Robertson Grant: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Robertson Grant: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:671;Page:18184] 
3. 
GRANT ROBERTSON (Labour—Wellington Central) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: To what does he attribute the reported 300 percent increase in doctors leaving New Zealand for Australia since 2010? 
Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health) 
: 
 I attribute those reported comments to a single medical recruitment company that is in the business of attracting clients. The flow of doctors in and out of New Zealand is a longstanding challenge for a number of reasons and is ongoing in some specialties in particular. The latest comprehensive data has confirmed that since November 2008 we have over 500 extra doctors and over 1000 extra nurses working in the New Zealand public health service. 
Grant Robertson 
: What responsibility does he take as Minister for reports that the New Zealand medical workforce is “critically understaffed” as a result of doctors heading to Australia and that as a result doctors in New Zealand have workloads that are “extremely unsafe”? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: The latest comprehensive data as I said earlier on would indicate that since November 2008 we have over 500 extra doctors and over 1000 extra nurses working in the New Zealand public health system. If we had an outflow of doctors of the level that that member may be suggesting we would not have that level of increased front-line staff in our hospitals. Having said that there are challenges remaining in a number of important specialties. 
Grant Robertson 
: Has he received advice on the reports that doctors who are leaving to go to Australia for short periods are now moving there permanently; if so what did that advice say? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: I do not recall getting any specific advice suggesting what the member opposite has suggested. I do know that we have increased numbers of doctors and nurses working in the public health service. For example in the last 2 years of the National Government the number of doctors working at the Auckland public hospital has increased by 148 and the number of nurses by 242. 
Grant Robertson 
: Does he recall the statement in 2008 from the then National spokesperson on health a Mr Tony Ryall that National’s policies would slow “the flood of health professionals to Australia” and given the 300 percent increase in doctors going to Australia in the last year how would he rate his progress? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: First I would strongly dispute basing a claim on the comments of a medical recruitment company that is seeking to attract clients. The fact is that if there had been a threefold increase in the number of doctors leaving New Zealand we would not have increased the numbers of doctors working on the front line in our public hospitals by 500 nor would we have 1000 extra nurses working in our public hospitals. 
Grant Robertson 
: Does he consider he is adequately funding the health system to retain doctors in New Zealand or would he agree with the words of former Prime Minister Mike Moore: “When Tony Ryall talks of health issues am I the only person who hears the theme music from the ‘Jaws’ movie?” 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: That is so last century. 
Grant Robertson 
: I seek leave to table a column by former Prime Minister Mike Moore dated 6 February 2008—this century. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table the document from 2008. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Question time interrupted.