Labour’s 2023 campaign launch

Written By: - Date published: 2:35 pm, September 2nd, 2023 - 54 comments
Categories: election 2023, labour - Tags:

Text of Chris Hipkins’ speech

Labour commits to extend free dental care

Labour Plan 2023

Labour is running a positive, forward-looking campaign that’s focused on fixing the cost of living, keeping people and communities safe and investing in education, health and housing. 

54 comments on “Labour’s 2023 campaign launch ”

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  1. Herodotus 1
    2 September 2023 at 3:00 pm

    Dental care great policy BUT when you cannot deliver anywhere near free dental services for under 18 how is this going to be delivered ??

    We have had experience of being unable to visit a dentist in 2 cities for under 18’s I would hate to see what options are available in smaller centres 😱how about 1st delivering on that before some fairytale policy.

    • Drowsy M. Kram 1.1
      2 September 2023 at 3:48 pm

      Agreed, this is a great dental care policy – Green-lite, but let's not quibble.

      https://www.greens.org.nz/dental_for_all

      As for delivery, get cross-party support to build dental service capacity – c'mon NAct.

      • Drowsy M. Kram 1.2.1
        2 September 2023 at 3:53 pm

        The policy is being absolutely slammed by the vox pops…

        That's knee-jerk quick slamming – no pleasing some people laugh

    • I Feel Love 1.3
      2 September 2023 at 3:54 pm

      Never been an issue in Dunedin for my 2 under 18s.

      Great policy Labour.

      • Herodotus 1.3.1
        2 September 2023 at 4:36 pm

        Good for you – we have had trouble in both Auckland and Dunedin- each of us has our personnel experiences and for our family they are underwhelming to say the least – lucky out or our family only a single filing has been required- but many others are not so fortunate, and under 18 🤫

        And as you are a local Dunedin person – as labour has the $$ available we need to question why they have under funded the new hospital to be unfit for purpose ?? Perhaps they could have also promised to adequately fund the build ??

        • Louis 1.3.1.1
          2 September 2023 at 5:35 pm

          "The Government is strengthening its commitment to delivering a new state of the art hospital in Dunedin, with an additional funding being invested in the facility, Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall has announced."

          https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/government-strengthens-commitment-new-dunedin-hospital

          Project Whakatuputupu – New Dunedin Hospital

          The New Dunedin Hospital is being built in two stages.

          https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/our-health-system/infrastructure-and-investment/new-dunedin-hospital/

          • Herodotus 1.3.1.1.1
            2 September 2023 at 11:25 pm

            as I read it – it still is not funded to allow original design and the blow out is not fully covered, so cost savings are required – and this $10m is a face saving exercise to silent critics. Bloody amateurs to save a few dollars and not future proof major infrastructure.build for the future and not require later expensive retro fitting

            https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/487956/government-reverses-10-million-in-hospital-cuts

            • Patricia Bremner 1.3.1.1.1.1
              3 September 2023 at 10:56 am

              " Bloody amateurs"

              Got out of bed on the wrong side? No satisfying some. You moaned about the dental, now the new 2 stage Hospital. Anything else? It feels a bit trollish. Would you like coffee with that?

            • Louis 1.3.1.1.1.2
              3 September 2023 at 3:20 pm

              From the link. 'Now set to be 25 percent bigger, the new hospital will include over 40 additional beds and nine additional theatres. “Its design and use of the latest technologies will mean better patient flow and improved access to diagnostics and treatment spaces which will help reduce unnecessary delays.'

        • Tricledrown 1.3.1.2
          3 September 2023 at 2:44 pm

          National were never going to build a new hospital in Dunedin now its being built guess what National are criticising it for cheap politicing .Woodhouse has gone because of his fake invisable homeless person Trumpian politics doesn't go down well in NZ.Covid has delayed many big projects with big cost overruns steel doubled in price cement labour material have all gone up by at least 30% with shortages. Labour have already increased the budget by $500 million.In 9 years of National wards were closed staff cuts No maintenance.Labour came in and fund the first outside maintenance for many year their leaks all over the 2 main structures.and Wakari is no longer viable to refurbish as no money to maintain .Now when the new hospital is opened the existing hospital is constructed very well and most likely become the mental health facility.

  2. Patricia Bremner 2
    2 September 2023 at 3:09 pm

    Well that is hardly National Light.

    Well done Labour, that Dental funding and training places shows the direction of travel, smiley

  3. Corey 3
    2 September 2023 at 7:26 pm

    I hope this isn't the best they've got to get Gen z to turn up … It's no zero interest student loan and Gen y hates it cos it's not universal.

    It's a step in the right direction but… Meh…

    They've ruled out anything that can excite the base let alone galvanize voters out of fear, they should be more afraid of boring the electorate to death.

    • Louis 3.1
      2 September 2023 at 8:55 pm

      'A Labour Government will begin New Zealand’s journey to universal dental care by expanding free basic dental care to nearly 800,000 under 30-year-olds'

      'The policy we’re announcing today is a substantial step towards Labour’s ultimate goal of universal dental care.'

      ‘Growing the dental workforce is hugely important to Labour. Our government will work collaboratively with health agencies, regulatory and professional bodies to make sure we have the oral health therapists, dental hygienists and dentists we need.’

      “We will increase the number of places in Bachelor of Dental Surgery course by 50 per cent.’

      https://www.labour.org.nz/news-labour_commits_extend_free_dental_care

  4. Ad 4
    2 September 2023 at 7:30 pm

    Good to see strong policy at a campaign launch.

    Well done Mr Hipkins.

  5. Corokia 5
    2 September 2023 at 9:26 pm

    How about reducing/ eliminating the massive fees to study Medicine and Dentistry in exchange for a few years bonded work in public clinics.

  6. UncookedSelachimorpha 6
    3 September 2023 at 2:06 am

    Given Labour's subscription to the neoliberal idea that government budgets are similar to household budgets (and so must balance), and their unwillingness to redistribute wealth in any way – surely free dental care in one place, means something else is being cut or not implemented elsewhere?

    The Green policy actually had a way to fund expansion of public services, not merely shuffle diminishing services from one spot to another.

  7. Darien Fenton 7
    3 September 2023 at 3:47 am

    It was a wonderful campaign launch. Huge crowd, full of red, great music, diversity and chanting, especially when the six or so Destiny Goons who had snuck in tried to interrupt Chippy. Will be interesting to compare with National's tomorrow which I suspect will be a blue affair trying to make Luxon likeable.

  8. MickeyBoyle 8
    3 September 2023 at 9:51 am

    They promised mobile dental services back and 2021 and then utterly failed to implement this at the level promised.

    I believe in universal free dental.

    But if you promise stuff previously and don't deliver, is it any wonder people take your credibility with a grain of salt?

    If by some miracle Labour get a third term. They must deliver on their promises.

  9. Mike the Lefty 9
    3 September 2023 at 10:35 am

    Just one thing missing from the dental plan, the perfect means to pay for it – a sugar tax.

    • Patricia Bremner 9.1
      3 September 2023 at 11:17 am

      Probably not allowed under trade rules?

      Next to Tobacco the Sugar Lobby is akin to the bad things made legal in Britain's slave trade days. We still suffer the remnants.

      We need to do what is happening with tobacco, but even that is being undermined by nicotine vapes.

      Money is king and that is why between them the big end of town has raised 8 million to buy the election imo
      Those folk don’t invest unless they are sure of a suitable return, in my 81 years of experience.

    • Tricledrown 9.2
      3 September 2023 at 2:55 pm

      The Greens are wanting free dental care maybe a good compromise would be to have a part charge and a sugar tax then everybody can afford dental care with community service card holders getting lower charges like doctors visits now.

      • UncookedSelachimorpha 9.2.1
        4 September 2023 at 12:56 pm

        "The Greens are wanting free dental care maybe a good compromise would be to have a part charge….."

        Why do that? The only reason would be to avoid applying wealth tax, with which the Greens propose to fully fund free dental care for all. Paying for dental care so we can maintain very low tax on the wealthy, doesn't sound like a worthwhile social good to me.

        https://www.greens.org.nz/dental_for_all

    • Bearded Git 9.3
      3 September 2023 at 11:07 pm

      Agree Mike

  10. SPC 10
    3 September 2023 at 4:11 pm

    Luxon said he would love to expand dental care in New Zealand but said the reality was there were other priority areas. He said he was highly sceptical of Labour’s ability to deliver on its own dental policy announced yesterday.

    He would take steps to build a stronger economy, which he believed was necessary to achieve before addressing subsidised dental care

    Short version he's building a stronger economy with tax cuts for personal spending and reducing tax on landlords rent income (restoring mortgage as a cost against rent income) and reducing tax revenue from CG by reducing the bright-line test from 10 to 2 years.

    Stronger economy first as an excuse – what a liar.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/election-2023-national-party-leader-chris-luxon-to-unveil-pledge-card-promise-at-campaign-launch-as-freedoms-nz-plan-to-converge-on-it/P3GHNI5ICVGVNN3T6ATUO3UXOY/

    • Mike the Lefty 10.1
      4 September 2023 at 1:47 pm

      Dental care should be a high priority area.

      Prevention is better than cure, that is why the school dental services were introduced.

      There is a lot of evidence that early dental treatment has major advantages for the health of the nation's children, and continues into adulthood. Free treatment will have a positive flow-on effect in later years. You should not be denied dental treatment because of cost.

      My grandma always told me – you have good teeth, you have good health.

  11. Patricia Bremner 11
    3 September 2023 at 9:21 pm

    Yes that big "Trickle down" Lieyes Give wealth to the wealthy and it will trickle down to the "bottom feeders" .

  12. Obtrectator 12
    4 September 2023 at 8:25 am

    How you can have a "strong economy" while still being a crap place for many people to live:

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/sep/03/britain-economy-society

    A longish piece, but well worth the effort. Sample quote:

    "The economically resurgent Britain for which the declinists are yearning would almost certainly bring new problems, just as the boom of the 80s created a harsher, more individualistic country after the less dynamic but more egalitarian Britain of the 70s. A country can be seen as a success story by the media, many of its citizens and foreign observers while the lives of some of its people get worse, such as the millions of people made unemployed in the 80s so that Britain could become more “competitive”."

  13. Mike the Lefty 13
    4 September 2023 at 9:25 am

    I have noticed comments by media commentators contrasting National and Labour's campaign launches.

    The general consensus was that Labour's was pretty much what you would expect from Labour as the incumbent – upbeat, superficially optimistic but with a practical resignation that it will take a very hard battle to get over the line.

    National, as ever, totally full of themselves acting as if they have won it already. Presidential style fanfare. Chinese dragons indicating only too well that they are welcoming Chinese house buyers back into the market to send prices rocketing up again. There were no illusions for anybody watching and listening carefully that National are campaigning for the rights of the rich, the propertied class, and the wealth speculators. Oh and of course, the "squeezed middle class" who, when you see the brand new Ford Rangers parked outside the expensive city restaurants make you think that they are not really so squeezed.

    For the good of this country and the many people in it who have to rent their homes and DON'T earn $150,000 plus a year we have to keep this lot of economic charlatans and their rabid right ACT bouncers out of office. Anyway we can.

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