Philippa Branthwaite

BREAKING a campaign promise to fund the rebuild of the desperately needed Dunedin Public hospital and reduce its services is typical of this National/Act/ NZ First government. While in opposition, Chris Bishop was campaigning to use a privately owned birthing clinic in the Hutt, the then Labour was building a new maternity facility at Hutt hospital.

I have little doubt that the new maternity facility at the hospital would not have been built under this coalition Government and that its goal is to privatise health.

The costs of privatisation are a lot more than direct provision as privateers like to make profits for their shareholders.

It is interesting and of note that the Hutt birthing centre is owned by the Wright family.

Is it really a coincidence that the Wright family are major National party donors?

The new Dunedin Hospital should have the capacity to cater for the whole Southland district and cutbacks could jeopardise that capability and capacity.

Is it a coincidence that a new private hospital was opened in Queenstown in 2022? Is it a coincidence that instead of putting additional funding into Otago and Auckland medical schools they have decided to fund one at Waikato University, where they must fund buildings not just places.

In addition, the claim of a $3 billion cost blowout seems to be a well-used trope, but is it reality?

Bishop cannot say where that figures comes from and is reluctant to release more information. Is it like Shane Reti’s claim about the health overspend, just another lie.

It’s interesting that this is the cost of providing landlords with interest deductibility.

It seems that the downsizing of Dunedin Hospital is yet another unwise ideological choice made by our government. An estimated 35,000 people (population 125,000) protesting in Dunedin seem to agree.