A more telling graph would be the money spend directly on healthcare vs money spend on the reform of the department of health, the DHBs and other new and improved burocracy. National did underspend or refuse to fund, and Labour spend the last year re-creating NZ Health in what hopefully will be a better system then the DHBs.
So in essence how much did N spend vs L say on recruitment of nurses and doctors? How much on renovations of fixed assets, how much on new machines / what machines and then how much was spend on consultants.
I posted the link a few weeks back. Can repost if required.
The question is, is our health system in better shape now or pre 2017 Labour govt?
Even factoring in covid, its pretty clear it is in a worse state. My evidence for this is the almost daily articles about Dr's, nurses saying they are at breaking point. I have posted many links on this in the past few weeks.
So how long do you think it takes to train up doctors and nurses to be able to compitantly work in critical situations such as Ed and ICU? And how long does it take to rectify 8 years of neglect in health infrastructure and capacity?
I have posted before Macro about what Dr Ian Powell says in his columns (former head of the Salaried Medical Specialists).
When Labour came in, he told the then Minister of Health, David Clark, that there were 3 problems facing Health in NZ. Workforce shortage, workforce shortage, workforce shortage. That was over five years ago. Had Labour of acted on this, we would now have trainees graduating or even with one or two years under their belts in ICU and ED. Last week we heard that Andrew Little was finally considering paying student nurses for their placements, after the NZNO had been suggesting it for sometime. I have posted here previously at least two articles about student nurses feeling highly stressed and contemplating not completing their training. Some of the reasons being have to travel big distances to do their (unpaid) hospital workforce training and receiving no petrol money or assistance with parking. I also posted an interview with Shane Reti on Q and A and as I recall, he talked about having had costing down for a new medical school. Many GPs are reaching retirement age.
Andrew Little has prioritized a health restructure during a pandemic, rather than addressing the workforce issues. NZders will pay the price
Can link to previously posted articles if requried.
prioritized a health restructure during a pandemic, rather than addressing the workforce issues.
You know one of the reasons for the Health restructuring is simply to address the issue of stretched resources and inequitably distributed resources (ie access to health determined by post code rather than need) – but you knew that anyway.
hold a current practising certificate and must have three years’ equivalent full time practice in the area they intend to prescribe in with at least one year of the total practice in New Zealand;
To simply blame the current govt for the run down state of NZ Health is simply blinkered and partisan. The previous Nat govt, with their persistent under funding of Health (as clearly seen from the graph above) resulted in NZ's Health service ending up in a parlous state. It will take years to turn that around. Hospitals (eg Whangarei's) completely unfit for purpose. The low payment of Health professionals has resulted in large numbers flocking offshore. We staff our hospitals and aged care facilities from lower paid countries off-shore. Once re-qualified and NZ citizens they then depart to higher paid positions in Australia America Canada and UK). My son-in-law as evidence.
Hmmm I well remember the 2007 Nat advertisement "Stop waving goodbye to your loved ones!" Well no sooner were the Nats in power than they changed the provision for aftercare of those suffering brain injury. 100 specialists dealing with such conditions were immediately out of a job and nothing for them in this country. So Aussie just got 100 qualified specialists, just like that – my own family are never going to return. Now running 3 small hospitals in Perth.
I am not claiming National did a great job in terms of heath in NZ. Although I do believe Shane Reti would make a great Minister of Health or even PM>
Labour and Littles focus should have been on the training and retention of staff and the importation of the health workforce from overseas. This involves everything from settling pay disputes, increasing pay significantly and valuing the workforce rather than being in denial that public health is in crisis as Andrew Little does
Setting up Health NZ has inevitably put them behind as you don't just set up a new agency and its all good to go. As I mentioned before my contact at Health NZ tells me it is chaos and in their considered opinion it won't achieve the goal of equity.
What is the health system? If. you get sick with a broken leg, cancer, a heart attack, an autoimmune disease, have a car accident etc, etc who do you need to be there in adequate numbers. The people with skills, training and experience. Not the bureacrats.
One of the articles I posted recently quoted a group of Drs who said the only change they have seen from the re-structure is the new logo.
But go ahead believe the bureacrats will make all the difference. Having worked in health in the 1990s I can tell you that what happened in Wellington made absolutely no difference at all. As long as our staffing levels were o.k., it all rose and fell on the expertise and clinical competence of the nurses and Drs and other allied workers at the coal face.
Mmmmm those faceless 'bureaucrats' are always worth a bash aren't they?
Would the critics of everything to do with the health sector and reforms be able to cobble together an argument without having access to these people to criticise? When I worked in the health sector the 'bureaucrats', but we called them staff rather than the pejorative, that were absolutely relied on at a high level were
clinical coders
work flow analysts – needed in looking at ED and out patients work
accountants with a specialty in health accounting
waiting list case managers
Then we have the bureaucrats staff that any large organisation can not do without:
payroll
HR
supply/stores management
info tech people including librarian type people who specialise in (health)
Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) told the union it would not allow newly graduated doctors to start working in hospitals until next year, NZRDA national president Dr James Anderson said.
Anderson said Te Whatu Ora cited supervision and orientation concerns as the reason why.
It “makes no sense”, he said: “We have a workforce we so desperately need, qualified, ready and willing to work, and yet Te Whatu Ora won’t employ them for another two months.”
Anderson said the “excuse” of supervision and orientation concerns, “is in our view, exactly that”.
It seems Health NZ is the obstacle here. So rather than helping the over worked Drs in crisis they are an impediment. But of course the Professional Managerial Class think they know best
While I understand your concern re staffing it does the cause no good to leave off some points, these were in the article that you attached.
a) the proposed changes were discussed/consulted on
'A spokesperson for Te Whatu Ora said the 20 DHBs that previously comprised Health New Zealand went through extensive consultation before the change was put in place, to strengthen training, staff welfare and services to patients.'
b) the overriding reason is this
'He said the shift from November to January enabled newly-appointed first-year doctors to be supported into practice, particularly with more senior staff on leave over the Christmas and New Year period, and ensured new graduates got a break before starting their careers.
“New Zealanders can have confidence that, as in previous years, this will not affect our ability to staff services over the holiday period.” "
I have lived next door to one of those senior orthopaedic surgeons who trains new staff, for many years. He often has some time off in Dec/ January. Apart from a little time with both sets of elderly parents he is usually at home doing things like building a new deck, blobbing out, going to outdoor concerts etc etc.
Even though he is on leave when there are huge numbers or complex injuries to road accident victims he is on call and about 90% of the time during these holidays he is called in.
NZers regularly drive their cars into each other, into bridges or power poles over the break. When the remaining staff cannot deal with the injuries he will go in to operate. Having done this he then goes in daily to check on the patients he has operated on.
Last Christmas/January break he was flown to Chch, while on leave, to help operate on badly injured road accident victims. Having done this he stayed down there to be on call for his patients for a week.
The point about letting newly graduated doctors have a break is also valid. Up until now many would have had minimal time off as most would work over the long break.
Spoken with the voice of experience. I had a very minor involvement with a govt workforce/clinical training group for health.
From this I am left with the view that it is never as clear cut as the various groups say, they exist to push their causes and that is OK but we should not forget it. Many of the groups are single issue and do not understand how all the bits fit together in clinical training in the health sector.
Stability of government is hugely important. Health is regularly used as an election issue and during this time there is wastage in terms of gearing up and down to meet a new govt's ideas. Health by the long nature of its training and long time frames on other issues, is a bit like trying to turn an ocean liner on a coin. It takes an age.
Access to health services via post code is a happening thing. Although not as bad as prior to the 1990s the cries for every DHB to have the latest health bauble (not based on need) are never-ending.
And make no mistake some health specialties are more 'sexy', as they say, than others. Some DHBs are keenly aware of this and waste no time in seeking funds for latest 'thing' when population based funding based on the actual needs of their populations is ignored. So we find that, as your family has, that painstaking and often long term rehab for the brain injured is not valued.
Back in the 1990s linear accelerators were the 'thing' and every hospital wanted one, regardless of need based on demographics. Trying to persuade people that if they paid attention to their populations ie to the demographics they wouldn't need linear accelerators fell on very deaf ears.
Looking after Maori child health was just not 'it', even though the chance existed to become a centre of excellence and a leader in the field.
The backbone of the health work force are Baby Boomers at or beyond retirement age. That's the cause of the workforce shortfall, same as in Education and other professions. Think about it !.
100% tsmithfield. Except I would say, as I have said on this site before, they should never have gone ahead with the re-structure.
This is only heresay and one person’s opinion, and so I can’t provide any links etc. A friend works quite high up in the new Health NZ. She says it is absolute chaos and that she doesn't believe it will achieve equity.
I really only came to appreciate Fleetwood Mac later in life – and the remarkable McVie herself. Few people have the privilege of leaving such a well loved legacy.
What I can’t work out is if the Covid wage subsidy was less than the normal income for most recipients surely the lower amount of spending was not inflationary and then when things like spending stabilised the effects of the two regimes should be considered as a whole over the Covid years and those subsequent years giving us an average over say 5 years which should not be hugely inflationary. So what is the panic, we are just catching up and the resulting yearly total should be no different wether Covid happened or not.
Is this another classic example of Economics Trivial Pursuit, one question, 1000 correct answers?
I think the inflationary aspect, if any, was that businesses were propped up that otherwise would have failed as business failures have actually declined. The loss in GDP was also pretty small in the end as businesses adapted to trading in the Covid levels, even level 3, and the government avoided level 4 until Delta arrived, so the macroeconomic impact from Covid restrictions ended up being minimal, particularly compared to forecasts earlier on.
If this baby is removed from hospital today as the mother is threatening to do and the baby subsequently dies, it is easy to see what will happen. They, and their fellow anti- vaccine conspiracy theorists, will blame the death on the Ministry of Health and the Government.
I listened to part of the Sue Grey interview with Corin Dann this morning. It was hard going. The woman was appalling. Full of ‘mis and dis’ information.
I really don't think these people should be interviewed on public radio or TV. They have nothing of worth to offer.
That's why these conspiracy theorists are dangerous and should be constantly regarded as such by the authorities. It’s why they should not be given air time.
Why only the Covid vaccine – what about flu, HepA, HepB, shingles, measles, human papilloma virus, cholera, rabies, polio, mumps, tetanus, diphtheria etc? Many blood donors will have had one or more of these vaccines – actually most donors, if you look at the NZ Vaccine Schedule.
It is largely political – aimed at painting centre-left governments as authoritarian enemies of freedom, when the opposite is true. One question is whether it is a genuinely spontaneous derangement, or if there's money behind it.
I had pondered why only Covid. If I was going to get down a rabbit hole about vaccinations and possible lingering effects in the blood I would go for one of those where attenuated parts of a disease were injected…… eg TB etc.
They are crackpots and it is terrible that they are using the life of a wee baby who is not able to speak for themselves to further their views. It also espouses a view about babies being 'owned' by their parents that I disagree with.
Fortunately, the system is quite practiced at this. For years, the hospitals have had to deal with adherents of religious cults like the Jehovah's Witnesses who do not believe in blood transfusions. While adults can give consent – children cannot, so these children regularly get made Wards of the Court so that they can get the lifesaving procedures they require.
Yes I have heard about those wards of court processes for children.
I have wondered how the children are treated by their religious parents after, if they have received life saving transfusions. So whether there is a difference in the treatment/care/attention/love they receive from their parents.
It breaks my heart reading about people who place adherence to creed, belief or religion above their children's lives etc.
I have long ceased to try and fathom the thought processes of religious and other cultists. I have a good friend who is married to a Jehovah's Witness husband. We went to my friend's 70th birthday party some years ago. Her family had to pretend it was a house warming party for the house they moved in to 2 years previously as the husband would refuse to go to a birthday party. Imagine the sort of religious indoctrination that does not let you go to your wife's 70th birthday party. Once he shuffled off to some church thing the "Happy Housewarming" banner came down, and the "Happy Birthday Mum" banner went up.
There's money behind it alright – most of it off-shore.
And yes its political. Just like the climate denial thing was for decades. One of the reasons the world is heading for climate catastrophe is directly due to the influence of the deniers who were given carte-blanche by irresponsible media channels to spread their crackpot theories far and wide.
Why only the Covid vaccine – what about flu, HepA, HepB, shingles, measles, human papilloma virus, cholera, rabies, polio, mumps, tetanus, diphtheria etc?
Which of those are mRNA vaccines? Which of those were developed in less than 12 months?
mRNA vaccines do not use attenuated actual viruses. I don't think the length of time of development has a role or is important. Do you know how long the others on the list were under development…..?
You have asked some odd questions. Are these relevant to the willingness to effectively withhold medical/surgical treatment from a wee baby? If so in what way?
Which of those were developed in less than 12 months?
mRNA and it’s functions were discovered in 1961, clinical trials of mRNA therapeutics began in 2009 and the first in-human mRNA cancer vaccine trials were in 2017.
Heavens, she is not very articulate is she? It is hard going. Surely she should do, just as Luxon should do, work to find out info to rebut the type of questions an interested lay person would ask. I wonder if she is more used to taking court cases on the papers rather than orally.
So a case of myocarditis came about as a very uncommon reaction. Is she trying to say that blood from a healthy person/s who does not have any risks is going to get in and whip up a case of myocarditis? If so she is sadly lacking in knowledge about how vaccinations work and how the Covid ones in particular work.
'A medical expert believes another baby in a similar condition to one Health NZ is trying to seek guardianship for would've been treated by now.' Meanwhile the date for the hearing is set for 6/12. Terrible delays caused by the parents' stance.
That poor baby, with no voice except that of it's deranged parents, could well die to make a political point!
There should be some way, made clear to the parents and their supporters, that an adverse result (to the baby's health) would result in charges being laid. Sue Grey and Liz Gunn, in particular, should be held liable, in some way, for what happens.
"Donated blood is tested and separated into different blood components; red blood cells, platelets, plasma etc. These are aggregated and when a transfusion is called for by medical professionals, these blood products are supplied depending on need. When someone receives a transfusion the blood doesn't just come from one donor, it is a recombined from the various collected components.
The practice of direct donations from a singular donor, or donors of the parents choice, is not recommended by Doctors or the New Zealand Blood Service."
If you had been listening to Grey's side of the debate, the different blood components or the number of blood donors aren't what is holding up the surgery.
Corin certainly was shouty, mauī but Sue Grey presented very poorly, imo. She dragged into what might have been a useful interview, heavy baggage that triggered Corin sorely and she should have known better. There was the potential for genuine empathy to be fostered, but she failed to cut to the chase. I wouldn't want her defending me anywhere for anything.
The auditor-general is being challenged to do more to get businesses to pay back billions of dollars in wage subsidy payments that they should not have received.
The Gama Foundation, a Christchurch-based philanthropic organisation, has filed an application at the High Court in Wellington, seeking a judicial review of the auditor-general’s overview of the scheme.
The foundation is run by former Christchurch businessman Grant Nelson and his wife, Marilyn.
[…]
Reserve Bank data shows that in October 2020 businesses had $22.7b more in the bank than in October 2019.
[…]
“In the two years since the wage subsidy scheme was introduced, there’s been a huge transfer of wealth to businesses who didn’t experience the drop in revenue they might have anticipated,” Nelson said.
“The fact that over $750 million has voluntarily been repaid is a good indication that many times more would be repaid if recipients were asked to make repayments.”
Earlier this year the auditor-general took a much stronger stance over the cost of living payments – within weeks of the first round of payments being made Ryan had written to Inland Revenue, recommending it “consider what steps it can take to identify how many ineligible people have received payments”.
He also advised the department to make its expectation clear to ineligible people who got the payment that they should repay it immediately.
“We’re really just wanting him to do something similar with the wage subsidies because vastly more money is involved,” Nelson said.
I cant figure it out. on stuff presently , an odd penguin type is loseing his claim, and loseing his appeal, to a poll conducted by his company, being reported as a poll. someone else (hah!) can explain. is this karma?
“Readers could have been left with the impression that this poll had some validity. The headline and story stated it was a poll of people’s Prime Ministerial preferences. There was no information stating what it was based on. Readers were not told it was an unscientific straw poll”
Government has lightbulb moment,to train people ( through ngo's) to change lightbulbs and provide advice on low flow shower heads.
‘Auckland Council Home Energy Saver Pilot’, Ecobulb with Auckland Council, $115,000
Training up to 10 energy assessors to provide local households with personalised energy-saving advice, supply energy-efficient lightbulbs and low-flow showerheads, and connect households to other resources and supporting programmes.
Needs to be substantive savings for the new tech economy planned by the government,with the energy hungry and thirsty data centres for Auckland,of which they are energy intensive and require substantive water for cooling.
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See if you can spot the difference. An Iranian born female MP from a progressive party is accused of serial shoplifting. Her name is leaked to the media, which goes into a pack frenzy even before the Police launch an … Continue reading → ...
Ele Ludemann writes – The government is omitting general Treaty references from legislation : The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last Government in a bid to get greater coherence in the public service on Treaty ...
What was that judge thinking?Peter Williams writes – That Golriz Ghahraman and District Court Judge Maria Pecotic were once lawyer colleagues is incontrovertible. There is published evidence that they took at least one case to the Court of Appeal together. There was a report on ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Climate Scorpion – the sting is in the tail. Introducing planetary solvency. A paper via the University of Exeter’s Institute and Faculty of Actuaries.Local scoop:Kāinga Ora starts pulling out of its Auckland projects and selling land RNZ ...
Wellington’s massively upzoned District Plan adds the opportunity for tens of thousands of new homes not just in the central city (such as these Webb St new builds) but also close to the CBD and public transport links. Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: Wellington gave itself the chance of ...
It’s Friday and we’re halfway through March Madness. Here’s some of the things that caught our attention this week. This Week in Greater Auckland On Monday Matt asked how we can get better event trains and an option for grade separating Morningside Dr. On Tuesday Matt looked into ...
Something you might not know about me is that I’m quite a stubborn person. No, really. I don’t much care for criticism I think’s unfair or that I disagree with. Few of us do I suppose.Back when I was a drinker I’d sometimes respond defensively, even angrily. There are things ...
Photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāTL;DR: The five things that mattered in Aotearoa’s political economy that we wrote and spoke about via The Kākā and elsewhere for paying subscribers in the last week included:PM Christopher Luxon said the reversal of interest deductibility for landlords was done to help renters, who ...
It was not so much the Labour Party but really the Chris Hipkins party yesterday at Labour’s caucus retreat in Martinborough. The former Prime Minister was more or less consistent on wealth tax, which he was at best equivocal about, and social insurance, which he was not willing to revisit. ...
Buzz from the BeehiveThe text reproduced above appears on a page which records all the media statements and speeches posted on the government’s official website by Melissa Lee as Minister of Media and Communications and/or by Jenny Marcroft, her Parliamentary Under-secretary. It can be quickly analysed ...
For forty years, Robert Muldoon has been a dirty word in our politics. His style of government was so repulsive and authoritarian that the backlash to it helped set and entrench our constitutional norms. His pig-headedness over forcing through Think Big eventually gave us the RMA, with its participation and ...
Bryce Edwards writes – Is the new government reducing tax on rental properties to benefit landlords or to cut the cost of rents? That’s the big question this week, after Associate Finance Minister David Seymour announced on Sunday that the Government would be reversing the Labour Government’s removal ...
Saudi Arabia is rarely far from the international spotlight. The war in Gaza has brought new scrutiny to Saudi plans to normalise relations with Israel, while the fifth anniversary of the controversial killing of Jamal Khashoggi was marked shortly before the war began on October 7. And as the home ...
Questions need to be asked on both sides of the worldPeter Williams writes – The NRL Judiciary hands down an eight week suspension to Sydney Roosters forward Spencer Leniu , an Auckland-born Samoan, after he calls Ezra Mam, Sydney-orn but of Aboriginal and Torres Strait ...
Ele Ludemann writes – Contrary to what many headlines and news stories are saying, residential landlords are not getting a tax break. The government is simply restoring to them the tax deductibility of interest they had until the previous government removed it. There is no logical reason ...
I can't remember when it was goodMoments of happiness in bloomMaybe I just misunderstoodAll of the love we left behindWatching our flashbacks intertwineMemories I will never findIn spite of whatever you becomeForget that reckless thing turned onI think our lives have just begunI think our lives have just begunDoes anyone ...
Michael Bassett writes – At first reading, a front-page story in the New Zealand Herald on 13 March was bizarre. A group of severely intellectually limited teenagers, with little understanding of the law, have been pleading to the Justice Select Committee not to pass a bill dealing with ram ...
How much political capital is Christopher Luxon willing to burn through in order to deliver his $2.9 billion gift to landlords? Evidently, Luxon is: (a) unable to cost the policy accurately. As Anna Burns-Francis pointed out to him on Breakfast TV, the original ”rock solid” $2.1 billion cost he was ...
TL;DR: My top 10 news and analysis links this morning include:Today’s must-read:Jonathon Porritt calling bullshit in his own blog post on mainstream climate science as ‘The New Denialism’.Local scoop:The Wellington City Council’s list of proposed changes to the IHP recommendations to be debated later today was leaked this ...
TL;DR:Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said yesterday tenants should be grateful for the reinstatement of interest deductibility because landlords would pass on their lower tax costs in the form of lower rents. That would be true if landlords were regulated monopolies such as Transpower or Auckland Airport1, but they’re not, ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Tom Toro Tom Toro is a cartoonist and author. He has published over 200 cartoons in The New Yorker since 2010. His cartoons appear in Playboy, the Paris Review, the New York Times, American Bystander, and elsewhere. Related: What 10 EV lovers ...
The business section of the NZ Herald is full of opinion. Among the more opinionated of all is the ex-Minister of Transport, ex-Minister of Railways, ex MP for Auckland Central (1975-93, Labour), Wellington Central (1996-99, ACT, then list-2005), ex-leader of the ACT Party, uncle to actor Antonia, the veritable granddaddy ...
Hi,Just quickly — I’m blown away by the stories you’ve shared with me over the last week since I put out the ‘Gary’ podcast, where I told you about the time my friend’s flatmate killed the neighbour.And you keep telling me stories — in the comments section, and in my ...
The first season of Rings of Power was not awful. It was thoroughly underwhelming, yes, and left a lingering sense of disappointment, but it was more expensive mediocrity than catastrophe. I wrote at length about the series as it came out (see the Review section of the blog, and go ...
Buzz from the Beehive Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden told Auckland Business Chamber members they were the first audience to hear her priorities as a minister in a government committed to cutting red tape and regulations. She brandished her liberalising credentials, saying Flexible labour markets are the ...
Chris Trotter writes – TO UNDERSTAND WHY NEWSHUB FAILED, it is necessary to understand how TVNZ changed. Up until 1989, the state broadcaster had been funded by a broadcasting licence fee, collected from every citizen in possession of a television set, supplemented by a relatively modest (compared ...
Bob Edlin writes – The Māori Party has been busy issuing a mix of warnings and threats as its expresses its opposition to interest deductibility for landlords and the plans of seabed miners. It remains to be seen whether they follow the example of indigenous litigants in Australia, ...
The Government has accepted Labour’s change to the Road User Charge (RUC) discount for hybrid vehicles, meaning there will still be some incentive for people to buy greener vehicles. ...
Kicking the most vulnerable people out of state housing and pushing them towards homelessness will result in a proliferation of poverty and trauma across our most vulnerable communities. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader and MP for Waiariki, Rawiri Waititi has penned a letter asking MPs to support his members bill to remove GST from all food. The bill is expected to go through its first reading in parliament this Wednesday. “I’m calling on all political parties to support my ...
This year is about getting real with Kiwis and discussing the tough issues, as the National Government exacerbates inequality and divides New Zealand, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said ...
The Government adding Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) to its already roaring environmental policy bonfire is an assault on the future of wildlife that makes Aotearoa unique. ...
After 12 years of fighting to protect our moana we are finding ourselves back at square one and back at court. Today, the Environmental Protection Agency is sitting in Hawera to reconsider an application from Trans-Tasman Resources to dig up 50 million tonnes of the seabed in South Taranaki. This ...
Minister Shane Jones’ decision to step away from a seabed mining project is evidence of the murky waters surrounding the Government’s fast-track legislation. ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The growth of Treaty of Waitangi clauses in legislation caused so much worry that a special oversight group was set up by the last government in a bid to get greater coherence in the publicservice on Treaty matters. When ministers first considered the need for tighter oversight in 2021, there ...
The Coalition Government’s miscalculation saga continues as it has forgotten an eyewatering $90 million gap in its interest deductibility cost figures, say Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds and Revenue Spokesperson Deborah Russell. ...
He Pou a Rangi Climate Change Commission has today released advice that says if the Government doesn’t act now New Zealand is at risk of not meeting its climate goals. ...
The Coalition Government has today confirmed it is abandoning first home buyers who are struggling to get ahead, says Labour Finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds. ...
The New Zealand public voted for a change in direction at the 2023 general election and that is exactly what this coalition government has been delivering in its first 100 days. There was an immediate focus on the economy, easing the cost of living, cracking down on law and order ...
The Government has left the health system as an afterthought, announcing half-baked targets at the last minute of their 100-day plan, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
Kiwis are still waiting for their promised cost of living support after 100 days of a National Government that is taking us backwards, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
100 days of National taking NZ backwardsThe National Government has spent its first 100 days stopping, cutting and reversing. They have scrapped stuff for stuff for the sake of it, without putting up any solutions of their own – and it’s hardworking New Zealanders who will pay for it. ...
The Government must commit to funding free and healthy school lunches, as thousands of people sign the petition to keep them, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti says. ...
If the Government was serious about moving families into public housing, they would build more houses so there is actually somewhere for people to go. ...
The free and healthy school lunches programme feeds our kids, helps them to learn, and saves families money – but it is at risk under this Government, education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said. ...
The Government’s proposed changes to Firearms Prohibition Orders (FPO) add almost nothing new and are merely an attempt to distract from its plans to loosen gun laws, police spokesperson Ginny Andersen and justice spokesperson Dr Duncan Webb said. ...
The great Victorian era English politician Lord Macauley stood in the British House of Parliament and said, "The gallery in which the reporters sit has become a fourth estate of the realm".He understood and outlined even way back then, the significant role and influence media have in a democracy. ...
The government’s attack on Māori health this week is committing tangata-whenua to a premature death, says Te Pāti Māori. “The government have begun their onslaught on Māori health with the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority and smokefree laws in the same day” said health spokesperson and co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. ...
"The Government is moving quickly to realise an additional $46 million in tariff savings in the EU market this season for Kiwi exporters,” Minister for Trade and Agriculture, Todd McClay says. Parliament is set, this week, to complete the final legislative processes required to bring the New Zealand – European ...
New Zealand’s social workers are qualified, experienced, and more representative of the communities they serve, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “I want to acknowledge and applaud New Zealand’s social workers for the hard work they do, providing invaluable support for our most vulnerable. “To coincide with World ...
Cabinet has agreed to a reduced road user charge (RUC) rate for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. Owners of PHEVs will be eligible for a reduced rate of $38 per 1,000km once all light electric vehicles (EVs) move into the RUC system from 1 April. ...
Minister of Agriculture and Trade, Todd McClay, says that today’s opening of Riverland Foods manufacturing plant in Christchurch is a great example of how trade access to overseas markets creates jobs in New Zealand. Speaking at the official opening of this state-of-the-art pet food factory the Minister noted that exports ...
Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Wellington today. “It was a pleasure to host Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his first official visit to New Zealand since 2017. Our discussions were wide-ranging and enabled engagement on many facets of New Zealand’s relationship with China, including trade, ...
Kāinga Ora – Homes & Communities has been instructed to end the Sustaining Tenancies Framework and take stronger measures against persistent antisocial behaviour by tenants, says Housing Minister Chris Bishop. “Earlier today Finance Minister Nicola Willis and I sent an interim Letter of Expectations to the Board of Kāinga Ora. ...
Tēna koutou katoa. Greetings everyone. Thank you to the Auckland Chamber of Commerce and the Honourable Simon Bridges for hosting this address today. I acknowledge the business leaders in this room, the leaders and governors, the employers, the entrepreneurs, the investors, and the wealth creators. The coalition Government shares your ...
Minister Winston Peters completed the final leg of his visit to South and South East Asia in Singapore today, where he focused on enhancing one of New Zealand’s indispensable strategic partnerships. “Singapore is our most important defence partner in South East Asia, our fourth-largest trading partner and a ...
Minister of Internal Affairs and Workplace Relations and Safety, Hon. Brooke van Velden, will travel to the Republic of Korea to represent New Zealand at the Third Summit for Democracy on 18 March. The summit, hosted by the Republic of Korea, was first convened by the United States in 2021, ...
ICNZ Speech 7 March 2024, Auckland Acknowledgements and opening Mōrena, ngā mihi nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Good morning, it’s a privilege to be here to open the ICNZ annual conference, thank you to Mark for the Mihi Whakatau My thanks to Tim Grafton for inviting me ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Lead Coordination Minister Judith Collins have expressed their deepest sympathy on the five-year anniversary of the Christchurch terror attacks. “March 15, 2019, was a day when families, communities and the country came together both in sorrow and solidarity,” Mr Luxon says. “Today we pay our respects to the 51 shuhada ...
Speech for Financial Advice NZ Conference 5 March 2024 Acknowledgements and opening Morena, Nga Mihi Nui. Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Nor Whanganui aho. Thanks Nate for your Mihi Whakatau Good morning. It’s a pleasure to formally open your conference this morning. What a lovely day in Wellington, What a great ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters held discussions in Jakarta today about the future of relations between New Zealand and South East Asia’s most populous country. “We are in Jakarta so early in our new government’s term to reflect the huge importance we place on our relationship with Indonesia and South ...
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Winston Peters has announced that the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, will visit New Zealand next week. “We look forward to re-engaging with Foreign Minister Wang Yi and discussing the full breadth of the bilateral relationship, which is one of New Zealand’s ...
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has today opened the new Auckland Rail Operations Centre, which will bring together KiwiRail, Auckland Transport, and Auckland One Rail to improve service reliability for Aucklanders. “The recent train disruptions in Auckland have highlighted how important it is KiwiRail and Auckland’s rail agencies work together to ...
The Government is proud to support the 10th edition of Crankworx Rotorua as the Crankworx World Tour returns to Rotorua from 16-24 March 2024, says Minister for Economic Development Melissa Lee. “Over the past 10 years as Crankworx Rotorua has grown, so too have the economic and social benefits that ...
Legislation implementing coalition Government tax commitments and addressing long-standing tax anomalies will be progressed in Parliament next week, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The legislation is contained in an Amendment Paper to the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill issued today. “The Amendment Paper represents ...
Associate Environment Minister Andrew Hoggard has today announced that the Government has agreed to suspend the requirement for councils to comply with the Significant Natural Areas (SNA) provisions of the National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity for three years, while it replaces the Resource Management Act (RMA).“As it stands, SNAs ...
Agriculture Minister Todd McClay has classified the drought conditions in the Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts as a medium-scale adverse event, acknowledging the challenging conditions facing farmers and growers in the district. “Parts of Marlborough, Tasman, and Nelson districts are in the grip of an intense dry spell. I know ...
The Government is helping farmers eradicate the significant impact of facial eczema (FE) in pastoral animals, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “A $20 million partnership jointly funded by Beef + Lamb NZ, the Government, and the primary sector will save farmers an estimated NZD$332 million per year, and aims to ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has completed a successful visit to India, saying it was an important step in taking the relationship between the two countries to the next level. “We have laid a strong foundation for the Coalition Government’s priority of enhancing New Zealand-India relations to generate significant future benefit for both countries,” says Mr Peters, ...
Cabinet has agreed to provide $7 million to ensure the 2024 ski season can go ahead on the Whakapapa ski field in the central North Island but has told the operator Ruapehu Alpine Lifts it is the last financial support it will receive from taxpayers. Cabinet also agreed to provide ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti says the launch of a new mobile breast screening unit in Counties Manukau reinforces the coalition Government’s commitment to drive better cancer services for all New Zealanders. Speaking at the launch of the new mobile clinic, Dr Reti says it’s a great example of taking ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Unlocking economic growth and land for housing are critical elements of the Government’s plan for our transport network, and planned upgrades to State Highway 29 (SH29) near Tauriko will deliver strongly on those priorities, Transport Minister Simeon Brown says. “The SH29 upgrades near Tauriko will improve safety at the intersections ...
Lower fruit and vegetable prices are welcome news for New Zealanders who have been doing it tough at the supermarket, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. Stats NZ reported today the price of fruit and vegetables has dropped 9.3 percent in the 12 months to February 2024. “Lower fruit and vege ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the sixty-eighth session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all. Chair, I am honoured to address the 68th session of the Commission on the Status of Women. I acknowledge the many crises impacting the rights of women and girls. Heightened global tensions, war, climate related and humanitarian disasters, and price inflation all ...
The coalition Government is supporting farmers to enhance land management practices by investing $3.3 million in locally led catchment groups, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced. “Farmers and growers deliver significant prosperity for New Zealand and it’s vital their ongoing efforts to improve land management practices and water quality are supported,” ...
Good evening everyone and thank you for that lovely introduction. Thank you also to the Honourable Simon Bridges for the invitation to address your members. Since being sworn in, this coalition Government has hit the ground running with our 100-day plan, delivering the changes that New Zealanders expect of us. ...
Recommendations from the Climate Change Commission for New Zealand on the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) auction and unit limit settings for the next five years have been tabled in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. “The Commission provides advice on the ETS annually. This is the third time the ...
The coalition Government is beginning its fight to lower building costs and reduce red tape by exempting minor building work from paying the building levy, says Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk. “Currently, any building project worth $20,444 including GST or more is subject to the building levy which is ...
Proposed changes to tax legislation to prevent the over-taxation of low-earning trusts are welcome, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says. The changes have been recommended by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Committee following consideration of submissions on the Taxation (Annual Rates for 2023–24, Multinational Tax, and Remedial Matters) Bill. “One of the ...
Assalaamu alaikum. السَّلَام عليكم In light of the holy month of Ramadan, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Muslim community in New Zealand. Ramadan is a time for spiritual reflection, renewed devotion, perseverance, generosity, and forgiveness. It’s a time to strengthen our bonds and appreciate the diversity ...
Former Transport Minister and CEO of the Auckland Business Chamber Hon Simon Bridges has been appointed as the new Board Chair of the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) for a three-year term, Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced today. “Simon brings extensive experience and knowledge in transport policy and governance to the role. He will ...
Good morning all, it is a pleasure to be here as Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. It is fantastic to see how connected and collaborative the life science and biotechnology industry is here in New Zealand. I would like to thank BioTechNZ and NZTech for the invitation to address ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says he is looking forward to the day when three key water projects in Northland are up and running, unlocking the full potential of land in the region. Mr Jones attended a community event at the site of the Otawere reservoir near Kerikeri on Friday. ...
Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has today announced that the Government has agreed to restore deductibility for mortgage interest on residential investment properties. “Help is on the way for landlords and renters alike. The Government’s restoration of interest deductibility will ease pressure on rents and simplify the tax code,” says ...
Sport and Recreation Minister Chris Bishop will travel to Switzerland today to attend an Executive Committee meeting and Symposium of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Mr Bishop will then travel on to London where he will attend a series of meetings in his capacity as Infrastructure Minister. “New Zealanders believe ...
Pacific Media Watch Ismail al-Ghoul, an Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent who was held for 12 hours at Gaza’s al-Shifa hospital, says Israeli forces rounded up Palestinian journalists at the facility and made them kneel on the ground for hours, while naked and blindfolded. “The occupation forces handcuffed and blindfolded us ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Program Director, Energy, Grattan Institute chinasong, Shutterstock Electricity customers in four Australian states can breathe a sigh of relief. After two years in a row of 20% price increases, power prices have finally stabilised. In many places they’re ...
Chumbawamba have reportedly issued the deputy PM a cease-and-desist notice after he used their song 'Tubthumping' before his state of the nation speech. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deborah Lupton, SHARP Professor, Vitalities Lab, Centre for Social Research in Health and Social Policy Centre, and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society, UNSW Sydney kitzcorner/Shutterstock The assertion from Queensland’s chief health officer John Gerrard that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Shutterstock Why are musicians so keen to get played on the radio? It can’t be because of the money. In Australia they are paid at rates so low they ...
"Farmers make a point not to tell our urban cousins how to live, yet Chlöe from central Auckland is hell-bent on having her say about farmers," says ACT Rural Communities spokesman Mark Cameron. “On her first day in the House as Green ...
Analysis by Dr Bryce Edwards – Democracy Project (https://democracyproject.nz)Political scientist, Dr Bryce Edwards. It’s been a tumultuous time in politics in recent months, as the new National-led Government has driven through its “First 100 Day programme”. During this period there’s been a handful of opinion polls, which overall just ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Curran, Associate Professor of Ecology, Lincoln University, New Zealand Getty Images/Gerald Corsi In the latest move to reform environmental laws in New Zealand, the coalition government has introduced a bill to fast-track consenting processes for projects deemed to ...
Uber has argued it does not have as much control over drivers as the unions suggest, and wants a judgment ruling that drivers are employees and not contractors set aside and sent back to the Employment Court. The 2022 ruling followed a three-week hearing in which four drivers sought to ...
What can and can’t be purchased by disabled people or their carers has been slashed in an effort by the Ministry of Disabled People Whaikaha to save money. The purchasing guidelines, a set of rules that sets out what can be purchased using the various streams of Government disability funding, ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Tod Wright and Hien Nguyen, Fiscal incidence in New Zealand: The effects of taxes and benefits on household incomes in tax year 2018/19 . Analyses of the distributional impact of taxation and government ...
The Treasury has published today a new Analytical Note by Cory Davis, Boston Hart and Benjamin Stubbing, Household cost-of-living impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme and using transfers to mitigate regressive outcomes . This Analytical Note ...
A coalition of public transport and climate organisations, united as ‘Transport for All’, is actively opposing the government’s transport proposals. The draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) includes plans for higher fares for public transport, ...
Greater Wellington is inviting feedback on proposed changes to its Revenue and Financing Policy. The Revenue and Financing Policy covers the Council’s various sources of funding, and how the cost of services is shared across the region. This includes ...
Labour has conceded it could have done more to deal with disruptive state housing tenants while in government but says the current coalition is going too far. ...
The band has asked their record label to issue a cease and desist to stop the NZ First leader using their 1997 hit to support his ‘misguided political views’. “I get knocked down, but I get up again,” blared through the speakers on Sunday as Winston Peters took the stage ...
By Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific journalist Food rationing is underway in remote areas in Papua New Guinea’s Highlands following torrential rain and flash flooding. More than 20 people have been reported dead in Chimbu Province. In nearby Enga Province, the centre of last month’s massacre, a 15-year-old boy has been ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hughes, Lecturer, Research School of Management, Australian National University After months of debate and intrigue, the AFL’s 19th and newest team, the Tasmania Devils, finally launched its jumper, logo and colours in Devonport this week. The Devils will wear green, ...
Brannavan Gnanalingam reviews the debut novel by Saraid de Silva.One of the most baffling things for children who move to a new country is what their parents’ (or grandparents’) lives were like prior to moving – for kids in particular, they’re too busy trying to fit in in their ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Gaunson, Associate Professor in Cinema Studies, RMIT University Narelle Portanier/Binge “If you don’t know who your mob are, you don’t know who you are,” Detective Andrea “Andie” Whitford (played by Leah Purcell) is told early into the new crime ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elise Klein, Associate professor, Australian National University It’s commonly accepted that women do the vast majority of caregiving in Australian society. But less appreciated is that Indigenous women do larger amounts of unpaid care than any other group. Working with the Aboriginal ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Joe Biden and Donald Trump have both secured their parties’ nominations for the November 5 United States general election by winning a ...
Comment: There has been a striking contrast in trans-Tasman interest about Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s visit to New Zealand and Australia. While the Australian press has been full of articles about the visit – including his curious decision to meet with former prime minister and China booster Paul Keating ...
After years of pressuring banks and other institutions to stop investing in fossil fuels, climate campaigners are making some progress. So how does divestment work?For years, climate activists have been pushing banks and other big institutions to divest from fossil fuels. New research from climate advocacy group 350 Aotearoa ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. The three young Polynesians are part of a K-pop fan community in Tāmaki Makaurau. It’s one of many that have sprung up worldwide as K-pop has gone ...
For Boba, Ethan and Ashley, K-pop is a place to belong, a way to express themselves, and a bridge to connect with others. This one-off documentary presents three intimate portraits of young Polynesians who are pulled into a Korean cultural phenomenon. K-POLYS is directed by Litia Tuiburelevu, Produced by Hex ...
There’s ample evidence demonstrating free school lunch programmes provide wide benefits across schools, households and communities according to public health researchers. ACT Minister David Seymour wants to reduce the spending on Aotearoa New Zealand’s ...
By Wata Shaw in Suva Fiji is facing an exodus of Fijians as many are leaving for overseas seeking employment and education and others are migrating, says Opposition MP Viliame Naupoto. Speaking in Parliament, he said: “His Excellency’s speech (Ratu Wiliame Katonivere) comes after a little over one year of ...
The Taxpayers’ Union is welcoming comments from Christopher Luxon this morning recommitting to ‘no new taxes’ as part of Budget 2024. “Mr Luxon’s refusal at the Post-Cabinet press conference yesterday to repeat the ‘no new taxes’ promise ...
SAFE is urgently calling on the Environment Committee to reject the Government’s Fast-Track Approvals Bill, and is urging New Zealanders to rally behind the call. The proposed Bill, currently under consideration with the Environment select committee, ...
Teammates who spend all their time picking fights with spectators are only helpful for the other team, writes Madeleine Chapman. Anyone who has ever played a team sport competitively, particularly as a child and particularly, for some reason, basketball, will know that there’s a lot of politics involved. While there ...
The long-running Wellington music festival is too focused on the Jim Beam-ness and not enough on the Homegrown-ness.There is something about Homegrown that’s difficult to place. A barely perceptible-ness. Like feeling a ghost is watching you from the corner of the room but when you look, there’s nothing there. ...
The latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor reveals that fewer New Zealanders believe crime / law and order is one of the top issues facing our country. In 2018, Ipsos New Zealand started tracking the key issues facing New Zealand. In this wave ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Griffiths, Deputy Program Director, Budgets and Government, Grattan Institute Australia’s political donations rules are woefully inadequate, but donations reform is finally on the agenda. The federal government has signalled its interest in reform and will soon begin briefing MPs on its ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Patrick Taylor, Chief Environmental Scientist, EPA Victoria; Honorary Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University Naiyana Somchitkaeo/Shutterstock A recent study published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine has linked microplastics with risk to human health. The study ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Global climate records were shattered in 2023, from air and sea temperatures to sea-level rise and sea-ice extent. Scores of countries recorded their hottest year ...
As part of our series exploring how New Zealanders live and our relationship with money, a teacher explains why he and his partner are in frugal mode – and how they’re making it work. Gender: Male Age: 35Ethnicity: Pākehā Role: I am an intermediate school teacher and my partner is ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Bendall, Senior Lecturer, Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian Catholic University Binge Mary & George, the new British television drama series, depicts the real-life story of Mary Villiers and her son George, and their social climbing at the ...
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Telling graph.
[image resized]
Thank you
Interesting 2018 Was more that nat from 2013 to 2017
And 5 yr Natz was 781m (including 2 yrs of 0 )cf
to Lab 5 yrs of 5798 mil
A more telling graph would be the money spend directly on healthcare vs money spend on the reform of the department of health, the DHBs and other new and improved burocracy. National did underspend or refuse to fund, and Labour spend the last year re-creating NZ Health in what hopefully will be a better system then the DHBs.
So in essence how much did N spend vs L say on recruitment of nurses and doctors? How much on renovations of fixed assets, how much on new machines / what machines and then how much was spend on consultants.
$11.1 billon on Health reforms over four years.
I posted the link a few weeks back. Can repost if required.
The question is, is our health system in better shape now or pre 2017 Labour govt?
Even factoring in covid, its pretty clear it is in a worse state. My evidence for this is the almost daily articles about Dr's, nurses saying they are at breaking point. I have posted many links on this in the past few weeks.
So how long do you think it takes to train up doctors and nurses to be able to compitantly work in critical situations such as Ed and ICU? And how long does it take to rectify 8 years of neglect in health infrastructure and capacity?
I have posted before Macro about what Dr Ian Powell says in his columns (former head of the Salaried Medical Specialists).
When Labour came in, he told the then Minister of Health, David Clark, that there were 3 problems facing Health in NZ. Workforce shortage, workforce shortage, workforce shortage. That was over five years ago. Had Labour of acted on this, we would now have trainees graduating or even with one or two years under their belts in ICU and ED. Last week we heard that Andrew Little was finally considering paying student nurses for their placements, after the NZNO had been suggesting it for sometime. I have posted here previously at least two articles about student nurses feeling highly stressed and contemplating not completing their training. Some of the reasons being have to travel big distances to do their (unpaid) hospital workforce training and receiving no petrol money or assistance with parking. I also posted an interview with Shane Reti on Q and A and as I recall, he talked about having had costing down for a new medical school. Many GPs are reaching retirement age.
Andrew Little has prioritized a health restructure during a pandemic, rather than addressing the workforce issues. NZders will pay the price
Can link to previously posted articles if requried.
Shane Reti would make an excellent health minister. Seems crazy having an ex union leader in charge of health.
I would have expected much better of an ex union in terms of managing health. IMO Little has shown nothing but contempt for the health workforce.
I don't think overblown words and exaggeration does vey much for the argument.
eg 'contempt.'
You know one of the reasons for the Health restructuring is simply to address the issue of stretched resources and inequitably distributed resources (ie access to health determined by post code rather than need) – but you knew that anyway.
The workforce issues would not be fixed in 5 years – last time I looked it takes at least 7 years for a doctor to be let loose on the general population.
For specialist nursing ie holding post grad nursing quals is just as long.
The entry requirements for post grad nursing requires candidates to:
To simply blame the current govt for the run down state of NZ Health is simply blinkered and partisan. The previous Nat govt, with their persistent under funding of Health (as clearly seen from the graph above) resulted in NZ's Health service ending up in a parlous state. It will take years to turn that around. Hospitals (eg Whangarei's) completely unfit for purpose. The low payment of Health professionals has resulted in large numbers flocking offshore. We staff our hospitals and aged care facilities from lower paid countries off-shore. Once re-qualified and NZ citizens they then depart to higher paid positions in Australia America Canada and UK). My son-in-law as evidence.
Hmmm I well remember the 2007 Nat advertisement "Stop waving goodbye to your loved ones!" Well no sooner were the Nats in power than they changed the provision for aftercare of those suffering brain injury. 100 specialists dealing with such conditions were immediately out of a job and nothing for them in this country. So Aussie just got 100 qualified specialists, just like that – my own family are never going to return. Now running 3 small hospitals in Perth.
I am not claiming National did a great job in terms of heath in NZ. Although I do believe Shane Reti would make a great Minister of Health or even PM>
Labour and Littles focus should have been on the training and retention of staff and the importation of the health workforce from overseas. This involves everything from settling pay disputes, increasing pay significantly and valuing the workforce rather than being in denial that public health is in crisis as Andrew Little does
Setting up Health NZ has inevitably put them behind as you don't just set up a new agency and its all good to go. As I mentioned before my contact at Health NZ tells me it is chaos and in their considered opinion it won't achieve the goal of equity.
What is the health system? If. you get sick with a broken leg, cancer, a heart attack, an autoimmune disease, have a car accident etc, etc who do you need to be there in adequate numbers. The people with skills, training and experience. Not the bureacrats.
One of the articles I posted recently quoted a group of Drs who said the only change they have seen from the re-structure is the new logo.
But go ahead believe the bureacrats will make all the difference. Having worked in health in the 1990s I can tell you that what happened in Wellington made absolutely no difference at all. As long as our staffing levels were o.k., it all rose and fell on the expertise and clinical competence of the nurses and Drs and other allied workers at the coal face.
Mmmmm those faceless 'bureaucrats' are always worth a bash aren't they?
Would the critics of everything to do with the health sector and reforms be able to cobble together an argument without having access to these people to criticise? When I worked in the health sector the 'bureaucrats', but we called them staff rather than the pejorative, that were absolutely relied on at a high level were
Then we have the
bureaucratsstaff that any large organisation can not do without:https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/300752834/health-system-desperately-needing-doctors-wont-let-new-grads-start-til-2023–union
Te Whatu Ora (Health New Zealand) told the union it would not allow newly graduated doctors to start working in hospitals until next year, NZRDA national president Dr James Anderson said.
Anderson said Te Whatu Ora cited supervision and orientation concerns as the reason why.
It “makes no sense”, he said: “We have a workforce we so desperately need, qualified, ready and willing to work, and yet Te Whatu Ora won’t employ them for another two months.”
Anderson said the “excuse” of supervision and orientation concerns, “is in our view, exactly that”.
It seems Health NZ is the obstacle here. So rather than helping the over worked Drs in crisis they are an impediment. But of course the Professional Managerial Class think they know best
While I understand your concern re staffing it does the cause no good to leave off some points, these were in the article that you attached.
a) the proposed changes were discussed/consulted on
'A spokesperson for Te Whatu Ora said the 20 DHBs that previously comprised Health New Zealand went through extensive consultation before the change was put in place, to strengthen training, staff welfare and services to patients.'
b) the overriding reason is this
'He said the shift from November to January enabled newly-appointed first-year doctors to be supported into practice, particularly with more senior staff on leave over the Christmas and New Year period, and ensured new graduates got a break before starting their careers.
“New Zealanders can have confidence that, as in previous years, this will not affect our ability to staff services over the holiday period.” "
I have lived next door to one of those senior orthopaedic surgeons who trains new staff, for many years. He often has some time off in Dec/ January. Apart from a little time with both sets of elderly parents he is usually at home doing things like building a new deck, blobbing out, going to outdoor concerts etc etc.
Even though he is on leave when there are huge numbers or complex injuries to road accident victims he is on call and about 90% of the time during these holidays he is called in.
NZers regularly drive their cars into each other, into bridges or power poles over the break. When the remaining staff cannot deal with the injuries he will go in to operate. Having done this he then goes in daily to check on the patients he has operated on.
Last Christmas/January break he was flown to Chch, while on leave, to help operate on badly injured road accident victims. Having done this he stayed down there to be on call for his patients for a week.
The point about letting newly graduated doctors have a break is also valid. Up until now many would have had minimal time off as most would work over the long break.
So always good to have both sides of an issue.
Good points Macro.
Spoken with the voice of experience. I had a very minor involvement with a govt workforce/clinical training group for health.
From this I am left with the view that it is never as clear cut as the various groups say, they exist to push their causes and that is OK but we should not forget it. Many of the groups are single issue and do not understand how all the bits fit together in clinical training in the health sector.
Stability of government is hugely important. Health is regularly used as an election issue and during this time there is wastage in terms of gearing up and down to meet a new govt's ideas. Health by the long nature of its training and long time frames on other issues, is a bit like trying to turn an ocean liner on a coin. It takes an age.
Access to health services via post code is a happening thing. Although not as bad as prior to the 1990s the cries for every DHB to have the latest health bauble (not based on need) are never-ending.
And make no mistake some health specialties are more 'sexy', as they say, than others. Some DHBs are keenly aware of this and waste no time in seeking funds for latest 'thing' when population based funding based on the actual needs of their populations is ignored. So we find that, as your family has, that painstaking and often long term rehab for the brain injured is not valued.
Back in the 1990s linear accelerators were the 'thing' and every hospital wanted one, regardless of need based on demographics. Trying to persuade people that if they paid attention to their populations ie to the demographics they wouldn't need linear accelerators fell on very deaf ears.
Looking after Maori child health was just not 'it', even though the chance existed to become a centre of excellence and a leader in the field.
The backbone of the health work force are Baby Boomers at or beyond retirement age. That's the cause of the workforce shortfall, same as in Education and other professions. Think about it !.
The government needs to reprioritise its spending to pay medical staff competitive salaries to keep them in NZ.
For instance, scrap the TVNZ/RNZ merger. Scrap the light rail vanity project. Give the money to the medical staff.
100% tsmithfield. Except I would say, as I have said on this site before, they should never have gone ahead with the re-structure.
This is only heresay and one person’s opinion, and so I can’t provide any links etc. A friend works quite high up in the new Health NZ. She says it is absolute chaos and that she doesn't believe it will achieve equity.
That sounds really sensible. They will never do it.
So they have spent all that money and the health system is worse than it was back in 2017. What a failure, thanks Andrew Little.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/130542865/laminated-cards-in-ed-with-health-ministers-number-common-knowlege
Sizing need a fix please.
if you ever need to do that yourself, edit the comment and put this at the end of the tag before the final >
width="100%"
Thanks Weka
.
https://twitter.com/fleetwoodmac/status/1598036525903941632
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Xg1t-fqhbf8&feature=youtu.be
I really only came to appreciate Fleetwood Mac later in life – and the remarkable McVie herself. Few people have the privilege of leaving such a well loved legacy.
Saw them in Dunedin in 2019 at the stadium. Sound was terrible but was really important to understand their aura live. She had radiant presence.
Also Neil Finn gave us Shark Attack.
Wonderful music. Wonderful singer.
Very sad. A very talented musician taken too early.
The USSR used the false-flag attack as a pretext to cancel the Finnish-Soviet non-aggression pact.
But sure, Ukraine should negotiate.
/
https://twitter.com/DarthPutinKGB/status/1597914810322407425
You do know the peace movement within Russia, has disappeared right?
Anyone organising for a negotiated peace has either fled, or is in prison.
I guess with Putin's popularity so bloody high, he can do what he wants.
He wants war.
He, also wants to push Ukraine back into the stone age, by smashing their infrastructure.
Three parts to video
1st part a great piece Victorian Election and the media.
At 3.45 minute mark – Ukraine story.
3rd part – friendlyjordies fire booming.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HBZdUMqnoA
What I can’t work out is if the Covid wage subsidy was less than the normal income for most recipients surely the lower amount of spending was not inflationary and then when things like spending stabilised the effects of the two regimes should be considered as a whole over the Covid years and those subsequent years giving us an average over say 5 years which should not be hugely inflationary. So what is the panic, we are just catching up and the resulting yearly total should be no different wether Covid happened or not.
Is this another classic example of Economics Trivial Pursuit, one question, 1000 correct answers?
Tsunamis have more than 1 wave even if the sine decrease is rapid.
I think the inflationary aspect, if any, was that businesses were propped up that otherwise would have failed as business failures have actually declined. The loss in GDP was also pretty small in the end as businesses adapted to trading in the Covid levels, even level 3, and the government avoided level 4 until Delta arrived, so the macroeconomic impact from Covid restrictions ended up being minimal, particularly compared to forecasts earlier on.
If this baby is removed from hospital today as the mother is threatening to do and the baby subsequently dies, it is easy to see what will happen. They, and their fellow anti- vaccine conspiracy theorists, will blame the death on the Ministry of Health and the Government.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/donor-blood-battle-mother-refuses-to-abide-by-medical-advice-to-not-leave-hospital-with-baby/WI7TPO5JANECJCYKJ4E5OMFMBI/
I listened to part of the Sue Grey interview with Corin Dann this morning. It was hard going. The woman was appalling. Full of ‘mis and dis’ information.
I really don't think these people should be interviewed on public radio or TV. They have nothing of worth to offer.
https://www.rnz.co.nz/audio/player?audio_id=2018869301
Oh dear, and here's another one:
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/130623195/saboteur-graham-philip-jailed-for-trying-to-cut-power-to-entire-north-island
Goes to show some of them are dangerous people.
'
In the same vein as the absurd vaccine conspiracy theorists willfully risking their child's life.
Months and months of Russian propaganda have convinced some people, of the absurdity that Ukraine is a fascist state.
The result is inevitable. Some misguided individual has sent a letter bomb to what they think are fascists.
https://www.rt.com/news/567430-embassy-explosion-madrid-ukraine/?
"Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities" Voltaire
Spot on Jenny.
That's why these conspiracy theorists are dangerous and should be constantly regarded as such by the authorities. It’s why they should not be given air time.
Why only the Covid vaccine – what about flu, HepA, HepB, shingles, measles, human papilloma virus, cholera, rabies, polio, mumps, tetanus, diphtheria etc? Many blood donors will have had one or more of these vaccines – actually most donors, if you look at the NZ Vaccine Schedule.
It is largely political – aimed at painting centre-left governments as authoritarian enemies of freedom, when the opposite is true. One question is whether it is a genuinely spontaneous derangement, or if there's money behind it.
Good points.
I had pondered why only Covid. If I was going to get down a rabbit hole about vaccinations and possible lingering effects in the blood I would go for one of those where attenuated parts of a disease were injected…… eg TB etc.
They are crackpots and it is terrible that they are using the life of a wee baby who is not able to speak for themselves to further their views. It also espouses a view about babies being 'owned' by their parents that I disagree with.
Fortunately, the system is quite practiced at this. For years, the hospitals have had to deal with adherents of religious cults like the Jehovah's Witnesses who do not believe in blood transfusions. While adults can give consent – children cannot, so these children regularly get made Wards of the Court so that they can get the lifesaving procedures they require.
Yes I have heard about those wards of court processes for children.
I have wondered how the children are treated by their religious parents after, if they have received life saving transfusions. So whether there is a difference in the treatment/care/attention/love they receive from their parents.
It breaks my heart reading about people who place adherence to creed, belief or religion above their children's lives etc.
I have long ceased to try and fathom the thought processes of religious and other cultists. I have a good friend who is married to a Jehovah's Witness husband. We went to my friend's 70th birthday party some years ago. Her family had to pretend it was a house warming party for the house they moved in to 2 years previously as the husband would refuse to go to a birthday party. Imagine the sort of religious indoctrination that does not let you go to your wife's 70th birthday party. Once he shuffled off to some church thing the "Happy Housewarming" banner came down, and the "Happy Birthday Mum" banner went up.
There's money behind it alright – most of it off-shore.
And yes its political. Just like the climate denial thing was for decades. One of the reasons the world is heading for climate catastrophe is directly due to the influence of the deniers who were given carte-blanche by irresponsible media channels to spread their crackpot theories far and wide.
And now it is happening in the health sector.
Which of those are mRNA vaccines? Which of those were developed in less than 12 months?
mRNA vaccines do not use attenuated actual viruses. I don't think the length of time of development has a role or is important. Do you know how long the others on the list were under development…..?
flu, HepA, HepB, shingles, measles, human papilloma virus, cholera, rabies, polio, mumps, tetanus, diphtheria etc?
For instance flu vaccines are tweaked to cover the current viral threats every year.
https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2021/the-long-history-of-mrna-vaccines#:~:text=The%20first%20mRNA%20vaccines%20using,commercial%20development%20in%20the%20U.S.
You have asked some odd questions. Are these relevant to the willingness to effectively withhold medical/surgical treatment from a wee baby? If so in what way?
mRNA and it’s functions were discovered in 1961, clinical trials of mRNA therapeutics began in 2009 and the first in-human mRNA cancer vaccine trials were in 2017.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41578-021-00358-0
I agree totally, there are so many more blood borne vectors why only the covid vaccine?
Up until covid came along, the far right and neo-fascists had been unable to find a cause that they could use to prey on people's fears.
Xenophobia and racism just doesn't have the pulling power it used to.
https://thehardtimes.net/culture/new-age-hippie-chick-from-college-new-age-fascist-chick-now/
Heavens, she is not very articulate is she? It is hard going. Surely she should do, just as Luxon should do, work to find out info to rebut the type of questions an interested lay person would ask. I wonder if she is more used to taking court cases on the papers rather than orally.
So a case of myocarditis came about as a very uncommon reaction. Is she trying to say that blood from a healthy person/s who does not have any risks is going to get in and whip up a case of myocarditis? If so she is sadly lacking in knowledge about how vaccinations work and how the Covid ones in particular work.
'A medical expert believes another baby in a similar condition to one Health NZ is trying to seek guardianship for would've been treated by now.' Meanwhile the date for the hearing is set for 6/12. Terrible delays caused by the parents' stance.
https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2022/11/protesters-gather-outside-auckland-high-court-as-health-nz-faces-off-with-parents-of-sick-baby-over-vaccinated-blood-donors.html
Is it true, that blood purity is the bastion of some very far right groups?
A calling card even.
You mean like Ayranism:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aryanism
Its happening all over again only this time it is spreading through the Internet across the world.
That was painful to listen to!
That poor baby, with no voice except that of it's deranged parents, could well die to make a political point!
There should be some way, made clear to the parents and their supporters, that an adverse result (to the baby's health) would result in charges being laid. Sue Grey and Liz Gunn, in particular, should be held liable, in some way, for what happens.
The deranged parents that are going to extraordinary lengths to ensure their child has the safest medical procedure possible? That sort of deranged?
arkies comment is of the quality needed in this debate. Sue Grey had nothing like it.
arkie7.2.1.2
2 December 2022 at 10:41 am
"Donated blood is tested and separated into different blood components; red blood cells, platelets, plasma etc. These are aggregated and when a transfusion is called for by medical professionals, these blood products are supplied depending on need. When someone receives a transfusion the blood doesn't just come from one donor, it is a recombined from the various collected components.
The practice of direct donations from a singular donor, or donors of the parents choice, is not recommended by Doctors or the New Zealand Blood Service."
If you had been listening to Grey's side of the debate, the different blood components or the number of blood donors aren't what is holding up the surgery.
?
Was there an interview in there somewhere..? It appeared more like a shouty lecture from Corin "I am the Science" Dan.
Corin certainly was shouty, mauī but Sue Grey presented very poorly, imo. She dragged into what might have been a useful interview, heavy baggage that triggered Corin sorely and she should have known better. There was the potential for genuine empathy to be fostered, but she failed to cut to the chase. I wouldn't want her defending me anywhere for anything.
They’ve given away several small fortunes but Marilyn and Grant Nelson aren't quite done.
The auditor-general is being challenged to do more to get businesses to pay back billions of dollars in wage subsidy payments that they should not have received.
The Gama Foundation, a Christchurch-based philanthropic organisation, has filed an application at the High Court in Wellington, seeking a judicial review of the auditor-general’s overview of the scheme.
The foundation is run by former Christchurch businessman Grant Nelson and his wife, Marilyn.
[…]
Reserve Bank data shows that in October 2020 businesses had $22.7b more in the bank than in October 2019.
[…]
“In the two years since the wage subsidy scheme was introduced, there’s been a huge transfer of wealth to businesses who didn’t experience the drop in revenue they might have anticipated,” Nelson said.
“The fact that over $750 million has voluntarily been repaid is a good indication that many times more would be repaid if recipients were asked to make repayments.”
Earlier this year the auditor-general took a much stronger stance over the cost of living payments – within weeks of the first round of payments being made Ryan had written to Inland Revenue, recommending it “consider what steps it can take to identify how many ineligible people have received payments”.
He also advised the department to make its expectation clear to ineligible people who got the payment that they should repay it immediately.
“We’re really just wanting him to do something similar with the wage subsidies because vastly more money is involved,” Nelson said.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/money/130635165/court-challenge-to-auditorgeneral-over-billions-of-taxpayer-dollars-paid-in-wage-subsidies
Good on them.
I cant figure it out. on stuff presently , an odd penguin type is loseing his claim, and loseing his appeal, to a poll conducted by his company, being reported as a poll. someone else (hah!) can explain. is this karma?
Yes that was strannge wasn't it.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/local-government/130627259/blogger-david-farrars-straw-poll-complaint-dismissed-by-media-council
What amazed me was this statement
'Farrar, who is a Media Council member through Kiwiblog, …….'
yet he is not mentioned here
https://www.mediacouncil.org.nz/about/
He is one of a group of publishers etc who have agreed to abide by Principles set by the Media Council.
https://www.mediacouncil.org.nz/principles/#membership
Farrar is right about this. His political bias doesn't invalidate the basic principle here.
The word "poll" is wrongly used in the media far too often. See the Newshub AM Show "polls", for example. Easy to rig, no value whatsoever.
Just ask our popular Prime Minister, Judith Collins …
https://www.mediacouncil.org.nz/rulings/peter-green-against-mediaworks-newshub/
“Readers could have been left with the impression that this poll had some validity. The headline and story stated it was a poll of people’s Prime Ministerial preferences. There was no information stating what it was based on. Readers were not told it was an unscientific straw poll”
etc.
Apple users must wake up everyday smelling their own farts and virtual signalling their lords and masters.
How scummy are the corporation, I'd say very.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/apple-hobbled-crucial-tool-dissent-185100767.html
https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/z6k5r0/apple_hobbled_a_crucial_tool_of_dissent_in_china/
Government has lightbulb moment,to train people ( through ngo's) to change lightbulbs and provide advice on low flow shower heads.
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/government-supports-more-energy-saving-projects-help-more-kiwis-save-money
Needs to be substantive savings for the new tech economy planned by the government,with the energy hungry and thirsty data centres for Auckland,of which they are energy intensive and require substantive water for cooling.