Ryall Tony: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Ryall Tony: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:631;Page:2825] 
8.  
Hon TONY RYALL (National—Bay of Plenty) 
 to the  
Prime Minister 
: What was the date and nature of the offer made to Plunket that she referred to in the House last week when she said “I have received advice that Plunket was offered funding for more calls and did not take up the offer.”? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK (Prime Minister) 
: 
 I am advised that on 5 July last year McKesson New Zealand Ltd which subcontracted the well child service to Plunket wrote to Plunket offering increased funding for an agreed number of calls above that specified in the service agreement. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Has she yet asked the basic question of her staff as to how many calls PlunketLine was actually contracted to make and has she asked her ministry why Plunket was required to sign a contract that expressly prohibited PlunketLine from answering more calls and expressly prohibited Plunket from commenting on that contracted number of calls? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I have ascertained that the subcontract with McKesson was for a figure of 140000 calls by the end of its 2-year contract on 30 June. I am further advised that Plunket neither has achieved nor is on track to achieve that target and I repeat as I said to the member last week that a rate of abandoned calls at 87.3 percent is not a good outcome. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Why does she—[ 
Interruption 
] Well I ask the member to wait because it is really good. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Would the member please proceed. Thank you. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Is she the same Helen Clark who stated: “I want to make a special plea for government funding of Plunket Line. It was Labour’s policy to fund it because we have been very impressed by the service. With more funding to operate more lines with more nurses it could have been even better.”? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: Yes and I confirm as I told the member in the original answer that Plunket was offered more funding to do more calls. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Is she the same Helen Clark who said: “We will back to the hilt our PlunketLine.” and why has she become so out of touch with New Zealanders on this issue? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I have worked very closely with Plunket over many many years and I also have a responsibility to make sure that a well child service is a good one. The contracted organisation was unable to meet the number of calls it was contracted for refused more money and abandoned 87.3 percent of the calls—it is a very strange Opposition that tells the Government to keep paying the money. 
Jo Goodhew 
: Has the Prime Minister seen reports that the New Zealand Nurses Organisation which is the union representing both PlunketLine and Healthline nurses has backed PlunketLine; and has she also reviewed the postcard campaign she championed which said: “Don’t Let the Hotline Go Cold” while she has been freezing out that very same PlunketLine? 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: I never thought I would hear the day when a National member of Parliament would quote a union in this House—in its favour. 
Jo Goodhew 
: I seek leave to table the press release from the New Zealand Nurses Organisation “Nurses Organisation Backs PlunketLine Petition” which states: “You can’t take the Plunket out of PlunketLine.” 
Madam SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. The Prime Minister’s answer to that question could hardly be considered to have addressed the question. It was an interesting comment—perhaps an observation on her part—but it did not address the question. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: I thank the member. I thought Jo Goodhew was going to raise the same point but she moved on to seek leave to table the document. Perhaps the Prime Minister would like to add a little to her answer please. 
Rt Hon HELEN CLARK 
: This Government is absolutely committed to funding 24-hour phone services which is something that that member’s party never did and we never heard her voice in advocacy.