Media Release

8 February 2011

NZNO slams privatisation agenda

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) believes the Prime Minister’s speech to Parliament today (February 8) is a thinly veiled agenda for privatisation and cuts to services.

“His speech is long on rhetoric but short on real action to address the growing inequalities in our society,” says NZNO president Nano Tunnicliff.

“While he lauds his government’s ‘successes’, he fails to address the growing gap between rich and poor in this country, which was made worse by last year’s tax cuts and GST increase.”

“Nurses deal with diseases of poverty and deprivation every day,” Tunnicliff says.

“There is endless research on the impact of poverty on health, particularly on the health of Māori and Pacific people, but there is no real action to address that poverty. There is some tinkering around the edges but the Prime Minister fails to make clear how his government intends to tackle the structural changes necessary to reverse the growing inequality in New Zealand. Rather, he makes clear a growing privatisation agenda in health, education, welfare and housing,” Tunnicliff says. “Growing disparities make us all sick. We already have a charity hospital in Christchurch for people who can’t get into the public health system and can’t afford private health insurance. And there are plans for more such hospitals around the country. Do New Zealanders really want a charity-based health system?”

NZNO also refuted the Prime Minister’s claims about the 90-day legislation and that wages were higher in real terms than in 2008.

“Unemployment is at its highest level since 1993 and it’s higher among Māori, Pacific people and the young. Far too many of our members in aged care, and other workers, are paid the minimum wage and struggle to make ends meet,” she said.

The Prime Minister has made it crystal clear that his government is committed to further public service cuts.

“Freeing up money by reducing ‘back-office’ and administrative functions is code for more cuts to public sector jobs and services. The Prime Minister trumpets the fact that he has cut the public service by five per cent and he indicates there will be more to come. New Zealanders know from bitter experience that reducing public services has significant negative consequences for our society as a whole,” Tunnicliff says.

ENDS

© Scoop Media