Friday 1st Sep 2000
Ken Shirley
Media Release -- Health

ACT’s Health spokesman, Ken Shirley, has demanded assurances from the Government that the health settlements announced today for the Junior doctors will not come at the expense of spending on health services such as operations.

“We already know that there is no money in the budget for this” says Mr Shirley.

The budget increase was the lowest for health in five years, and a number of hospital chiefs have conceded that there is no money in their budgets for the wage increases.

“The government has refused to put extra money into health, so one has to ask where the money will come from.” He says.

“I suspect that it will be at the expense of other health services and am concerned that the government may be putting lives at risk.”

“I have formally asked the Health Minister for an assurance that other health services will not suffer, and that peoples lives will not be put at risk from any changes to resource allocations.” He says.

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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