Putting Politics over People

Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, June 1st, 2024 - 24 comments
Categories: budget 2024, Christopher Luxon, election 2023, nicola willis, Shane Reti - Tags: ,

The coalition government has the compassion of a weed trimmer. It spins around fast, cutting everything within its reach to the same level without discern or concern, no more, no less. A weed trimmer doesn’t promise to cut down trees, chop & mulch wood, or to turn over the soil in your vegie garden. That would be raising unrealistic expectations and promise something that’s too good to be true. However, this is exactly what the National Party did in its election campaign, it preyed on the emotions of cancer sufferers and their family & friends and promised to fund 13 new cancer treatments when elected. National gave those people hope but they dashed all hope in Budget-2024 with a cold-hearted keystroke in a spreadsheet comprising numbers and fancy formulas.

This cruelty to cancer patients is laid barren when considering that the estimated cost for the funding is $70 million per year over four years ($280 million in total). To put this in some kind of perspective, this is the same amount of our money (remember, we are the Taxpayers) that would fund about 3.5 km of motorway each year, based on a low-ball estimate of about $20 million per kilometre. To put this into an even starker contrast, this is the distance of about 70 very short ego-trips in a hired black Merc limo by Chris Luxon.

The coalition government doesn’t even try to defend this gutless and indefensible decision and its rhetoric couldn’t be less caring, less sensitive, and less compassionate if it had come from a GenAI app. As such, it’s not convincing and persuasive at all, but that isn’t really the point.

“We are really committed to expanding access to cancer treatments, and we regret that it hasn’t been possible in this Budget,” Willis replied.

Health Minister Dr Shane Reti, however, hasn’t ruled out a funding boost in future budgets.

“We have prioritised this essential investment and anticipate that future Budgets will help widen medicine access, including to cancer treatments,” he said.

May we remind Dr Reti of the oath he’s sworn. No, not the oath to the National Party with his hand on Atlas Shrugged and the other hand in his pocket clinching his credit card. The oath to do no harm. You know Dr Reti, that oath. Quite a few of those cancer patients, some of who are young or children, are dying now, Dr Reti, and they need these treatments now to live a little longer and better (quality of life), so that they can spend more time with their loved ones.

For those who have short and/or selective memories, particularly those of you voted for this sorry excuse of a coalition government – it hasn’t been that long ago – this is what Chris Luxon and his predatory party promised:

National would fund 13 new cancer treatments, scrap free prescriptions
National Party leader Christopher Luxon has promised to give Pharmac $280 million to pay for 13 new cancer treatments over the next four years, and scrap free prescriptions, if elected.

The treatments are ones the cancer control agency has highlighted as having a “substantial clinical benefit”.

“National will allocate $280 million in ring-fenced funding to Pharmac over four years to pay for these therapies. We think this is a better use of taxpayers’ money than paying $5 prescription fees for everyone, including those who can afford to pay it themselves,” he said.

Superannuitants and those on low incomes will still receive free prescriptions. For everyone else, the total amount any family will pay for prescriptions in a year will be capped at $100.

As for Nicola Willis, her DVD & ice cream Tax ‘relief’ is cynical and demeaning beyond belief. Turning the Public Service into a Potemkin village so that your children can watch Frozen or some other animated fantasy with a catchy soundtrack (aka a can of earworms) on a big(ger) screen is a sick joke. Taking the weed trimmer approach to Public Service with the excuse of being ‘fiscally neutral’ and trying to neutralise the inflationary effect of your ‘largesse’ is nothing more than smoke & mirrors. Please stop being mean and inflicting your cruelty on innocent New Zealanders who need care & support (and a whole lotta love!).

Thank you in advance.

24 comments on “Putting Politics over People ”

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  1. thinker 1
    1 June 2024 at 4:02 pm

    $280 million to people like us is like a lifetime's earnings, but to a government budget, it is far more affordable.

  2. dv 2
    1 June 2024 at 4:03 pm

    Did I read/hear correctly —

    that Natz said that labour said they funded the treatment, but nat found it wasn't in the Labour funding when they got the books, so the Natz couldn't fund it?

    • ghostwhowalksnz 2.1
      2 June 2024 at 12:46 pm

      Almost all spending has to be voted for every single year. There is a (growing) category of multi year funding , that has to be voted for at the beginning too. Thats all public information.

      Just because when the multi year time runs out it has to be appropriated for again doesnt make it different from the usual annual funding

  3. Darien Fenton 3
    1 June 2024 at 4:05 pm

    I agree ; it's cruel and not possible anyway. Pharmac makes independent purchasing and clinical decisions based on evidence and should never be about what politicians think they know better about, or state in the name of winning cynical votes. I remember Jackie Blue campaigning for Herceptin in 2012 and the pink coffins outside parliament. We got Herceptin, but along came Keytruder. And the one after that and the one after that. Now it's down to Paula Bennett in charge of the Pharmac Board. Help!!!

    • Anne 3.1
      1 June 2024 at 5:43 pm

      Thankyou Incognito. You've said it how I would like to say it but lack the ability.

      If ever there were a bunch pf psychopaths in charge of a country, this government is a shining example. Cold, hard calculating leeches devoid of care, compassion and equality of opportunity. They care only for themselves and their own kind – to hell with everyone else.

      Did anyone else pick up on Willis' facial expression when questioned about the broken cancer drugs promise? There was the flash of a disapproving scowl before returning to her normal smiling countenance. Said it all. The cancer sufferers were at the bottom of the list and too bad – not enough of them to bother about.

    • Michael who failed Civics 3.2
      1 June 2024 at 7:24 pm

      Pharmac is under new management. Its purchasing decisions will reflect that change.

      • joe90 3.2.1
        1 June 2024 at 8:15 pm

        So pharmac's nonpolitical and independent decision making is at risk?

      • Incognito 3.2.2
        2 June 2024 at 1:40 pm

        Pharmac is under new management.

        If you mean by this that Paula Bennett has been appointed of the Pharmac Board then you’re stretching it; neither the Board nor the Senior Leadership Team have undergone any other changes, AFAIK.

        https://pharmac.govt.nz/about/who-are-we/board-members

        https://pharmac.govt.nz/about/who-are-we/senior-leadership-team

        Its purchasing decisions will reflect that change.

        What do you mean by that? Is it wishful thinking (aka making it up) or are you privy to specific information? In any case, the coalition government did not allocate any funding in Budget-2024 for those 13 new cancer treatments, as it had promised, so your comment is rather meaningless and specious.

  4. Patricia Bremner 4
    1 June 2024 at 9:03 pm

    I was so disgusted at the promise made by Luxon not being kept, but not sadly surprised.

  5. adam 5
    2 June 2024 at 12:04 am

    MMMmmm not so worried about this one, when end of life palliative care is massively underfunded. And has been that way since the last Donkey government.

    Not to worry, the act party will extended the ability to be murdered by doctors. Some will be happy to take that scrap off the masters table.

    • Kay 5.1
      2 June 2024 at 8:47 am

      Of course palliative care and the hospice system in general need proper funding; it's appalling this is treated by successive governments as a 'nice to have', not healthcare just as important as maternity care. The money is there (and for more cancer drugs) if they want it to be, but they don't.

      It's a shame that some people feel the need to categorise assisted dying as murder. To them I can only say what I'd say to anyone who uses that same hyperbole around abortion- if you don't like it, don't do it. No-one's forcing you.

      • adam 5.1.1
        2 June 2024 at 3:00 pm

        No-one's forcing you.

        Really, so why is all the propaganda in the hospital promoting it? Or the fact doctors have pushed it on disabled friends? Coupled with my point about under funding palliative care?

        On the other side of the argument, why can't they kill themselves, why get someone else/doctor to do it? As the law stands, it is based in economics pure and simply. If you want to kill yourself go ahead, don't force other people into killing you, because you lack the will to do it.

    • Incognito 5.2
      2 June 2024 at 4:08 pm

      National didn’t promise to save people’s lives by funding more palliative care, which would be rather odd, for the simple fact that this wouldn’t garner as many votes. It broke its election promise.

      That might not worry you so [much] but to me it’s indicative of this coalition government acting in bad faith.

      BTW, cancer treatment with intent to cure and palliative treatment & care are not mutually exclusive at all.

      • adam 5.2.1
        2 June 2024 at 6:38 pm

        I'm more pissed off with the punch down on disabled. And the open class warfare. This is more of that, I agree. Middle class getting a taste?

        Disagree however; that palliative care is not funded as much as cancer, changing that would be a start. Cancer takes all the bloody money. That's why I belived their promise was fubar economics from the start. Lion shear to open rebellion, could not be done – even by these muppets and tools.

        Link to down load page, it's not fun reading. But page 6 is what I'm talking about. The Hospice service is in the that hole out the back they keep the deaf uncles in. Way, way, way done on the cheap.

        https://www.tewhatuora.govt.nz/publications/review-of-adult-palliative-care-services-in-new-zealand/

        Over all your piece, just one more example of Tory scum shitfuckary?

  6. Tony Veitch 6
    2 June 2024 at 8:48 am

    Nicola Willis in opposition!

    Nicola Willis

    @NicolaWillisMP

    #NatCon19 Cancer-Care Policy: “It’s not right that the Government can find $3 billion for the Shane Jones slush fund but it can’t afford life-saving drugs…New Zealanders shouldn’t have to set up Givealittle pages just to stay alive.”

    9:35 AM · Jul 28, 2019

    Hypocrite!

  7. Louis 7
    2 June 2024 at 9:08 am

    Nailed it, Incognito.

  8. Incognito 8
    2 June 2024 at 1:52 pm

    From the Coalition Agreement between New Zealand National Party & New Zealand First:

    11. The Parties will also progress the following additional policies which are a priority for the National Party:

    F. Cut health waiting times by training more doctors, nurses, and midwives, and giving Kiwis access to 13 more cancer treatments.

    Interestingly, it is absent from the coalition agreement with the ACT Party.

    https://assets.nationbuilder.com/nationalparty/pages/18466/attachments/original/1700778597/NZFirst_Agreement_2.pdf

  9. georgecom 9
    2 June 2024 at 9:38 pm

    scrap Spendmores waste of money charter schools and you have funded 2/3s of the cancer drugs already. Sure there are plenty of other waste of time projects that can be canned for something useful, like keep a campaign pledge

    • georgecom 9.1
      3 June 2024 at 10:49 am

      found another $45 million to cut in wasted spending, David Spendmores minisry of regulation. scrap that bureaucracy and we have $210 million now. that will fund most of the cancer drugs

  10. Descendant Of Smith 10
    3 June 2024 at 9:04 am

    When my father was dying the palliative care person had to travel 2 hours from out of town to see the people dying. The DHB couldn't wouldn't train and fund someone local.

    The only time my father got really upset in the 18 months he took to die was when they said they wouldn't be coming any more when he was near death. He said to her "Well if you can't be bothered that must mean I'm really fucked then".

    He had appreciated up until then someone not family to talk to and help him walk through the process / what was happening. In many respects it was easier for him that it wasn't local – as it felt more confidential especially after the cancer was picked up late cause the local doctor had mistakenly put in test results in a drawer and they were not sent for sent months when a nurse found them. Doctor kept saying he was waiting for the results from the DHB. By then the cancer had spread to his liver from his bowel. We have no doubt it could have been caught earlier.

    If someone quite staunch like my father got benefit from palliative care then it in part would demonstrate how important such services are. While I supportive the choice of euthanasia it does need to be a real choice and that is where good quality care comes in.

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