Tony Ryall MP
National Party Health Spokesman

3 September 2008

Cunliffe steals yet another National policy

“David Cunliffe has taken yet another National Party policy by announcing spot audits and public disclosure of audit reports on rest-homes,” says National Party Health spokesman Tony Ryall.

“Mr Cunliffe is adopting an impressive number of National’s policies. The list grew this morning when he quietly announced that Labour was poised to introduce National’s policy to conduct spot audits and improved public disclosure on rest-home performance.

"Every time a crisis occurs and he doesn’t know what to do, Mr Cunliffe turns to the National Party.

“Mr Cunliffe has taken several of the proposals in National’s Health Discussion Document.”

The list includes:

• Proposals for integrated health centres.

• More frontline involvement in the running of our hospitals.

• A pledge to reprioritise the army of bureaucrats.

• Voluntary bonding through student loans write-offs.

• Better co-operation between district health boards.

• Clinical networks to improve services particularly in provincial areas.

• Greater use of the independent sector.

Mr Ryall says Labour has been aware of problems with rest-home accountability for some time but it has been forced into action because of media scrutiny and political pressure.

"Only four months ago Mr Cunliffe was saying there was no problem. He tried exactly the same stunt by denying there was any nursing crisis, until the hard data that was released just this week proved he was wrong. And he will shortly admit there's a major workforce crisis within the medical profession, despite denying any problems only a few months ago.”

ENDS

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