Government disrespect for doctors a sign of a deeper problem

“ACT can reveal that Te Whatu Ora turned up to negotiations with the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists unable to make a pay offer because they had not been told how much they could afford to pay,” says ACT Deputy Leader and Health Spokesperson Brooke van Velden.

“It’s disrespectful and sends a terrible message to some of our most valuable public servants: that either the Government doesn’t care, or it's in total disarray. Worse still, perhaps they’ve wasted so much money on frivolous nonsense that they can’t afford to pay doctors properly and are too afraid to admit it.

“This latest news is yet another sign of a weak, visionless Labour Government lurching from one crisis to the next, without a plan or a clear set of principles to guide them.

“They’ve failed to settle the teachers’ pay agreement, resulting in a seemingly endless series of strikes that are undermining the education of a generation of school leavers already disadvantaged by COVID.

“Meanwhile, the cost-of-living crisis has been fuelled by this Government’s addiction to spending and their botched approach to immigration. First, they created a worker shortage and wage inflation by shutting the gates. Now they’ve opened the floodgates, creating an unprecedented surge in migration and piling on more inflationary pressure. Mark my words: inflation, and interest rates, are going up.

“Then there’s crime, which just keeps getting worse. But this Government is frozen like a rabbit in the headlights, with no plan. ACT does have a plan – to ensure criminals face real consequences and to keep law-abiding Kiwis and businesses safe.

“The only thing this Government seems committed to is forcing Co-Governance on the country without consultation. That will only divide and demoralise our nation. ACT will put a stop to this division with policies that address issues like crime, housing, health, and poverty based on need – not race.

“New Zealand needs a new Government. One that’s aspirational about our future, with a plan for Real Change – a Government that puts New Zealanders first.

“ACT will be the party that delivers that change.”