Health Minister Challenged to Act on Strike
Bill English National Leader
28 October 2002
Health Minister Challenged to Act on Strike
The National Party's accusing the Health Minister of double standards by failing to wade into the pay dispute that's paralysing Auckland Hospitals.
"Only recently Annette King exercised her right to intervene in hospital affairs by stopping the birth at the centre of a porn movie - but today she's still refusing to take action to settle the radiographers strike," says National Party leader Bill English.
"What I am saying is that if she's willing to step in to stop the filming of a birth, she should be willing to step in to save the lives of people who's lives are unquestionably at risk."
Mr English has also released a damning letter from an Intensive Care Specialist at Auckland Hospital which calls for urgent Ministerial intervention.
"This doctor says Auckland Hospitals are operating under a disaster scenario and that the most at risk are the elderly, especially those who've suffered things like strokes and remain unconscious.
"If a life is lost because Helen Clark's Government refused to step in, who will she hold responsible?
"I make this prediction, it won't be anyone in her Government and they'll get sacked quickly because that's how this Government does it," says Mr English.
Ends