Chadwick Steve: General Debates 
Chadwick Steve: General Debates 
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STEVE CHADWICK (Labour—Rotorua) 
: 
 I am delighted to speak in this debate today. At least New Zealand First has a policy. I say: “Bring it on New Zealand First. You’ve got a policy that says you will double the number of police.” That says a lot more than National is saying about its policy on health. National’s policy is all over the show. Today this Labour-led Government is putting its money where its mouth is. We are the best Government for health. We have had a signature announcement today that shows our commitment to health. We have shown a doubling of resources and funding going into orthopaedic surgery and no one in this House can carp at that—even that doctor sitting opposite. We are proud of our announcement. In fact “hip op” today for the Prime Minister of New Zealand and the Minister of Health! 
In my community of Rotorua we are to nearly double hip and knee surgery. That is a huge commitment. All over the country those surgical procedures will be increasing until 2009 and that is big news for the older people of our country. The district health boards with their community representatives will decide where those extra elective operations will be done. We are not even opposed to tenders coming in from private hospitals although the Opposition seems to state constantly that we are opposed to that philosophical approach. We have put capital funds into developing facilities for this surgery and we have even announced some positions for specialist nurses so that they can develop their skills in orthopaedic surgery. Today is a wonderful day for the older people around the country. It is wonderful also for us to have a close look at the policies we are seeing emerge from National—if it gets its way. 
I want to talk about one of our other keystone Crown entities that we think is a bit of a flagship. It is Pharmac. In our eyes it does a damn good job. It has actually saved millions of dollars in the health budget of this country—millions of dollars that we have invested into health services. Why on earth would Dr Hutchison go out there and say that a free-trade agreement with America is more important to National than Pharmac that Pharmac will be reviewed and that Pharmac will go? What an appalling expedient remark supported by the Leader of the Opposition—it will be gone; gone by lunchtime! That is quite clear. In fact that is about the only clear thing we are seeing other than that public health organisations will be scrapped and that is National’s health policy. It is tragic absolutely tragic. 
Will Dr Brash over there make political decisions for his mates as to who will get access to subsidised drugs? Pharmac will be gone. It will probably be those old mates in National who can pay their support to the party who will get their drugs. Brash will slash and he will be supported by his doctor mates—Dr Hutchison and Dr Scott. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: Will the member please withdraw. 
STEVE CHADWICK 
: I withdraw. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. For saying exactly the same thing I was asked to leave the House this afternoon. I would suggest that in the interests of consistency the member on her feet should be asked to leave the House. It would also be a kind mercy; the rest of us will not have to listen to her. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: No. The member will continue her speech. 
STEVE CHADWICK 
: We are also very aware that “Dr Slash” over there— 
Simon Power 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Many times in this House during general debates you have pointed to the fact that members must be referred to by their correct titles and I would ask you to enforce that particular rule on this member. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: For once I am going to agree with the member. I think the “Slashing Dr Hutchison” would be a better approach. 
The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (H V Ross Robertson) 
: No no that just compounds the situation and actually leads to disorder. The word is out of context. Can I ask the member to withdraw and apologise. 
STEVE CHADWICK 
: I withdraw and apologise but I must say that it makes one feel rather uncomfortable; the policy to slash Pharmac is something we all should be very afraid of. Pharmaceutical companies international companies are exerting huge pressure on other countries not to control their pharmaceutical costs. Do we want to be at their mercy especially for the cost of a free-trade agreement? No this is indeed a very mean and “brash” prescription. Pharmac has been supported in the past and I congratulate those luminaries in the Opposition who did understand about pharmaceutical subsidies and prioritisation. Wyatt Creech Bill English Jenny Shipley and Simon Upton all understood about Pharmac the need to have a system of prioritisation and the need to put that system in the hands of skilled clinicians and definitely not politicians and bureaucrats. I would not want to see Pharmac go. Dr Brash does admit to not knowing much about health. He does understand that patients are economic units of value and not people but this party over here certainly puts patients before profits.