News
Media Statements
2 October 2007
Health Minister suffers privitisation amnesia
“Health Minister Pete Hodgson is suffering from amnesia over privatisation in his criticism of the National Party proposal to allow private companies to build and own public hospital facilities,” said Mr
“There are legitimate criticisms of the National Party’s policy. In
“But Mr Hodgson is the last person to criticise National. In the nearly two years of being Minister of Health he has allowed more privatisation of core public hospitals services than the ‘pro-privatisation’ former National government ever did in the 1990s.”
“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. He has allowed profit driven private companies to have significant influence and control over the management of this core hospital service.”
“The government is right to criticise National’s policy proposal but loses credibility when the criticism comes from ‘Privatisation Pete’,” concluded Mr Powell.
Ian Powell
Executive Director
