Finance Minister Dr Michael Cullen should be consistent and apply the same criteria to his government’s legislation as he did to the Greens’ amendments, said ACT Health spokesman Hon Ken Shirley.

During debate over the Public Health and Disability bill that will establish 21 elected District Health Boards, Finance Minister, Dr Michael Cullen, vetoed an amendment by Green MP, Sue Kedgley, to create a separate public health agency. He said the government does not have the money to spread around on additional committees.

“If Michael Cullen is worried about bureaucratic duplication and proliferation he should look at his government’s legislation first.

“The Public Health and Disability bill will establish 21 health boards with a statutory minimum of three sub committees, so instead of hospital budgets being spent on operations or new staff already scarce resources will be wasted on a bureaucratic monster.

“Labour has re-politicised the health sector at the expense of common-sense.

“The only certainty from the Public Health and Disability bill is that there will be less funds for patients in need,” said Hon Ken Shirley.

© Scoop Media