Minister Challenges Opposition Parties On Health

Health Minister Bill English said today he was happy to defend the Government's record on health services in the Taranaki-King Country and challenged opposition parties to say what they would do differently.

"Health is a big issue in the electorate, but voters are being short-changed because they are not being offered any alternatives to consider. I challenge any of the opposition parties to stand up and tell voters they will reopen Stratford Hospital.

"Labour has no health policy at all. Helen Clark has made vague statements about hospitals being a shadow of their former selves, but she won't stand up and say what Labour would do differently.

"If Helen Clark really wants to go back to 1989 then she should tell the people of Stratford that she would reopen their hospital. She should also tell the people of Taumarunui and Te Kuiti that she's going to reopen the long corridors and closed wards in their hospitals.

"ACT at least has a health policy, but its candidate hasn't bothered to read it. Owen Jennings wants to pump more money into rural health, but his party wants to cut health spending by 80 percent.

"Simple arithmetic will tell you the cake won't slice that way," he said.

Mr English will be in Taranaki today as part of a two-day visit to the electorate.

"This Government is realistic about what the solutions are for health services in rural areas. It means not spending all our money on old-fashioned hospital buildings, but looking for local solutions that allow communities to have control of their own services.

"Throughout the Taranaki-King Country there is now more security about health services than there has been for 10 years."

Mr English will visit New Plymouth and Stratford this afternoon and will be attending a candidates meeting at the Urenui Community Centre this evening.

Tomorrow he will visit Te Kuiti and Otorohanga. He will launch a mobile dental surgery caravan in Otorohanga at 2pm tomorrow (23 April).