Latest news with #AyeshaVerrall
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Oral Questions for 3 June 2025
Questions to Ministers CHLÖE SWARBRICK to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? Rt Hon CHRIS HIPKINS to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all his Government's statements and actions? LAURA McCLURE to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: What recent announcements has she made about reforming WorkSafe? NANCY LU to the Minister of Finance: What recent announcements has she made about business tax? Hon BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: Does she stand by her statement about the Budget that "Wages are forecast to grow faster than the inflation rate, making wage earners better off, on average, in real terms"; if so, what is the effect on wage growth over the forecast period of removing the $12.8 billion from future pay equity claims? Dr VANESSA WEENINK to the Minister responsible for RMA Reform: What announcements has he made on reforming national direction under the Resource Management Act 1991? TANYA UNKOVICH to the Minister for Resources: What announcements has he made regarding energy security in New Zealand? Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL to the Minister of Health: Does he stand by his statement in relation to emergency department wait times, "I expect Health New Zealand to empower clinicians at local levels to fix bottlenecks in real time"; if so, is he confident this has occurred ahead of winter 2025? Dr HAMISH CAMPBELL to the Minister of Education: What announcements has she made regarding learning support as part of Budget 2025? Hon MARAMA DAVIDSON to the Prime Minister: E tautoko ana ia i nga korero me nga mahi katoa a tona Kawanatanga? Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? Hon JAN TINETTI to the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety: Does she stand by her proposed changes to WorkSafe; if so, why? PAULO GARCIA to the Associate Minister of Housing: What recent announcements has he made about social housing tenancies? Question to Member Hon Dr DUNCAN WEBB to the Chairperson of the Finance and Expenditure Committee: Why did he respond to the referral by the House to the Finance and Expenditure Committee of the Regulatory Standards Bill with a six-month reporting deadline by issuing a call for submissions with a four-week deadline? To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
Scoop
23-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
More Cuts To Come For Health
Press Release – New Zealand Labour Party Health New Zealand, which runs our hospitals and other healthcare services, was already $1.1 billion in the red. Funds needed to assist services to deal with a growing population and inflation are instead servicing the deficit. National has made a choice to cut women's pay and rob future generations of Kiwisaver contributions to make its Budget add up, but without enough funding for our health system. 'Our hospitals and wider health system only got enough in this year's Budget to keep the lights flickering,' Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. 'Health New Zealand, which runs our hospitals and other healthcare services, was already $1.1 billion in the red. Funds needed to assist services to deal with a growing population and inflation are instead servicing the deficit. 'This means New Zealanders won't get the services they are used to, and will pay more and wait longer. 'National has chosen to subsidise tech giants, landlords, the fossil fuel industry, and tobacco companies, rather than make better choices to invest in our health system and pay women what they're worth. 'We know the cuts National has made are affecting frontline services. Day after day we hear stories about waitlists, crumbling hospitals and health staff burnout. National had an opportunity to put it right yesterday but has failed. 'Yesterdays' Budget also confirmed what we had suspected for a while – that the Nelson Hospital rebuild will have less than half the number of new beds than the rebuild Labour proposed while in Government. 'The $1 billion for capital projects is less than the Government needs to spend to ensure our hospitals are fit for purpose for a future growing and ageing population,' Ayesha Verrall said.
Scoop
23-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
More Cuts To Come For Health
National has made a choice to cut women's pay and rob future generations of Kiwisaver contributions to make its Budget add up, but without enough funding for our health system. 'Our hospitals and wider health system only got enough in this year's Budget to keep the lights flickering,' Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. 'Health New Zealand, which runs our hospitals and other healthcare services, was already $1.1 billion in the red. Funds needed to assist services to deal with a growing population and inflation are instead servicing the deficit. 'This means New Zealanders won't get the services they are used to, and will pay more and wait longer. 'National has chosen to subsidise tech giants, landlords, the fossil fuel industry, and tobacco companies, rather than make better choices to invest in our health system and pay women what they're worth. 'We know the cuts National has made are affecting frontline services. Day after day we hear stories about waitlists, crumbling hospitals and health staff burnout. National had an opportunity to put it right yesterday but has failed. 'Yesterdays' Budget also confirmed what we had suspected for a while – that the Nelson Hospital rebuild will have less than half the number of new beds than the rebuild Labour proposed while in Government. 'The $1 billion for capital projects is less than the Government needs to spend to ensure our hospitals are fit for purpose for a future growing and ageing population,' Ayesha Verrall said.
Scoop
19-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Govt Risks Hospice Care By Cutting Women's Pay
The Government's decision to cut women's pay could result in an exodus of palliative care nurses from the profession. 'Hospice nurses were just weeks away from having their years-long pay equity claim settled when the Government cruelly cut women's pay equity for their Budget,' Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said. 'These are nurses who care for people at the end of their lives. They have been fighting for years for the dignity of equal pay with their hospital colleagues, only for the Government to change the rules on them at the last minute and scrap their claim. 'It's not just cruel, it's incredibly short-sighted. Hospices are struggling to recruit and retain nurses on lower pay than their hospital counterparts, and have to pay them out of a diminishing amount of funding from the Government, grants and fundraising. 'Hospice New Zealand has warned it needs a $16 million boost from the Government just to keep the lights on. Without pay equity or the money to pay nurses what they deserve, it will be harder to provide the care New Zealanders need at the end of their lives. 'This Government is choosing tax cuts for landlords and tobacco companies over pay raises for funding essential care. It's short-sighted, unfair, and plain wrong,' Ayesha Verrall said. Hospice nurses and healthcare assistants had one of the 13 funded-sector health claims that the Government abolished when it passed the Equal Pay Amendment Act.
Scoop
12-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Signs Of Progress In Tobacco Control Sector: New Bill And Council Action Offer Hope
Amid recent setbacks in New Zealand's Smokefree efforts, two new developments bring fresh momentum to tobacco harm reduction that have renewed hope in our goals for a healthier Aotearoa. Health spokesperson Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall has launched the Tobacco Transparency Bill, aimed at stopping tobacco industry lobbying in health policy. "Around the world, tobacco companies have a long history of influencing and weakening health policies to better suit their bottom line. This Bill will address those influences and help us protect people's health…," said Dr Verrall.[1] This Bill follows growing calls for stronger lobbying regulations in New Zealand politics. There is a pressing need for greater transparency and accountability, especially among those whose decisions directly impact public health outcomes. If passed, the Tobacco Transparency Bill would help the government understand its duties under international law and could lead to stronger rules around emerging nicotine products. Similarly, Far North District Council votes to develop a Smokefree/Vapefree policy for public spaces. The council's decision follows a new study linking vaping to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), adding urgency to calls for regulation.[2] These developments offer timely encouragement for Smokefree and Vapefree advocates across Aotearoa as we mark World Smokefree May. Jasmine Graham, National Tobacco Control Manager at Hāpai te Hauora says, "While major challenges remain, these steps offer hope that momentum toward a healthier, smokefree Aotearoa is not lost." Notes: [2] "Far North Council Moves to Adopt Smokefree and Vape-free Policy," NZ Herald, last modified May 8, 2025,
