Hodgson Pete: Budget Debate 
Hodgson Pete: Budget Debate 
[Volume:631;Page:3239] 
Hon PETE HODGSON (Minister of Health) 
: 
 I too am extremely happy. I am very very happy that 8 months ago when this country last went to the polls the decision was made that $11 billion worth of tax cuts tempting though that bribe may be would be set aside and that more New Zealanders would vote for a major party that said it wanted not to proceed with tax cuts and that it wanted not to proceed with the slash and burn that would go with it. 
I tell members that today the New Zealand health system receives an increase of three-quarters of a billion dollars—$750 million per year every year. That is the increase in this Budget today for health. It is about an 8 percent increase and it approximates the amount of money that a National-led Government would have had today in total not just for health but across all votes—for health and education for police and conservation for social welfare and for anything else that the Government of the day wishes to support. There is the difference. That is the increase in one vote—$750 million extra is going into health. It approximates the total new spending that a National Government had it ever been elected to office would have been spending today. That is the difference between investment and reckless unaffordable tax cuts. 
I am so pleased that the people of New Zealand made that choice despite the size of the bribe and despite the $1.2 million worth of assistance from the Exclusive Brethren. It was a wise choice and I am proud that the New Zealand—[ 
Interruption 
] Oh National members do not like me talking about the Exclusive Brethren. Instead they are saying that the interest-free policy on student loans is a bad idea. They should come to Dunedin North where I come from and see whether that lit fires under young lives. The first person whom I walked into and to whom I said that there will be no interest on student loans—a person in my office—promptly burst into tears and said: “I’ve got my life back.” That is what she said. She burst into tears and said: “I’ve got my life back.” She did not know that that was going to happen and her first response was to burst into tears. 
I say to those people who think that cancelling the interest on student loans was a bribe that if they think that punishing young lives and blighting them with that much debt that attracts that much interest is a good way to get ahead this Government strongly disagrees. “Ocker Don” thinks that. “Ocker Don” thinks that the idea is to stick a bunch of interest on young people’s lives to give tax cuts to the rich and to decide that that is the best way to emulate Australia. He is the same guy who screwed the hell out of the economy as soon as it tried to recover whenever it tried to recover at any time during the 1990s. He stuck his foot on its neck again screwed it down and then said there is a gap between Australian and New Zealand incomes. “Ocker Don” is the reason for part of that gap. 
Mr DEPUTY SPEAKER 
: A proper address for members please. 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: We need to reflect on what has already happened in the health system under this Government in 6 years. We need to reflect that there has been a hospital building or hospital extension programme that has involved or will involve 22 projects. The latest new hospital was opened in the Wairarapa the week before last. There are new hospitals or extensions to hospitals happening all around the country from Kaitaia to Invercargill. Not far from where we sit in this Chamber a new hospital is being built—an entire new hospital—in Wellington and so it is around the country. That is one of the things that can be done when one decides to invest in services and when one decides to invest in quality public services. 
Take a look at mental health. [ 
Interruption 
] As the member interjects—and I do not know who that member is—let us talk about mental health. I would say to that member that mental health expenditure has doubled under this Government. Is that a good thing? Is doubling the expenditure on mental health and ensuring that it is spent on mental health—ring-fencing it so it must be spent on mental health and improving the lives of New Zealanders who suffer from mental health conditions—a good thing? Because I am proud of it. 
Have we thought about the very remarkable success of the largest immunisation programme ever undertaken in our history against meningococcal B? Have we thought about how many people and how many children have died from meningococcal disease this year compared with 2 years ago? The numbers are startling. Those are young lives saved and young lives not blighted if the child survives—they often survive in a terrible condition—and that is a remarkable thing this country has had to do for itself because we had a disease that no one else had. 
I am delighted that we have put democracy back into health. The previous National Government took elected officials out of the health system in one night in the “mother of all Budgets” in 1999. Annette King put them back in they are here to stay and I am delighted about that. 
I am delighted at the primary health care strategy. I am delighted that most New Zealanders will have cheaper visits to doctors and that from 1 July next year the 45 to 64-year-olds will get their turn. They too will see a big reduction in the cost of going to a doctor and will see the benefits of having cheaper access to primary health. That will cost $110 million this year which will increase investment in health to $540 million per annum from 1 July. I am proud of it. Taxpayers are telling people who are sick that they will give them a break because each of us will be sick at some time in our lives. 
I am delighted that elective surgery is up 8 percent except where one looks at it on a case-weighted basis in which case it is up 15-odd percent. I am delighted that medical interventions are up by a little over 20 percent. I am delighted that we have more than doubled funding for home-based support services for New Zealanders who want to stay in their own home longer. That happened before this Budget and this Budget increases funding for home-based support services by 16 percent in 1 year. That is not the sort of thing a Government can do if it has reckless tax cuts on its mind. 
I am delighted to have the support in this House of other parties. I see Barbara Stewart and Ron Mark from New Zealand First. Ron Mark has just resumed his seat. He spoke passionately again about older people’s health. He did it again because New Zealand First has been doing that for a while. I am delighted that we have increased investment into home-based support services by 16 percent for older people. I am delighted that we have increased the investment into residential services by more than $40 million in 1 year. 
I acknowledge the support of United Future. Judy Turner makes a real contribution to the health debate in this country and Peter Dunne as an Associate Minister of Health is responsible for the long-term medicines project a job I am sure he will do well. 
I acknowledge the work of Sue Kedgley and the Greens who have looked at the issue of obesity especially childhood obesity through the lens of nutrition and have done so repeatedly with particularity and precisely— 
Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith 
: It is a shame they do not know much about nutrition. 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith has decided that the Greens do not know much about nutrition. Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith who took far too long to get his PhD ought to revise his view of what the Greens know of nutrition. I understand what the Greens know about nutrition and I say that Sue Kedgley is a champion for this issue. The Greens are champions for this issue. I also acknowledge Sue Bradford who has a much more intense understanding of mental health than Dr the Hon Lockwood Smith will ever have. 
I must say that I have not ever received much support from the ACT party or from the National Party. All they want to do is to ankle tap Pharmac. It is the most cost-effective part of our health system and they want to go after it. 
Chris Tremain 
: Who set Pharmac up? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: The previous National Government set Pharmac up. It was a great thing to have done. Simon Upton did it and now the National Party in its new incarnation—full of people who are not as clever as Simon Upton—wants to pull it to bits. I say that those people are wrong and that Simon Upton from the National Party was right. 
I also say that the idea of demanding tax breaks for people who take out private health insurance is a way of reducing cost-effectiveness not of improving cost-effectiveness but the National Party never sees that. The National Party’s call for part-charging in hospitals or for having a lack of universality in our primary health care system would deliver the sort of public health system that this country rejected soundly in the 1990s. 
I am delighted that we have doubled the increase in expenditure on promoting physical activity and nutrition. We will get on top of the issue of obesity by doubling funding in this area in 1 year. I am delighted that we have a 4-year child health package for oral health for rolling out well child checks and for the creation of a universal hearing screening programme for the newborn. I am happy I am proud and I think New Zealand will be too.