Police want delay in cannabis legislation
The medical cannabis legislation introduced by the incoming Government would give people who are dying a legal out clause from using cannabis, but would keep it a crime to grow or supply them with...
View ArticleWoodhouse appointed to Opposition health role
A National shuffle was required after Jonathan Coleman announced his resignation from Parliament. Simon Bridges has appointed Michael Woodhouse to replace him as Opposition spokesperson for Health....
View ArticleHealth funding ‘crisis’
Health spending has always been under pressure.Is it now a crisis? ‘Crisis’ suggests an unusually critical situation, but health under funding has long been an ailment. Health care has increased...
View ArticleMiddlemore hospital sewerage problems were politicised shit fight
Claims that sewerage had leaked into the walls of buildings at Middlemore Hospital and were an alarming health risk created headlines, but afterwards questions were more quietly asked. It has now been...
View ArticleQ+A: Minister of Health David Clark
On Q+A this morning Corin Dann will be interviewing Health Minister David Clark. I hope there are things of substance to answer questions on. Some health issues have been deferred to committees, like...
View ArticleHealth Minister: “we won’t be able to afford everything straight away”
Minister of Health David Clark has conceded on Q&A that there is not enough money available to pay for all Labour’s election promises, like reduced doctors fees and pay equity for nurses. He blames...
View ArticleMental health crisis talk, but no urgency walk
There have been claims that our health system is in crisis. I guess it depends on what constitutes a crisis. Speaking out of one side of his mouth Minister of Health David Clark says that parts of the...
View ArticleMore from Minister of Health on GP fees promise
Minister of Health David Clark was pushed again today on the apparent decision to not fulfil an election promise to reduce GP fees by 1 July this year. 5. Hon MICHAEL WOODHOUSE (National) to the...
View ArticleMajor review of health system
This one is called a Review but it seems to be similar to the scores of working groups and committees and inquiries set up by the Government. A major health Review, to be chaired by Heather Simpson,...
View ArticleNation: Health Minister David Clark
On Newshub Nation this morning: Budget 2018 pledged around $4 billion to fix the ailing health system. We ask Health Minister David Clark if that’s enough, and what areas are going to take priority....
View ArticleSuggestions Health Minister tried to gag hospital staff
A week that began with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced she would be staying away from Parliament as the birth of her child nears has become very messy for the Government, with Winston Peters...
View ArticleConsensus government or an awful mess?
It’s certainly been a messy week for the Government. Is it a sign of a bigger, awful mess? Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern tried to paper over some of this weeks cracks by claiming it was consensus...
View ArticleNurses reject large pay offer, Government says no more available
Nurses have rejected a half billion dollar pay offer. In response Health Minister David Clark says there is no more money available to “fix nine years of underfunding in one pay round”. They have been...
View ArticleSignificant pay settlement for mental health workers
Community and institutional mental health care has been deficient ever since mental hospitals were mostly emptied several decades ago. Last year when 55,000 aged and disability residential care, and...
View ArticleQuietly scrapped national health targets, no replacement yet
Health Minister David Clark has decided to quietly scrap national health targets, without debate, without evidence, and without anything yet but a vague promise to replace them with. There is nothing...
View ArticleCalls for more funding for cochlear implants fall on deaf ears, reduced instead
The Government has cancelled funding for cochlear implants after a successful campaign last year pushed the previous Government to give a funding boost. Further campaigns this year have fallen on deaf...
View ArticlePolice disappointed in scrapping of mental health pilot scheme
National’s spokesperson on the police, Chris Bishop, has uncovered the scrapping of a pilot project that would have added mental health expertise to front line policing. The Government’s decision to...
View ArticleCannabis referendum could be binding
A cannabis referendum (on recreational use) is part of the confidence and supply agreement between the Greens and Labour, and has been promised before or at the 2020 election. The Government is...
View ArticleCannabis bill labouring under legislative laziness
Labour has made a mess (so far) of their attempt to appease people wanting cannabis for medicinal purposes. John Roughan describes this as a symptom of legislative laziness in Two big concerns for...
View ArticleDavid Clark accused of cronyism after appointing another ex-Labour MP
Minister of Health David Clark has been accused of cronyism after he appointed former Labour MP Steve Maharey as new chair of Pharmac, against the advice of officials, and without following State...
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