is the price of the so-called surplus.

“We challenge the Government to implement the free visits and prescriptions right now.

“It’s not expensive, much less than the free visits for under sixes, which New Zealand First introduced, and the cost for the increased age is just $30 million per annum.

“The Government will save that in avoiding hospital costs.

“National has pilfered the New Zealand First policy but has failed in the commitment we would give it immediately,” says Mr Peters.

“The Government is running scared in this election, and raiding other party’s policies.

“But they do say that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery.

“We are happy for Kiwi families, many of whom will have read our policy which states: ‘we will extend New Zealand First’s initiative (1997) of free doctor’s visits and prescriptions to include all primary school children, and after hours and weekends’.

“Meanwhile the families initiative at over $500 million over four years will be all eaten up by increased immigration costs to cover the staggering net migration of 41,000 per year,” says Mr Peters.

ENDS

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