Ryall Tony: General Debate 
Ryall Tony: General Debate 
[Volume:675;Page:21280] 
Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health) 
: 
 Over the next few years New Zealand has a great opportunity to build on the solid foundations of faster growth a stronger economy and more jobs and opportunities here in New Zealand. The National-led Government has a plan to take New Zealand forward by reducing our debt getting our country back into surplus over the next 3 years and building a faster-growing stronger economy based on an export-led recovery. That is the direction that the John Key - led Government offers New Zealanders; it offers a determination to improve our economy to improve the opportunities and to give people the tools to empower themselves and their families to enjoy the sorts of futures that they want. 
As a result of our efforts over the last 2 to 3 years New Zealand is much better placed than many other countries to manage what is a very uncertain global environment. Members need only read the international section of their newspapers to see what is happening and they need only watch the international television stations on Sky to see how uncertain the international environment is. They can see what other countries are doing and they can see the very moderate and future-focused way this Government has responded. In Britain half a million public servants are to lose their jobs over the next 3 or 4 years. In France 100000 public servants are to lose their jobs in the next few years. All around Ireland and in other parts of Europe there will be 15 percent pay cuts to the salaries of public servants teachers and nurses. There are difficult times in Greece where the economy is teetering on the brink of collapse. There is significant retrenchment in its economy. 
But here in New Zealand we have been able to steer the economy through these difficult times and ensure that New Zealanders have been able to avoid the sharp edges of that economic difficulty. This Government has had a responsible and steady hand at the front of this economy and right up there has been our Prime Minister John Key who has been able to use his international experience to help the New Zealand economy. 
At the same time the Government has remained firmly committed to growing and protecting important social services here in New Zealand. Not only has the Minister of Education put 1600 extra teachers in front of classrooms in New Zealand but also she has invested $100 million extra in early childhood education which is the most money ever spent on early childhood education. That is record levels of spending on early childhood education and she is focusing on the kids who are most vulnerable and who are not getting access to early childhood education. That is the leadership that we have had from the Minister of Education Anne Tolley who has brought national standards into our schools. She will be horrified to know that a Labour Government would remove national standards from our schools. We would go back to those low standards back to the messiness and the “unions know best” approach to education. 
In the public health service we have invested $1.5 billion of extra money into our public hospitals. That is 800 extra doctors and 2000 extra nurses on the district health board payrolls. It is great to have the staff but what is the benefit for patients? What we know is we have record levels of elective surgery in New Zealand. There are 27000 extra operations a year being performed for New Zealanders. That is hips cataracts ear nose and throat operations and hernias—27000 extra operations. That is 500 extra operations a week under the National Government. Since we were elected we have had 23000 more elective operations for people over the age of 65. 
Grant Robertson 
: That’s right: all those ingrown toenails! 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: Oh “all those ingrown toenails!”. Actually the complexity is about the same every year so we are doing quite a lot— 
Grant Robertson 
: What about case-weighted discharges? 
Hon TONY RYALL 
: Case-weighted discharges are at a record level—at a record level. There are more general surgeries and more operations for children. We are delivering New Zealanders the services that they want.