As parties begin to lay out their election health policies, NZ First is pushing a different approach, arguing billions more spent treating sickness will not address the causes of the country’s chronic disease burden.
Labour has promised three free GP visits a year, free prescriptions, cervical screening and maternity scans, along with a dedicated health strategy for the “rainbow community,” stating it deserved a system that understood its needs and rights. The Green Party has proposed free universal dental care, while National has focused on access and waiting times, with targets covering cancer treatment, emergency departments, specialist appointments, elective treatment and primary care.
NZ First’s 15-point “Make NZ Healthy” plan instead puts prevention and metabolic health at its centre, arguing 59% of health spending goes towards disease while just 1.75% is spent on prevention.
Speaking to RCR, NZ First leader Winston Peters said rising chronic illness showed the approach needed to change.
“We need to analyse that, and we need to have solutions. Not just keep on spending money on pharmaceuticals year in, year out, with parties arguing about who’s spending the most and who’s doing the most. Look at the figures, something’s going wrong here. Let’s be open-minded about it,” Peters said.
The party said nutrition should be taught from primary school through to medical school, dietary guidelines reviewed and health coaches introduced into primary care. It would also fund research into nutritional interventions for mental illness, review optimal vitamin D levels and trial intravenous vitamin C related to surgery.
NZ First also proposed removing Medsafe and Pharmac barriers to what it called “recognised safe nutrients,” making informed consent a core part of healthcare and giving GPs greater professional autonomy.
The plan goes beyond the health system and onto the farm. NZ First is advocating for investment in agricultural innovation and alternatives to potentially harmful sprays, while backing organic producers by cutting unnecessary barriers and developing new markets.
Organics Aotearoa New Zealand has also launched an election scorecard (see below) comparing policies for the sector. OANZ says the organic industry is worth $1.2 billion and has recorded 9% growth across domestic and export food categories.
University of Canterbury Professor of Clinical Psychology Julia Rucklidge, who researches nutrition and mental health, welcomed the NZ First policy set.
“So many things on this list are things that I and so many other people in the preventative lifestyle space have been talking about for years,” she said.
Rucklidge also described it as “refreshing that finally a political party is talking about prevention rather than continuing to discuss further ways they can send more ambulances to the bottom of the cliff”.
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After the election it will all be forgotten. We have seen it time and time again, from the globalists. Vote for someone new people, they wont get to 5% if you don’t take a chance on them.
It’s all hasbara to comfuse voters.
That’s what j3ws do to comtrol people.
Their vicious influence can only be bryiken by new people not controlled by the j3ws.
Winston went along with the rest of them to get the joo juice into as my veins as possible.
Hear hear global!
Health after the covid debacle what a joke
And long covid vaccine damage?
Unbelievable the hypocrisy of these overpaid crisis actors
When it mattered they didn’t care
When it means votes now they do care
Prevention that’s a good one
“Let’s be open-minded about it,” Peters said”, while staying very closed minded about whistleblower Barry Youngs proof of “state democide data”.
Does he really want to prevent this from happening again? again! he needs to remove section 5 from BORA or he is just full of himself and shit.
Unfortunately we have in this country a group of people who are a liability and never an asset. Whose lifestyles will always feature predominantly and impact in adverse health statistics among others. Who are a drain on valuable time money and resources. Our Achilles heel. Gifted to us on a parchment of paper. Perennial debt that can never be repaid. A millstone around our necks. And who are going to invariably drag us down to their level. Face the inevitable.
The old government propoganda campaign to distract you from your ever deteriorating standard of living whilst inept ex NZ politicians buy water side mansions in Sidney.
Blame the Maoris!
Funny but i don’t remember a maori prime minister or minister of finance.
“…NZ First is pushing a different approach, arguing billions more spent treating sickness will not address the causes of the country’s chronic disease burden.”
3 years of doing nothing about removing a likely source of the burden of disease that NZ people are suffering because of. That rubbish mRNA jab that nobody needs to take as they provide no protection, in fact make people more vulnerable.
Nice gaslighting NZ First. Pull the other one, it has bells on it!