Health Minister and Privatisation

Attention: Health Reporter

Media Statement For Immediate Release,
monday 24 September 2007

“Acting Finance Minister Needs to Publicly Lash Health Minister Over Privatisation”

“In light of his strident criticism of National Party Deputy Leader Bill English over privatisation of state assets, acting Finance Minister Clayton Cosgrove needs to publicly lash Health Minister Pete Hodgson,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists, today.

“In the less than two years of being Minister of Health Mr Hodgson has either explicitly or implicitly approved more privatisation of core public hospital services than the ‘pro-privatisation’ former National government ever did in its near decade of power in the 1990s.”

“In particular, under his watch, Mr Hodgson has allowed the privatisation of public hospital laboratories to proceed in a number of district health boards - Tairawhiti, Whanganui, Nelson Marlborough, Otago and Southland. Canterbury is now the only major publicly provided hospital laboratory left in the South Island.”

“Mr Cosgrove no doubt will be alarmed to learn of this extensive and below the radar privatisation where the private sector has been allowed to extend, through the backdoor, its control and influence over core public hospital services. This inconsistency completely undercuts his strong criticism of Mr English.”

“We look forward to Mr Cosgrove’s public lashing of Mr Hodgson in the same way he has publicly lashed Mr English,” concluded Mr Powell.

Ian Powell
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

A S M S

ENDS

www.asms.org.nz

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