27 November 2000

Greens will work with anyone to improve health bill

The Green Party today said it would support amendments to the Health and Disability Bill that improved the legislation, regardless of which political party proposed them.

Green Party Health Spokesperson Sue Kedgley said the Greens had proposed amendments to the bill in a number of areas such as creating an independent statutory health body to promote better public health, introducing STV for the 2001 Health Board elections and requiring any international health agreements to be approved by Parliament.

"While we support the thrust of this bill, the Green Party still believe it needs improvement in a number of areas, and we will examine any proposed amendments on their merits - and support or reject them - regardless of who moves them," she said.

"Likewise we would welcome support for any of our amendments from any party who agrees that our amendments make for better policy. This is the essence of MMP.

"The National Party has proposed some amendments which increase the transparency and accountability of district health board structures and obviously we will be supporting these," she said.

Ms Kedgley said the Government has already accepted a number of the Green Party's amendments on this bill but said the bill was still weak in some areas.

"The Greens have discussed this bill with the Minister of Health, Annette King, and she has been advised of our amendments. Mrs King has been aware that we were planning to move amendments for some time now," she said.

Sue Kedgley MP: 04 470 6728, 025 270 9088 Jonathan Hill (press secretary): 04 470 6719, 021 440 090 Deborah Moran (Health Advisor): x6705, 025 588 282

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