Simeon Brown needs to be honest about how much more money he expects Health New Zealand to cut from its budget to get back in the black.

“National has chosen to underfund our health system and expects Health New Zealand to make even more cuts - but won’t say how much,” Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said.

“Health New Zealand, which runs our hospitals and other healthcare services, was already $1.1 billion in the red. Funds needed to deal with a growing population and inflation are instead servicing the deficit.

“In today’s scrutiny week hearing, Simeon Brown pretended that all the new money from this year’s Budget would go on frontline services, but most of it will be swallowed by Health New Zealand’s $1.1 billion deficit.

“New Zealanders deserve to know where their money is going. They also deserve timely, quality care both in the community at their local doctor’s office, or in hospital should they need it. Simeon Brown is failing on both points.

“Simeon Brown’s refusal to answer basic questions—like how much further he’s prepared to slash Health New Zealand’s budget, or which parts of the health system are on the chopping block—shows a worrying lack of transparency. What is he hiding from New Zealanders?

“National is making cuts to services New Zealanders rely on and is not even brave enough tell us what they are,” Ayesha Verrall said.

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