Calculating

Written By: - Date published: 9:21 am, December 12th, 2008 - 21 comments
Categories: cartoons, health, national/act government - Tags: ,

21 comments on “Calculating ”

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  1. [Deleted] 1
    12 December 2008 at 9:32 am

    [deleted]
    [lprent: dad you are banned]
    [Tane: Get yourself a new username.]

  2. northpaw 2
    12 December 2008 at 10:32 am

    Good colors.. but what a fab face for the principal subject..

    BTW: on that post re advertsing I’d meant to add how cartoonery could become both a viable form of expression on the standard and la mode.. making for a certain appeal and hopefully indispensability among blogs. Satire in print became thus a winner, so what not try for digital print, too.

    ps: instead of paralleling the fellow (as shown) how about adorning him with something like Kidder Key.. just a thought 🙂

  3. tsmithfield 3
    12 December 2008 at 10:33 am

    Pharmac’s own advisory board recommended that Herceptin be funded for a twelve month course according to an interview I heard with Larry Williams the other day. This being the case, then Pharmac went against its own advise by opting for a 9 week course. So, National can hardly be accused of making an emotive choice here.

    On the otherhand, it is certainly smart politics. Most women could envisage the possibility of themselves getting breast cancer at some stage, so National has probably won over a lot of female support through this decision.

    You might have grounds for criticising the basis in science for the decision. But I don’t think you could criticise the political astuteness of the move.

  4. Tane 4
    12 December 2008 at 10:36 am

    I’m not saying it’s not smart politics – short term at least. It helped get them into government, but the precedent may cause major headaches down the line.

    But when even National MPs are privately describing the decision as another “dead rat” they had to swallow to win the election I think it’s pretty clear it was an entirely cynical move.

  5. PeachyBehinds 5
    12 December 2008 at 10:39 am

    [deleted]
    [lprent: dad you are banned]

  6. Tane 6
    12 December 2008 at 10:48 am

    There are opportunity costs in health spending, Peachy. Fund one drug, you can’t fund another. But of course, you know that.

  7. Andy 7
    12 December 2008 at 10:55 am

    The Herald has an interesting editorial on the issue that makes some excellent points.
    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/news/article.cfm?c_id=280&objectid=10547717

  8. gobsmacked 8
    12 December 2008 at 11:15 am

    I think the government should always provide the latest drug treatments for everybody, free of charge, for as long as patients want, whatever the cost to taxpayers, and whatever the medical professionals say, and if you don’t agree with me it’s because you want to see people die (see, I’ve won the argument right there!). Only a faceless bureaucrat would get sidetracked by cost, and all that statistical mumbo-jumbo. Choices are for people who DON”T CARE.

    The Utopian Revolution is here. Long live Comrade John!

  9. Draco T Bastard 9
    12 December 2008 at 11:29 am

    Pharmac’s own advisory board recommended that Herceptin be funded for a twelve month course according to an interview I heard with Larry Williams the other day. This being the case, then Pharmac went against its own advise by opting for a 9 week course.

    Bollocks

    Why not fund the 12 month treatments? New Zealanders have access to a fully funded, effective Herceptin treatment for early HER2- positive breast cancer the 9 week treatment. A fresh review of the science and other information has failed to convince us that the 12 month treatment offers any additional benefits over the 9 week treatment. To justify the additional expense, we first would need to be confident that 12 months treatment offered additional health outcomes, and we don’t have that confidence.

  10. Miffy Fontford 10
    12 December 2008 at 11:35 am

    [deleted]
    [lprent: dad you are banned]

  11. ianmac 11
    12 December 2008 at 11:44 am

    I was appalled by Key’s Comments on TV news where he said, ” I don’t care what the experts say. I just care about the health of our NZ women.” This ties in with Gobsmacks view. (Probably how Key actually sees it but hardly a pragmatic view???)

  12. Billy 12
    12 December 2008 at 12:39 pm

    Actually, I understand the experts agree that a year’s course of Hercepten is much better than 12 weeks. Pharmac are relying on one Finnish study the results of which were not replicated in any other major trial.

  13. Ari 13
    12 December 2008 at 12:58 pm

    There’s actually some research that suggests that the 12-month course might be actively harmful to women’s health with major side-effects, so this change may actually be a bad thing regardless of the funds taken from other more cost-effective initiatives.

    While I certainly respect people’s right to have effective treatment, I don’t think we should be legislating specific treatments from parliament. Pharmac is independent for a reason, and if things are going badly there it needs to be restructured, not stepped around. At least the herceptin funding will come directly from the Ministry of Health rather than the government forcing Pharmac to fund it.

  14. Evidence-Based Practice 14
    12 December 2008 at 1:05 pm

    Billy
    No the experts do not agree on this. The evidence is based on the fact that most countries were only offered the 12 month option (Roche insisted), so that is the only option available, and most data relates to 12 months. In fact there is a big ongoing study (that NZ will now have to drop out of) comparing the effectiveness of both treatment times,

    Finland is one of the few countries which has both options and my understanding is that clinicians there much prefer to prescribe the shorter course as it works just as well (especially if you use it in conjunction with other treatments) and it has much fewer side effects. Herceptin is only effective in a particular type of breast cancer and studies in the US show many women are given it even though they have a different type of cancer) just because their insurance companies fund it and they have heard it is a desirable drug..

    Give us a few years and it could be revealed as another VIOXX – the side effects eg death by heart attack more likely than alleviation of cancer.

  15. Bill 15
    12 December 2008 at 1:46 pm

    Breast Cancer Coalition. 20 odd organisations. A cursory search and up pops Roche as a sponsor/ donor to some of those orgs.

    Welcome to the US of A

  16. lprent 16
    12 December 2008 at 2:17 pm

    Just cleaned out the d4j comment plague.

    Interesting – looks like another group of IP’s to previous ones. From here on out I’ll just feed the d4j comment silently to the anti-spam bot where detected.

  17. Evidence-Based Practice 17
    12 December 2008 at 2:29 pm

    [Just a note to TheStandard IT expert. This post says there is 1 comment and the previous post says it has 2. But opening up the threads there are a lot more than that.]

  18. northpaw 18
    12 December 2008 at 5:24 pm

    E-B P,

    wrote something very simlar to what I’d been thinking on the topic.. additionally it would appear that an international comparative appraisal of short-term vs longer term medication has been eliminated insofar as NZ participation.. these things can be very important.. e.g. remission post medication.. cancer coming back, as it were, after either short or longer term.. and then specifics like accurate clinical diagnosis pinpointing the most efficacious(per effective + economics) treatment..

    from politicians we can expect ‘broad brush’ remarks. Even so, I’d have thought any PM would have had a more temperate and considered language for the public on broadcast TV..

    One thing I did hear was how a “great deal” had been struck with Roche.. but no more detail. Does the Health Ministry have a no-tell clause on this? What was the deal.. the ‘premia’ for instance of direct dealing and remittance arrangements without recourse to Pharmac.. as I understand it. Was or were affiliate deals involved.. like I do you a favor so you do us one.. or more..

  19. Janet 19
    12 December 2008 at 10:56 pm

    Northpaw
    I wonder if the details of the deal could be found out in an Official Information Request?

  20. Murray 20
    12 December 2008 at 11:00 pm

    OK it was an election bribe. You know, a bit like interest free student loans and WFF.

  21. QoT 21
    12 December 2008 at 11:18 pm

    I fully admit to having issue with Moreu’s cartoons in the past, but JESUS CHRIST WHY IS IT SO WORDY IT’S MEANT TO BE A VISUAL BLOODY MEDIUM.

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    Is this the most shambolic government in the history of New Zealand? Given that parliament hasn’t even opened they’ve managed quite a list of achievements to date.The Smokefree debacle trading lives for tax cuts, the Trumpian claims of bribery in the Media, an International award for indifference, and today the ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    6 days ago

  • Cooking the books
    Finance Minister Nicola Willis late yesterday stopped only slightly short of accusing her predecessor Grant Robertson of cooking the books. She complained that the Half Yearly Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU), due to be made public on December 20, would show “fiscal cliffs” that would amount to “billions of ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    6 days ago

  • Most people don’t realize how much progress we’ve made on climate change
    This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections The year was 2015. ‘Uptown Funk’ with Bruno Mars was at the top of the music charts. Jurassic World was the most popular new movie in theaters. And decades of futility in international climate negotiations was about to come to an end in ...
    Skeptical Science
    7 days ago

  • Of Parliamentary Oaths and Clive Boonham
    As a heads-up, I am not one of those people who stay awake at night thinking about weird Culture War nonsense. At least so far as the current Maori/Constitutional arrangements go. In fact, I actually consider it the least important issue facing the day to day lives of New ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    7 days ago

  • Bearing True Allegiance?
    Strong Words: “We do not consent, we do not surrender, we do not cede, we do not submit; we, the indigenous, are rising. We do not buy into the colonial fictions this House is built upon. Te Pāti Māori pledges allegiance to our mokopuna, our whenua, and Te Tiriti o ...
    Bowalley Road
    7 days ago

  • You cannot be serious
    Some days it feels like the only thing to say is: Seriously? No, really. Seriously?OneSomeone has used their health department access to share data about vaccinations and patients, and inform the world that New Zealanders have been dying in their hundreds of thousands from the evil vaccine. This of course is pure ...
    More Than A FeildingBy David Slack
    7 days ago

  • A promise kept: govt pulls the plug on Lake Onslow scheme – but this saving of $16bn is denounced...
    Buzz from the Beehive After $21.8 million was spent on investigations, the plug has been pulled on the Lake Onslow pumped-hydro electricity scheme, The scheme –  that technically could have solved New Zealand’s looming energy shortage, according to its champions – was a key part of the defeated Labour government’s ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • CHRIS TROTTER: The Maori Party and Oath of Allegiance
    If those elected to the Māori Seats refuse to take them, then what possible reason could the country have for retaining them?   Chris Trotter writes – Christmas is fast approaching, which, as it does every year, means gearing up for an abstruse general knowledge question. “Who was ...
    Point of OrderBy Bob Edlin
    7 days ago

  • BRIAN EASTON:  Forward to 2017
    The coalition party agreements are mainly about returning to 2017 when National lost power. They show commonalities but also some serious divergencies. Brian Easton writes – The two coalition agreements – one National and ACT, the other National and New Zealand First – are more than policy documents. ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    7 days ago

  • Climate Change: Fossils
    When the new government promised to allow new offshore oil and gas exploration, they were warned that there would be international criticism and reputational damage. Naturally, they arrogantly denied any possibility that that would happen. And then they finally turned up at COP, to criticism from Palau, and a "fossil ...
    No Right TurnBy Idiot/Savant
    7 days ago

  • GEOFFREY MILLER:  NZ’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    Geoffrey Miller writes – New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he ...
    Point of OrderBy poonzteam5443
    1 week ago

  • Gordon Campbell on the government’s smokefree laws debacle
    The most charitable explanation for National’s behaviour over the smokefree legislation is that they have dutifully fulfilled the wishes of the Big Tobacco lobby and then cast around – incompetently, as it turns out – for excuses that might sell this health policy U-turn to the public. The less charitable ...
    Gordon CampbellBy lyndon
    1 week ago

  • Top 10 links at 10 am for Monday, December 4
    As Deb Te Kawa writes in an op-ed, the new Government seems to have immediately bought itself fights with just about everyone. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Here’s my pick of the top 10 news and analysis links elsewhere as of 10 am on Monday December 4, including:Palau’s President ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • Be Honest.
    Let’s begin today by thinking about job interviews.During my career in Software Development I must have interviewed hundreds of people, hired at least a hundred, but few stick in the memory.I remember one guy who was so laid back he was practically horizontal, leaning back in his chair until his ...
    Nick’s KƍreroBy Nick Rockel
    1 week ago

  • Geoffrey Miller: New Zealand’s foreign policy resets on AUKUS, Gaza and Ukraine
    New Zealand’s international relations are under new management. And Winston Peters, the new foreign minister, is already setting a change agenda. As expected, this includes a more pro-US positioning when it comes to the Pacific – where Peters will be picking up where he left off. Peters sought to align ...
    Democracy ProjectBy Geoffrey Miller
    1 week ago

  • Auckland rail tunnel the world’s most expensive
    Auckland’s city rail link is the most expensive rail project in the world per km, and the CRL boss has described the cost of infrastructure construction in Aotearoa as a crisis. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The 3.5 km City Rail Link (CRL) tunnel under Auckland’s CBD has cost ...
    The KakaBy Bernard Hickey
    1 week ago

  • First big test coming
    The first big test of the new Government’s approach to Treaty matters is likely to be seen in the return of the Resource Management Act. RMA Minister Chris Bishop has confirmed that he intends to introduce legislation to repeal Labour’s recently passed Natural and Built Environments Act and its ...
    PolitikBy Richard Harman
    1 week ago

  • The Song of Saqua: Volume III
    Time to revisit something I haven’t covered in a while: the D&D campaign, with Saqua the aquatic half-vampire. Last seen in July: https://phuulishfellow.wordpress.com/2023/07/27/the-song-of-saqua-volume-ii/ The delay is understandable, once one realises that the interim saw our DM come down with a life-threatening medical situation. They have since survived to make ...
    A Phuulish FellowBy strda221
    1 week ago

  • Chris Bishop: Smokin’
    Yes. Correct. It was an election result. And now we are the elected government. ...
    My ThinksBy boonman
    1 week ago

  • Ministers visit Hawke’s Bay to grasp recovery needs
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon joined Cyclone Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell and Transport and Local Government Minister Simeon Brown, to meet leaders of cyclone and flood-affected regions in the Hawke’s Bay. The visit reinforced the coalition Government’s commitment to support the region and better understand its ongoing requirements, Mr Mitchell says.  ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • New Zealand condemns malicious cyber activity
    New Zealand has joined the UK and other partners in condemning malicious cyber activity conducted by the Russian Government, Minister Responsible for the Government Communications Security Bureau Judith Collins says. The statement follows the UK’s attribution today of malicious cyber activity impacting its domestic democratic institutions and processes, as well ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 days ago

  • Disestablishment of Te PĆ«kenga begins
    The Government has begun the process of disestablishing Te PĆ«kenga as part of its 100-day plan, Minister for Tertiary Education and Skills Penny Simmonds says.  “I have started putting that plan into action and have met with the chair and chief Executive of Te PĆ«kenga to advise them of my ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Climate Change Minister to attend COP28 in Dubai
    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts will be leaving for Dubai today to attend COP28, the 28th annual UN climate summit, this week. Simon Watts says he will push for accelerated action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement, deliver New Zealand’s national statement and connect with partner countries, private sector leaders ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • New Zealand to host 2024 Pacific defence meeting
    Defence Minister Judith Collins yesterday announced New Zealand will host next year’s South Pacific Defence Ministers’ Meeting (SPDMM). “Having just returned from this year’s meeting in NoumĂ©a, I witnessed first-hand the value of meeting with my Pacific counterparts to discuss regional security and defence matters. I welcome the opportunity to ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Study shows need to remove distractions in class
    The Government is committed to lifting school achievement in the basics and that starts with removing distractions so young people can focus on their learning, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.   The 2022 PISA results released this week found that Kiwi kids ranked 5th in the world for being distracted ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    4 days ago

  • Minister sets expectations of Commissioner
    Today I met with Police Commissioner Andrew Coster to set out my expectations, which he has agreed to, says Police Minister Mark Mitchell. Under section 16(1) of the Policing Act 2008, the Minister can expect the Police Commissioner to deliver on the Government’s direction and priorities, as now outlined in ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • New Zealand needs a strong and stable ETS
    New Zealand needs a strong and stable Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) that is well placed for the future, after emission units failed to sell for the fourth and final auction of the year, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.  At today’s auction, 15 million New Zealand units (NZUs) – each ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    5 days ago

  • PISA results show urgent need to teach the basics
    With 2022 PISA results showing a decline in achievement, Education Minister Erica Stanford is confident that the Coalition Government’s 100-day plan for education will improve outcomes for Kiwi kids.  The 2022 PISA results show a significant decline in the performance of 15-year-old students in maths compared to 2018 and confirms ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    6 days ago

  • Collins leaves for Pacific defence meeting
    Defence Minister Judith Collins today departed for New Caledonia to attend the 8th annual South Pacific Defence Ministers’ meeting (SPDMM). “This meeting is an excellent opportunity to meet face-to-face with my Pacific counterparts to discuss regional security matters and to demonstrate our ongoing commitment to the Pacific,” Judith Collins says. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Working for Families gets cost of living boost
    Putting more money in the pockets of hard-working families is a priority of this Coalition Government, starting with an increase to Working for Families, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says. “We are starting our 100-day plan with a laser focus on bringing down the cost of living, because that is what ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Post-Cabinet press conference
    Most weeks, following Cabinet, the Prime Minister holds a press conference for members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery. This page contains the transcripts from those press conferences, which are supplied by Hansard to the Office of the Prime Minister. It is important to note that the transcripts have not been edited ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    7 days ago

  • Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme scrapped
    The Government has axed the $16 billion Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme championed by the previous government, Energy Minister Simeon Brown says. “This hugely wasteful project was pouring money down the drain at a time when we need to be reining in spending and focussing on rebuilding the economy and ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • NZ welcomes further pause in fighting in Gaza
    New Zealand welcomes the further one-day extension of the pause in fighting, which will allow the delivery of more urgently-needed humanitarian aid into Gaza and the release of more hostages, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said. “The human cost of the conflict is horrific, and New Zealand wants to see the violence ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Condolences on passing of Henry Kissinger
    Foreign Minister Winston Peters today expressed on behalf of the New Zealand Government his condolences to the family of former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who has passed away at the age of 100 at his home in Connecticut. “While opinions on his legacy are varied, Secretary Kissinger was ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • Backing our kids to learn the basics
    Every child deserves a world-leading education, and the Coalition Government is making that a priority as part of its 100-day plan. Education Minister Erica Stanford says that will start with banning cellphone use at school and ensuring all primary students spend one hour on reading, writing, and maths each day. ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    1 week ago

  • US Business Summit Speech – Regional stability through trade
    I would like to begin by echoing the Prime Minister’s thanks to the organisers of this Summit, Fran O’Sullivan and the Auckland Business Chamber.  I want to also acknowledge the many leading exporters, sector representatives, diplomats, and other leaders we have joining us in the room. In particular, I would like ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Keynote Address to the United States Business Summit, Auckland
    Good morning. Thank you, Rosemary, for your warm introduction, and to Fran and Simon for this opportunity to make some brief comments about New Zealand’s relationship with the United States.  This is also a chance to acknowledge my colleague, Minister for Trade Todd McClay, Ambassador Tom Udall, Secretary of Foreign ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • India New Zealand Business Council Speech, India as a Strategic Priority
    Good morning, tēnā koutou and namaskar. Many thanks, Michael, for your warm welcome. I would like to acknowledge the work of the India New Zealand Business Council in facilitating today’s event and for the Council’s broader work in supporting a coordinated approach for lifting New Zealand-India relations. I want to also ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • Coalition Government unveils 100-day plan
    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has laid out the Coalition Government’s plan for its first 100 days from today. “The last few years have been incredibly tough for so many New Zealanders. People have put their trust in National, ACT and NZ First to steer them towards a better, more prosperous ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    2 weeks ago

  • New Zealand welcomes European Parliament vote on the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement
    A significant milestone in ratifying the NZ-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was reached last night, with 524 of the 705 member European Parliament voting in favour to approve the agreement. “I’m delighted to hear of the successful vote to approve the NZ-EU FTA in the European Parliament overnight. This is ...
    BeehiveBy beehive.govt.nz
    3 weeks ago

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