Last year, Tony Ryall announced health reforms (ironically, an additional layer of beaurcracy) that he claimed would save $700 million over five years, about 1% of the health budget. Now, Labour has revealed, that estimate is at the high end of a range and the low-end is just $350 million. Worse, this isn’t even an official government figure, it was produced by some private consultants. The Government has gone ahead with this major reform without even getting Treasury to work out the cost and benefits.
Looks like yet more over-promise, under-deliver.
It’s more of the lazy, ideological attitude of this government. They’re not really worried about working out the best solution. Instead, their ideology tells them what solution they want, then they come up with a fig-leaf of research to justify their decision.
Meanwhile, Ryall’s mate Murray Horn, an ex Treasury Secretary who somehow got the job of providing the fig-leaf for National’s reforms, has been appointed head of the National Health Board his report proposed (multi-talented guy). Horn is being paid $1,500 a day for the job and working two days a week. $150,000 a year for working two days a week. I thought you had to be a minister in Key’s government to get that kind of deal.
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