Tony Ryall MP
National Party Health Spokesman

23 October 2008

More Cunliffe scaremongering

National Party Health spokesman Tony Ryall says poor old David Cunliffe has been reduced to jumping at shadows as National rolls out its comprehensive strategy to help get the health system delivering better, sooner, more convenient healthcare.

“He’s clearly got no ideas of his own, because he’s now resorting to Labour’s election tactic of spreading misinformation in a bid to try to scare New Zealanders. Kiwis will see through this sad tactic.”

Mr Ryall says Mr Cunliffe has issued a statement claiming National will cut prescription subsidies.

“This is untrue.”

As recently as September, National was ruling out changes to prescription subsidies. Asked about the subsidies for GP fees, Mr Ryall said: ‘In fact, over time these subsidies will only go up. There will be no change to prescription charges’.

“If Mr Cunliffe really was ‘running the show’ he’d know the difference between the supply and the demand side of the medicines argument. The demand side has bi-partisan support, it is the supply side which National has focused on today.

“Instead of trying to scare New Zealanders, Mr Cunliffe should be focused on providing a health service that put patients ahead of bureaucrats. That’s what National is doing.”

ENDS

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