Soper Lesley: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Soper Lesley: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:650;Page:18681] 
1. LESLEY SOPER (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: What recent reports if any has he received on the cost of accessing health care? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON (Associate Minister of Health) 
 on behalf of the  
Minister of Health 
: I have seen a recent report noting that under the Labour and Progressive Government the cost of visiting one’s local general practitioner has plummeted. The average cost of visiting the doctor is now just $26. Kiwi families are saving about $500 a year as a result of this Government’s approach to funding primary health care. By contrast the National Party said it would “knock it on the head” and if general practitioner fees go up Mr John Key thinks the market will “fix the problem” and that people will “go down the road”. It is no wonder Kiwis do not trust him or them. 
Lesley Soper 
: Has the Minister received any further reports on the funding of primary health care? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: As a matter of fact just by coincidence I have. This is a report that says the National Party will continue funding primary health care “in the short term”. That sounds like the National Party’s pledge to sell Kiwibank “eventually”. The report is from the National Party’s health policy which I just happen to have a copy of here. When the National Party says in public that it will keep funding health care in the short term it is once again saying something else behind closed doors. National’s Jonathan Coleman just recently told a public meeting in Auckland that he thought “GP fees aren’t high enough”. 
Dr Jonathan Coleman 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. If the member makes an assertion like that he should back it up with proof because that is completely untrue and a lie. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: That is not a point of order. There is a general debate coming up. I remind Ministers that their answers should be short as should the questions. Are there any further supplementary questions? 
Lesley Soper 
: Has he received any reports on alternative approaches to funding health care? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: Yes as a matter of fact I have. It is in the National Party policy. I have received a report suggesting that money should be taken out of the public health sector and put into subsidising the profits of corporate health insurers. The report proposes tax rebates for those who can afford private health insurance effectively locking in a two-tier health system where those who can afford private health insurance are rewarded and everyone else gets left behind. Once again that proposal came from the National Party’s health policy yet to be released—except to us of course—which we have. It is clear that National is more interested in creating profit-making opportunities for private health insurers than it is in providing public health-care services for the rest of New Zealand. 
Lesley Soper 
: Can he confirm that tax rebates for those with private health insurance would do little to increase the quality of health care provided to the vast majority of New Zealanders and would in fact simply provide financial reward to those who already have access to the private health sector? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: What I can confirm is that for someone around age 70 who is on a retirement income it costs $1500 for health insurance and the National Party is going to provide a subsidy for that for those who can afford $1500 a year and the rest of New Zealanders who cannot will have to fall around trying to get what is left of the public health sector after those people have finished with it. 
Lesley Soper 
: Has the Minister seen any reports suggesting that instead of funding prescription medicines through an independent agency such as Pharmac political leaders should have a greater role in determining which drugs are available and which drug companies win contracts? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: I would not go as far as to call them political leaders; I would call them politicians. But I have a report suggesting that the independence of Pharmac would be overruled by a future National Government. It seems National MPs think they know better than the medical experts who currently make decisions on which drugs to fund. The risks are pretty obvious to me: would you like the front bench on the other side deciding who gets drugs and who does not or would you like the present system that this Government operates. 
I seek leave to lay on the Table a report of Mr Jonathan Coleman’s remarks about supporting his leader and his attitude towards private health-care. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.