11. Hon TONY RYALL (National—Bay of Plenty) Link to this
to the Prime Minister
Does she stand by her statement, “What I’m satisfied by is that PlunketLine, in terms of calls picked up, was not providing a good service”; if so, what did she mean by “not providing a good service”?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK (Prime Minister) Link to this
Yes, because the rate of calls not picked up was high, at 87.3 percent in the year to December 2005. Plunket’s Well Child health advice itself is excellent and the Government is now discussing with Plunket and McKessons where to take the issue from here.
Has the Prime Minister bothered to find out why the answer rate was so low, and if she has, did she find out that PlunketLine was contracted to answer only 58,000 to 70,000 calls a year and in fact answered 76,000 calls this year, and the reason why people did not know that information—that PlunketLine could not answer more calls—was, as the president of Plunket has confirmed today, that her Government expressly prohibited them from answering any more calls?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
On the contrary, I have received advice that Plunket was offered funding for more calls and did not take up the offer.
Sue KedgleyWhy would the Government allow a trusted and widely respected organisation like Plunket, with a century of experience in helping New Zealand parents, and that sees 91 percent of New Zealand babies, to be passed over for a subsidiary of a multinational corporation that has recently been involved in settling claims that it defrauded the US Defense Department?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
I have worked with Plunket for many years and know it provides a good Well Child health service, and the Government is now working with Plunket to take the matter forward.
Is she the same Helen Clark who led a nationwide petition to fully fund a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week PlunketLine service, and why has she now frozen Plunket out from delivering this vital extension of its services?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
Yes, just as Dr Brash is the leader of the same party that refused to give the service a penny in the 1990s, and further, I can say the Government will be funding a 24-hour Well Child health service. That is what the whole issue is about.
Is she the same Helen Clark who stated: “We see real value in PlunketLine, and we want it to receive Government funding.”; if so, what did she mean by that?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
Exactly the reason a Labour Government funds 24-hour Well Child health services—something the National Party never did.
Is she the same Helen Clark who stated: “I want to make a special plea for Government funding for PlunketLine. It was Labour’s policy to fund it because we have been very impressed by the service. With more funding to operate more lines, with more nurses, it could have been even better.”?
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
Absolutely, just as that member is from the same party that complained in this House 2 years ago that PlunketLine was answering only one in nine calls.
Judy TurnerWill the Prime Minister be prepared to support my notice of motion on tomorrow’s Order Paper that: “This House calls for the Government to ensure funding to enable PlunketLine to continue its service to young New Zealand families?”
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
No, I do not propose to take up Government time with that. If the member from a party that does enjoy a constructive relationship with the Government would like to come and discuss the issue, I would be very happy for her to have a briefing.
Jo GoodhewCan the Prime Minister confirm that she is the same Helen Clark who championed the postcard campaign “Don’t Let the Hotline Go Cold”, and the same Helen Clark who has completely frozen the iconic Plunket service out of delivering a vital service to New Zealand families? [ Interruption]
Madam SPEAKERRt Hon HELEN CLARK Link to this
I imagine the member is talking to the same Plunket organisation that agreed to go into an open tender process. I understand that the member is from the same political party that attacked the Government for not tendering $1.5 million worth of contracts, when this was a $2 million one.
I seek leave to table a newspaper article in which the president of Plunket confirms that the Clark ministry expressly prohibited Plunket from answering more calls.