Clark DavidDr DAVID CLARK (Labour—Dunedin North): The first speaker in this debate the Hon Michael Woodhouse spoke about the health system and he sounded somewhat defensive I have to say. He mentioned that Opposition parties have talked about cuts in health funding. There has been a debate in the media over recent days pushed a little bit by the National Party. I suspect its focus groups and its polling are telling it that it is vulnerable in the area of healthcare because it has failed to invest in healthcare for New Zealanders. The Minister of Health today in front of our select committee began with a defensive gesture. He said: Opposition parties will tell you that there's been a shortfall in health funding of $1.7 billion. That's not true. We're putting in more money than ever." He said "We're putting in more money than ever. How can the Opposition parties say that?" and he concluded on a very similar note. I could see what was top of his mind. Of course we all know in this House that to put in more money than ever all you would have to do is put $1 more in and we all know that every year costs go up by more than that for New Zealand families. The figure that gets put in every year matters but what that figure is is the thing that matters the most—$1 will not cut it. We know that over the past years GP visits have gone up for example from $29 to over $40. That is more than $1. Families are facing growing costs and this Government is failing to invest adequately in the health sector. Just today an update from Infometrics was published that made it clear that this Government has short-funded the health sector by $2.3 billion—$2.3 billion—since 2009 and that $2.3 billion is coming at the cost of services. If you do not fund services enough to stand still which is what that $2.3 billion represents they go backwards and there have been cuts. In my own area the Southern District Health Board has announced to those NGOs that provide mental health services that they will take a 5 percent cut. I am aware of other district health boards where cuts have been much bigger than that. That is what happens when you do not fund services—they get cut. That Infometrics report is interesting and significant because it is actually a conservative estimate of how much National has taken out of the sector. It accounts for demographic pressures. It does cost more to provide healthcare when you have an ageing population. The Minister likes to talk about inflationary pressure as though all people in the society cost the same amount in the health system. Somebody who is fit and young like me is not expensive in the health system as compared with somebody who is nearing the end of their life and who needs significant intervention or compared with a newborn baby who has care in hospital when they are delivered. All of those things cost more money. Because of the shape of our population and the fact that it is getting bigger and it is getting older we know that healthcare services cost more over time and the Government's funding is simply not catching up. There is a deficit in the healthcare sector. We can see that the buildings across the sector are getting past their use-by date. That is a common feature across New Zealand commented on by the Auditor-General. We know that half a million—half a million—New Zealanders have missed a GP visit for reasons of cost in the last 12 months. The shocking thing today when I asked Minister Coleman about that figure in the select committee was that he said: "I am not aware of that figure. I'll have to check the member's numbers." That is what he said in the Health Committee today when I mentioned that half a million Kiwis could not afford to go to their GP. He was all over the place. That is his report. It is his ministry that publishes those figures—that half a million Kiwis could not afford to go to their GP in the last 12 months. That is how out of touch this Government is with what is going on for New Zealand families out there struggling to make ends meet. Labour when we are in Government—hopefully I will be the Minister of Health in a few months' time—will make sure that we lower GP fees. We are not immune to doing something about the issues in the health sector. We will make sure there are more operations. We will make sure there is access to new medicines. We will make sure it is easier to access mental health services. If you are already one of the wealthiest New Zealanders you should not expect a tax cut from us. Our priority is the provision of affordable access to quality healthcare and we make no apologies for that. Labour will make a difference in the health sector. We will fund it adequately. We need a fresh approach. We need a Labour Government that takes public healthcare seriously and that does not turn a blind eye and focus on giving tax cuts to those who do not need them—the wealthiest New Zealanders. Labour will have a fresh approach. We will make sure that that $2.3 billion is restored over time and that Kiwis can access the healthcare that they need. The debate having concluded the motion lapsed."