Stewart Barbara: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
Stewart Barbara: Debate on Prime Minister’s Statement 
[Volume:606;Page:3418] 
BARBARA STEWART (NZ First) 
: 
 I am really pleased to contribute in this first debate of the year. Yesterday in her speech the Prime Minister spoke about children and young people being the future of the nation. Unfortunately the New Zealand Living Standards report and the OECD report on social indicators make very grim reading for New Zealand and this Government. New Zealand First believes that the potential development of a significant number of young people is at risk and some of the reasons for that can be directly linked to poverty in New Zealand.  
Family poverty is becoming increasingly evident in the area of dental health. The rate of tooth decay in children is rising rapidly because sugar drinks are the cheapest drinks for families to purchase. That is an appalling state of affairs for a nation with a dairy economy. Has any emphasis or teaching been put into schools to educate our children about the prevention of tooth decay? The answer is a resounding no. The district health boards have insufficient funding for the dental therapists to carry out this function. Prevention is always better than cure and it is far less expensive than the drilling filling or extraction routine. Additional funding for dental therapists to carry out this aspect of health education in schools is absolutely essential and would save essential valuable health dollars. The old saying “a stitch in time saves nine” definitely applies to this aspect of health education. Dental therapists are at schools on a relatively regular basis in most areas of New Zealand and are a very professional and accessible resource. The bottom line is that all children in New Zealand should know how to use a toothbrush and toothpaste and how best to prevent or minimise tooth decay. We all had the benefit of that health education and awareness at school and so should our children.  
This essential service is underfunded and under-resourced. The dental service is a quality service and it deserves recognition for the part it plays in ensuring the well-being and health of our children. Fluoridation of water particularly in Northland would assist children. A group advocated for this at Waitangi on Waitangi Day but unfortunately funding is an issue for councils. Child health and reducing the rate of decay in our children’s teeth are not priorities for local councils; rather the Government is responsible for these and New Zealand First challenges the Government to act on the matter. The Prime Minister’s speech recognised that the future depends on our children and young people. It is now time for the Labour Government to get serious and invest in the dental health of our children.  
The Prime Minister’s speech mentioned that legislation on asset testing is to be prepared. Action is urgently required in this area and it has been for some time. Unfortunately nothing in the speech mentioned any time frame for implementation. New Zealand First believes that any policy designed to impoverish our senior citizens is destructive and shortsighted. I recall like many others that in 1999 the Labour Government said that it would remove asset testing in its first term of Government but did this happen? No it did not. Is this lack of action to continue in this term? We have all heard these same words before. 
Debate interrupted.