3. Hon RUTH DYSON (Labour—Port Hills) Link to this
to the Minister of Health
Does he stand by his statement that “we are living through a time of serious financial pressure both internationally and domestically”?
Hon TONY RYALLSo why did he waste more than $100,000 of taxpayer money cancelling a primary health care conference, and was it his embarrassment over that wasted money that caused him to refuse my request for details of the cancellation until the Ombudsman instructed him to release it?
As that member knows, the cancellation of that conference saved the health sector several hundred thousand dollars.
Why does the Minister claim to listen to front-line health workers, but then spend over $100,000 on cancelling a great opportunity to listen to front-line health workers?
As that member knows, cancellation of that contract saved the public health service several hundred thousand dollars. Many of the people attending the conference would have been flying at the taxpayer’s expense; they were also to have their accommodation paid for. Money is very scarce in the New Zealand public health service, and I would rather put it into more important areas.
Dr Jackie BlueYes, they are serious financial pressures, made somewhat harder by the fact that the previous Government cut $150 million out of the health budget over 2 years. Half of all new spending over the next 4 years is going to health; this is a reflection of the Government’s priorities. The increase in funding for the district health boards is a record $530 million. Although the district health boards will make their own decisions, any changes to services will not be as a result of a shortage of Government funding.
Did the Minister cancel the conference because he knew that his decision to under-resource the primary health care sector in this year’s Budget would force doctors to raise their fees by 6.5 percent this year?
Official documents will make it clear that the Government is in fact investing much more in primary health care, and has increased subsidies for general practitioner visits.
Well, the 6.5 percent cap should be compared with a 6.1 percent increase approved by the previous Labour Government, but actually the increase in the general practitioner subsidy this year is higher than the increase in that year.
Did the Minister cancel the conference because he knows that New Zealanders will be outraged that the lower doctors’ fees and prescription charges brought in by Labour are now under direct threat, and neither he nor John Key wants to be filmed at any negative event?
There are no direct threats to funding for primary health care, unlike the direct threat approved by that member’s benchmate, David Cunliffe, who last year, in the month before the election, cut $17.5 million from primary health organisation income, cut $10 million from the funding pool for people with disabling chronic medical conditions, and cut $20 million—
Hon Ruth Dyson: I seek leave to table the evaluation of the cancellation of the primary health care conference, which shows that the total cost incurred by its cancellation is $113,491 of taxpayers’ money.
Mr SPEAKER