Yes yes yes to MPs forgoing private health care, and private education, and maybe make them use public transport too. It is a no-brainer that health has to be properly funded, and I mean properly - not some scam to hide the numbers or enrich the already wealthy. Long term, underfunding costs so much more!
All we need is a capital gains tax to fund the health system properly. They're very straightforward to operate and we're one of the very few developed countries without that tax.
I completely agree with a CGT, but it won't generate significant revenue in the short term, as no party will make it retrospective to when the legislation is passed.
If we can prioritise billions for the military or to build absurdly expensive roads, we can surely prioritise healthcare.
If we need more revenue, I'd start by increasing the top rate of tax and implementing a Wealth tax that kicks in aggressively for wealth exceeding $5 million.
🤔 Agree re a fairer tax system, but "all we need" is overly optimistic 🥹 Imagine this lot had come into power with a CGT already in place - given their attitude to real people v corporate interests I would suggest that the increased tax take would still NOT have gone to "fund the health system properly" ⁉️ We not only need to change the tax system, but the quality of the politicians who administer the govt spending AND/OR get some non-partisan long term agreements on fundamentals such as health care, housing, etc etc 🤷
Timely, sitting in after hours Medical centre ( the place when you go to if the situation is bad but not an emergency as in life threatening but you cannot wait the 7 days to see you own GP. I can barely walk and have been waiting for almost 2 hours after being triaged. Unable to go to work. It will cost me $108 just to be seen - when that happens. And I am privileged because I work and can afford to pay - it will mean severe cuts in grocery shopping and visiting whanau for some meals before next pay
day. Funding and supply numbers at every level, nurses, GP, specialist MUST be increased substantially.
I've never had private health insurance. Like Chippy I think did join a union agreement related scheme years ago but long gone - just as I joined accidental death insurance for free but soon learned that was meaningless. I was proud to be part of a union that set up the Union Health Centres but now struggling. . It's not just about hospital care. I bet these privileged politicians never have to wait for weeks for a GP appointment. I bet Simeon never talks to the nurses and doctors who are their wits end with work overload or has had to wait for hours in an ED. It's targets targets targets - like health is like potholes and just like homelessness. It's gonna take a huge effort to overturn where we've got to. It's not only about tax. It's about caring and compassion.
When I was a public servant during the Key era, we were dreadfully short staffed. As was every other government agency.
We all wanted pay rises, but what I wanted more, was more staff so we weren’t under the pump everyday.
I’m not saying healthcare workers don’t deserve more pay, but if the staffing levels and infrastructure were at the level they should be, then it would make the shit pay more bearable.
It absolutely fucks me off to hear Willis saying cost of living is how it is now, and that they are focused of kiwis getting increased wages… and then they offer a 1% pay rise to teachers (or whoever). 🤬
I don't understand how this fat cat government doesn't understand that a healthy and educated workforce is an investment in the future. As with all neo-liberals they only see their own interests, not the interests of the nation.
I wholeheartedly agree that politicians from all sides should forgo getting private health care.
What these people seem to forget is that good decent healthcare is a god given right. It's not a nice to have.
I was appalled at seeing that news item last night.
People deserve better from our health system. I'm not blaming our health professionals though. These people are bloody heroes.
As you say, this is not just a Nelson Hospital issue, it's nationwide.
What politicians may also fail to understand is, people who have a birth defect or disability can't get medical insurance because the insurance companies will always find a reason not to pay for further treatment.
I was referred to Nelson Hospital nephrology dept. as needing critical attention to kidney issues a month ago. I phoned yesterday to find the doctor has been put out on ward duty and so isn't able to run their clinics. The receptionist was apologetic but explained it was out of their hands. Nelson hospital through no fault of health workers appears to be crumbling at the seams. I'm sure I'm not alone in being a person who needs urgent care and is not getting it.
We are on the same wavelength here Nick! All human needs are parts of a Demand and Supply equation that has to be be in balance! Money - Fiat Currency - is not part of the Demand - Supply it is a measure of the interaction between the two. Any imbalance will self correct over time through attrition or realignment - natural law - not politics - death or destruction. Our political system is a corruption by vested interests over the needs of people.
Absolutely agree Nick if there is one thing that should be publicly funded above all else it is Health. Funding roads, landlords or donors doesn't seem to be an issue for these clowns. One source of extra funding currently would be taking the taxpayer cost of flying a Foreign Minister around the world and using that funding for Health. After all the Drunkuncle surely doesn't recognise our Passport as relevant because it has Aotearoa on the cover. Therefore if he had the merest thread of principle he would refuse to use it. Rant concluded.
I think the agenda of this government is to privatise as much of health as they can to aid their sponsors.
I heard a figure the other day about what proportion of surgeries (many from the public sector) are already happening in private hospitals. I can't remember what it was because it shocked me. -something like 2/3 s.
2 private hospitals in Newtown, Wellington have had massive expansions of building lately.
If the wealthy and sorted didn’t have so many loopholes for reducing their tax “burden” and paid the same rate as us, and if taxes went to keeping us healthy and happy instead of to businesses and faster roads, we should be able to have the health and other infrastructure that is essential. Surely?
It's a fair point, farmers, for example, pay bugger all taxes, and then get massive tax-free CGT when they sell up.
Additionally, we should charge corporations based on revenue, rather than profit, as they move profits offshore to avoid taxes. Just charge them a blanket per cent, say 20, regardless, for every dollar earned in this country.
As for white collar tax avoidance, this needs a massive crackdown, closing the loopholes or fake companies used purely to avoid taxes, and the worst should get prison sentences. They treat it like a joke while working people pay tax on every cent they earn.
In case anyone wonders, I pay tax on every cent I earn, including those who prefer to make a one-off koha or pay for their subscription by deposit.
👍💯 Agree with this premise of people making decisions having to abide by the outcomes 💪 And I agree with you Nick that using the borrowing power of the govt to urgently fund the Health system urgent needs (all economists agree that it is the CHEAPEST form of finance PLUS it will never be cheaper to buy materials & pay for labour than NOW, given inflation & historical reality). I would also add Housing to this based on the same logic and urgency, and in view of lack of housing being a huge down-stream burden on the health system = double the benefit to individual citizens & the govt budget ⁉️
Agree, aside from anything else, we have construction firms laying people off due to a shortage of work; there must be a massive list of waiting maintenance work they could do rather than lose their jobs.
Fricken Luxon and his incompetent soulless cabal of greed and spin are negating the efficacy of blood pressure meds of any well informed and right thinking person in this country! ... how do these bastards sleep at night? ... probably really well as they sure as hell don't seem to troubled by a conscience and you just know they are sorted with THEIR well funded access to medical care, housing and cost of living!
Yes yes yes to MPs forgoing private health care, and private education, and maybe make them use public transport too. It is a no-brainer that health has to be properly funded, and I mean properly - not some scam to hide the numbers or enrich the already wealthy. Long term, underfunding costs so much more!
All we need is a capital gains tax to fund the health system properly. They're very straightforward to operate and we're one of the very few developed countries without that tax.
I completely agree with a CGT, but it won't generate significant revenue in the short term, as no party will make it retrospective to when the legislation is passed.
If we can prioritise billions for the military or to build absurdly expensive roads, we can surely prioritise healthcare.
If we need more revenue, I'd start by increasing the top rate of tax and implementing a Wealth tax that kicks in aggressively for wealth exceeding $5 million.
And I'd borrow for the infrastructure.
Sovereign borrowing though not the big banks.
🤔 Agree re a fairer tax system, but "all we need" is overly optimistic 🥹 Imagine this lot had come into power with a CGT already in place - given their attitude to real people v corporate interests I would suggest that the increased tax take would still NOT have gone to "fund the health system properly" ⁉️ We not only need to change the tax system, but the quality of the politicians who administer the govt spending AND/OR get some non-partisan long term agreements on fundamentals such as health care, housing, etc etc 🤷
It would be best if a level of funding per head of population were agreed upon by parliament and removed the partisanship from it.
Yup
Why should Chippy supply National with details of our parties manifesto for Health.
Their complaining only confirms that they have no ideas and will use only the good points
from our Policy and claim it as there own
Why indeed! What a peculiar thing to say.
Timely, sitting in after hours Medical centre ( the place when you go to if the situation is bad but not an emergency as in life threatening but you cannot wait the 7 days to see you own GP. I can barely walk and have been waiting for almost 2 hours after being triaged. Unable to go to work. It will cost me $108 just to be seen - when that happens. And I am privileged because I work and can afford to pay - it will mean severe cuts in grocery shopping and visiting whanau for some meals before next pay
day. Funding and supply numbers at every level, nurses, GP, specialist MUST be increased substantially.
Sorry to hear that. Hope you get what you need soon.
I've never had private health insurance. Like Chippy I think did join a union agreement related scheme years ago but long gone - just as I joined accidental death insurance for free but soon learned that was meaningless. I was proud to be part of a union that set up the Union Health Centres but now struggling. . It's not just about hospital care. I bet these privileged politicians never have to wait for weeks for a GP appointment. I bet Simeon never talks to the nurses and doctors who are their wits end with work overload or has had to wait for hours in an ED. It's targets targets targets - like health is like potholes and just like homelessness. It's gonna take a huge effort to overturn where we've got to. It's not only about tax. It's about caring and compassion.
Agree with all your points Darien. Yes we want a healthy society not just healthy rich folk.
When I was a public servant during the Key era, we were dreadfully short staffed. As was every other government agency.
We all wanted pay rises, but what I wanted more, was more staff so we weren’t under the pump everyday.
I’m not saying healthcare workers don’t deserve more pay, but if the staffing levels and infrastructure were at the level they should be, then it would make the shit pay more bearable.
It absolutely fucks me off to hear Willis saying cost of living is how it is now, and that they are focused of kiwis getting increased wages… and then they offer a 1% pay rise to teachers (or whoever). 🤬
I don't understand how this fat cat government doesn't understand that a healthy and educated workforce is an investment in the future. As with all neo-liberals they only see their own interests, not the interests of the nation.
Morena Nick.
I wholeheartedly agree that politicians from all sides should forgo getting private health care.
What these people seem to forget is that good decent healthcare is a god given right. It's not a nice to have.
I was appalled at seeing that news item last night.
People deserve better from our health system. I'm not blaming our health professionals though. These people are bloody heroes.
As you say, this is not just a Nelson Hospital issue, it's nationwide.
What politicians may also fail to understand is, people who have a birth defect or disability can't get medical insurance because the insurance companies will always find a reason not to pay for further treatment.
I will absolutely be signing this petition.
I was referred to Nelson Hospital nephrology dept. as needing critical attention to kidney issues a month ago. I phoned yesterday to find the doctor has been put out on ward duty and so isn't able to run their clinics. The receptionist was apologetic but explained it was out of their hands. Nelson hospital through no fault of health workers appears to be crumbling at the seams. I'm sure I'm not alone in being a person who needs urgent care and is not getting it.
I think all hospitals are struggling, just some struggling more than others.
Hope you get care soon.
Oh heck! I hope you get the help you need sooner rather than later 🙏
We are on the same wavelength here Nick! All human needs are parts of a Demand and Supply equation that has to be be in balance! Money - Fiat Currency - is not part of the Demand - Supply it is a measure of the interaction between the two. Any imbalance will self correct over time through attrition or realignment - natural law - not politics - death or destruction. Our political system is a corruption by vested interests over the needs of people.
Absolutely agree Nick if there is one thing that should be publicly funded above all else it is Health. Funding roads, landlords or donors doesn't seem to be an issue for these clowns. One source of extra funding currently would be taking the taxpayer cost of flying a Foreign Minister around the world and using that funding for Health. After all the Drunkuncle surely doesn't recognise our Passport as relevant because it has Aotearoa on the cover. Therefore if he had the merest thread of principle he would refuse to use it. Rant concluded.
I think the agenda of this government is to privatise as much of health as they can to aid their sponsors.
I heard a figure the other day about what proportion of surgeries (many from the public sector) are already happening in private hospitals. I can't remember what it was because it shocked me. -something like 2/3 s.
2 private hospitals in Newtown, Wellington have had massive expansions of building lately.
Deeply agree with both Ann and Keith! Wouldn’t those be great ideas??
Do we really need to pay more tax?
If the wealthy and sorted didn’t have so many loopholes for reducing their tax “burden” and paid the same rate as us, and if taxes went to keeping us healthy and happy instead of to businesses and faster roads, we should be able to have the health and other infrastructure that is essential. Surely?
It's a fair point, farmers, for example, pay bugger all taxes, and then get massive tax-free CGT when they sell up.
Additionally, we should charge corporations based on revenue, rather than profit, as they move profits offshore to avoid taxes. Just charge them a blanket per cent, say 20, regardless, for every dollar earned in this country.
As for white collar tax avoidance, this needs a massive crackdown, closing the loopholes or fake companies used purely to avoid taxes, and the worst should get prison sentences. They treat it like a joke while working people pay tax on every cent they earn.
In case anyone wonders, I pay tax on every cent I earn, including those who prefer to make a one-off koha or pay for their subscription by deposit.
👍💯 Agree with this premise of people making decisions having to abide by the outcomes 💪 And I agree with you Nick that using the borrowing power of the govt to urgently fund the Health system urgent needs (all economists agree that it is the CHEAPEST form of finance PLUS it will never be cheaper to buy materials & pay for labour than NOW, given inflation & historical reality). I would also add Housing to this based on the same logic and urgency, and in view of lack of housing being a huge down-stream burden on the health system = double the benefit to individual citizens & the govt budget ⁉️
Agree, aside from anything else, we have construction firms laying people off due to a shortage of work; there must be a massive list of waiting maintenance work they could do rather than lose their jobs.
Fricken Luxon and his incompetent soulless cabal of greed and spin are negating the efficacy of blood pressure meds of any well informed and right thinking person in this country! ... how do these bastards sleep at night? ... probably really well as they sure as hell don't seem to troubled by a conscience and you just know they are sorted with THEIR well funded access to medical care, housing and cost of living!