Opposition Makes Attack On Health Administration

Press, Issue 31095, 25 June 1966, Page 3

Opposition Makes Attack On Health Administration

(New Zealand Press Association >

WELLINGTON, June 24.

Debate on an imprest Supply Bill in Parliament was extended four hours and 15 minutes beyond the usual Friday adjournment time of 4 p.m.

This morning the Leader of the Opposition (Mr Kirk) said the Opposition had decided to stay in the House as long as necessary to raise the points it wished to make during the debate. But the Under-Secretary of Finance (Mr Muldoon) alleged tonight that the Opposition had prolonged the debate so Labour members could watch the Lions-Wellington match at the taxpayers’ expense.

The Opposition devoted almost all the seven-hour debate to criticism of the adminstration of the Minister of Health (Mr McKay).

Mr J. Mathison (Opp., Avon) said Ministers seemed to regard criticism as personal attacks. Mr J. B. Gordon (Gov., Clutha) said Mr N. V. Douglas (Opp., Auckland Central) had made a “vicious personal attack” on Mr McKay.

Mr Douglas: “Don't be an idiot.” At the request of the Speaker (Sir Ronald Algie) he withdrew this remark and apologised. Mr Gordon criticised the Opposition for not discussing a real national problem—the British seamen’s strike. Instead the Opposition had attacked Mr McKay’s record. SPEAKER’S WARNING

After a barrage of interjections from the Opposition the Speaker warned the House against creating what he said he was jealous to prevent, a bad public image. Mr J. G. Edwards (Opp., Napier) condemned the shortage of hospital beds, the shortage of house surgeons, the shortage of operating theatres and the shortage of specialists. “We have claimed for many years that we are a welfare State—but it is obviously a

growing tendency today to make it harder and harder for the needy in the community to get assistance without them feeling they are getting the help of charity,” he said.

FIGURES QUOTED “No matter how long we live, we still have needy families. We have got to have our feet on the ground about this,” said Mr W. B. Tennant (Govt., Manawatu). No-one disputed the shortage of doctors in the hospitals. “We have always been short of doctors there,” he said. During the last Labour Government there were 285 junior medical staff in the hospitals. Today there was a 40 per cent increase on that figure. In 1960 there were 26,414 people on hospital waiting lists. Four years later there were 27,440, but the total population had increased by 240,000 in that time.

Mr M. A. Connelly (Opp., Riccarton) said he wanted to join his colleagues in “exposing the gross neglect of the Health Department of the sick and aged people of this country.” LABOUR AND B.M.A.

Mr H. E. L. Pickering (Govt., Rangiora) asked why the Opposition ignored the

B.M.A. It was a sound and tried group which reflected considered medical opinion. He said figures proved the record of the National Government was so much better than Labour’s, and gave statistics for this claim. He was criticised later by Mrs E. E. McMillan (Opp., Dunedin North) for talking “mostly in terms of statistics and no human needs.” She referred to “alarming” discontent among age beneficiaries and those who could not get into hospitals. She accused Mr McKay of “leaving a trail of incompetence in the Dunedin area.”

Mr E. P. Aderman (Govt., New Plymouth) accused the Opposition of using “low and dirty tactics” in the debate. “I am surprised that Mrs McMillan should descend to tactics of this nature. I would expect a lady member of the House to put up a dignified case.” Miss M. B. Howard (Opp., Sydenham) said it was nonsense to claim the Labour Party had abandoned the B.M.A. “A large amount of expenditure was incurred by hospital board members tripping up and down to Wellington.” Why didn’t Mr McKay discipline those deputations?”

Miss Howard said Mr McKay's portfolios were “political hot-seats” and she sometimes felt sorry for him. She suggested the portfolio of Social Services was too

much for one person and it needed an under-secretary. Mr B. P. Mac Donnell (Opp., Dunedin Central): It is quite obvious the Government has given up the Minister of Health. He has been left to sink or swim: he is sinking and sinking fast. Government members at this stage were not seeking ( the case to take part in the debate.

ACCUSED OF DELAYS Mr W. W. Freer (Opp., Mt. Albert) said: Mr McKay had either adopted a policy of “deliberate procrastination" over the problems or he was unable to make up his mind. “I do believe that we cannot continue any longer with this state of affairs."

Mr R. M. Macfarlane (Opp., Christchurch Central) said he hoped for greater understanding between the Health Department and aged persons’ welfare councils. He expressed support for bringing mental hospitals under the control of hospital boards. Mr Kirk said the Government had reduced the vote in the Estimates for homes for the aged. “It is true to say that at the very time Government members were boasting about the accommodation it is building of an institutional nature, they did not tell us about the applications turned down for homes for the aged.” Mr R. J. Tizard (Opp., Pakuranga) said Mr McKay had not replied to Opposition criticisms and “the rest of the strap-hangers that go with him won't.”

The Deputy-Leader of the Opposition (Mr Watt) said the debate had shown that the Government would not deal “with this subject on an urgent basis. They are prepared to drift along.”