Hon David Cunliffe
Minister of Health

10 October 2008

Nat’s health policy doesn’t add up

The National Party policy on waiting lists shows they either have no new ideas about health or they aren’t telling New Zealanders the whole story.

Minister of Health David Cunliffe said the National Party plan simply didn’t add up and was a pale, unimaginative and unworkable imitation of current Labour Party policy.

“Either John Key can’t add or he simply isn’t giving the New Zealand public the full picture. I note Mr Key doesn’t tell us where these additional 800 frontline health workers going to come from.”

“Mr Key is being deliberately misleading or he simply can’t do his sums. Either way, such a man is not fit to be Prime Minister.”

Mr Cunliffe said the only way the National Party could make its figures for theatre construction work was by privatisation.

“In September last year they left the fact they intended to allow GP fees to sky rocket out of their health discussion document. Today they have clearly left the privatisation agenda out of their policy.”

Mr Cunliffe recently announced an $81 million development at Hutt Valley, which is four new theatres, an expanded A and E department and the supporting infrastructure for these.”

Mr Cunliffe said under Labour there were more doctors and nurses, more elective surgeries, more hospitals and more people seeing primary health care providers.

“A quick look at the electives figures show that the health service is already achieving substantial growth. Provisional figures for 2007/2008 show an increase of over 12,000 additional elective surgeries over the past two years.”

“This means the National Party plan of an additional 4100 procedures from last year would be a reduction in the growth already being driven in the health sector.”

“Labour has undertaken a massive health infrastructure project in the last nine years, during which we’ve built seven new hospitals, refurbished eight, and built or redeveloped 10 specialist units. There are also another three redevelopment projects and five major hospital redevelopments nearing completion. That’s a $2.5 billion commitment to the future of New Zealand.”

“This latest slippery use of figures makes it clear Mr Key can’t be trusted and the public will judge him on that.

ENDS

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