DESTINY NEW ZEALAND POLITICAL PARTY
PRESS STATEMENT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2 APRIL 2005

Destiny NZ Slams State Funded Sex-change Operations

A new Government policy to fund about $170,000 worth of sex-change operations has been slammed by Destiny NZ leader, Richard Lewis.

"At a time when our elderly and young are on waiting lists for serious and vitally important medical treatment the Labour-led Government gives preference to sex change operations. This is another classic example of Labour's social engineering agenda in action", says Lewis.

The policy, quietly adopted by the Government last year but little-known outside the transgender community, saw funding set aside for up to four operations over two years. The package includes up to three male to female operations - worth about $30,000. The first operation was performed at Southern Cross Hospital last month. A fourth operation, female to male, could take place offshore as the surgery is not done in New Zealand. The operation costs up to $80,000 in Australia. The money is coming from a $5.6 million special high-cost treatment budget.

"There is absolutely no justification for state funding of sex-change operations, which are operations of choice, not necessity - I think most New Zealanders would be appalled to learn that their hard earned taxes are paying for sex-changes", Lewis added.
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