Ryall Tony: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Ryall Tony: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:634;Page:5335] 
6.  
Hon TONY RYALL (National—Bay of Plenty) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: What effect is the radiographers’ strike having on elective surgery and emergency departments of public hospitals and how many patients will be affected by this industrial action? 
Hon PETE HODGSON (Minister of Health) 
: 
 As a result of thorough planning by district health boards affected the impact of the strike has thus far been mitigated significantly. Regardless the impact on patients will be substantial. It is something I hope both parties will remember when they finally resume talks. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: What did the Minister mean when he told the media today that this is not a big strike—involving only 200 or 300 people out of a workforce of 70000—when this strike has brought 14 public hospitals to their knees with thousands of patients being turned away and why does he not measure the strike by the number of patients affected instead of the number of people causing the chaos? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: If the member had been attending to all of the press conference he refers to he would have seen that I did. 
Maryan Street 
: What protections are in place to ensure that patients needing very urgent attention can be cared for in the event of a strike? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: Under reforms introduced by the Labour-led Government both district health boards and unions are required by law to provide life-preserving services in the event of a strike. They have been arranged for the current strike and I can advise the House that to the best of my knowledge these services have so far been called on four times today. I thank all health professionals working in our public hospitals. The next 2½ days will be difficult and the Government appreciates the efforts of all involved. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Given that the Minister told the striking radiographers and the district health board that he wishes them “every good luck” to resolve the strike what would he say to the thousands of patients affected by the strike some with cancer and other life-threatening conditions and would he wish them every good luck? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: I repeat the remarks I made earlier that under reforms introduced by the Labour-led Government both district health boards and unions are required by law to provide life-preserving services in the event of a strike. So far today to the best of my knowledge there have been four such incidents—I think all of them were in Canterbury—and no doubt others will occur as the week goes by. So far those life-preserving services have been provided without difficulty. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: What action besides wishing the strike parties “every good luck” is the Minister taking to get these 14 hospitals working again and does he think that taxpayers are paying him $1000 a day as Minister of Health to sit on his hands and rely on the goddess of chance to fix this crisis? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: Let me introduce the member to a fact that he is clearly unaware of which is that I am neither the employer nor the employee. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: When in order to fit the thousands of patients affected by the strike back into the system other patients will be pushed over the 6-month waiting list cut-off does the Government not realise that Minister Hodgson’s inaction will worsen the waiting list cull which is up to 27000 patients already? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: The member speaks of thousands more than will be the case. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Will the Minister confirm that yesterday he issued a call for the strike parties to return to the negotiating table—and they did not; and does he not realise that across provincial New Zealand thousands of patients face disruption and suffering from his neglect and faith in the goddess of chance? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: Yes I am aware that people who are already sick are having their lives further disrupted by the strike action and I say to both parties that I urge them to take that into account when they next meet. 
Jo Goodhew 
: What would the Minister say to Michael Gordon of Timaru who has had his urgently needed surgery to remove malignant brain tumours delayed because of the strike; would he say “every good luck” to that man? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: I would say to that man that if the service he needs is a life-preserving one then under New Zealand law he will get it.