The toll in lives lost will only rise further

The opening of the books today shows the Government is determined to keep making brutal cuts to public services which will cost lives.

"This reckless drive to cut costs shows the Government is prepared to put dollars ahead of the lives of New Zealanders," said Fleur Fitzsimons, acting National Secretary of the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.

"International evidence proves austerity costs lives."

Research by Glasgow University shows people dying younger and the poorest areas of the UK being the hardest hit. An additional 335,000 deaths were observed across Scotland, England & Wales between 2012 and 2019 during a time of deep cuts to public spending by the Conservative Government. [1]

"This Government is heading down the same path, decimating Oranga Tamariki, the Ministry of Health, Te Whatu Ora, the Ministry of Pacific Peoples, the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment, the Ministry for Social Development and the Department of Conservation.

"These agencies have suffered deep cuts that will mean they can’t do their job properly and all New Zealanders will suffer. The impacts of these cuts will be investigated and uncovered by coroners, Ministerial Inquiries and Royal Commissions in the future as we chart back why accidents happened and services were not able to fulfil their role.

"History and now fresh evidence tell us that austerity doesn’t work, but the Government is failing to listen. Today in the Budget Policy Statement it set the stage for further deep and broad cuts which will impact the services New Zealanders need now and in the future.

"Public service workers and the valuable work they do are being sacrificed for this irresponsible obsession. The Government must re-think its approach."

[1] Bearing the burden of austerity: how do changing mortality rates in the UK compare between men

and women? Glasgow University, October 2022

The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand's largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

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