Selwyn MP Update

from ISSUE 1,040 - FRIDAY 10TH JUNE 2022

by Malvern News

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Recently, Labour confirmed the sucked into Entity D - with worst fears of local communities approximately eight layers of by tabling a Bill to ram through bureaucracy between us, the its Three Waters agenda. ratepayers, and the governance Even with most local councils in boards. open revolt, and overwhelming Under this model, communities public opposition to these will lose their voices, subsidise reforms, Labour is unleashing their neighbours and get worse hell on ratepayers, putting its outcomes. ideology before the wishes of National has opposed these the people and outcomes. reforms consistently, and if The Water Services Entities Bill, elected in 2023, we will repeal lays out out the final plans for and replace this broken model. the transfer of local assets and On the topic of centralisation, the establishment of a complex the health reforms are close to and unaccountable bureaucracy. passing into law - again, despite The Government has consistently vocal opposition from the public. ignored any alternatives that The Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) National has proposed, such as Bill sets out the framework establishing council-controlled for Labour’s restructure of the organisations or contracting, New Zealand health system. It and have pursued their four removes District Health Boards mega-entities model. We here and replaces them with Health in Canterbury will now get New Zealand and the Maori Health Authority. National has opposed this law change from the outset as, while we absolutely agree more needs to be done to improve health Megan Ellis outcomes for Maori, we do not believe a race-based health 027 206 1066 system is the answer. There has, however, been 03 348 4149 www.whittleknight.co.nz something of a win for residents in small towns like Springfield, Sheffield, Darfield, Dunsandel Licensed Real Estate and Leeston. Agents REAA 2008 Last Wednesday, at the very last minute - and in response to SELWYN • RESIDENTIAL • LIFESTYLE enormous pressure from the

National Party - the Government finally acted to include rural communities as a priority population in the legislation. By including these communities in the legislation, the new health structures would be required by law to deliver equitable levels of service, access to services in proportion to needs, and all parts of the new health system would be held accountable for ensuring that these New Zealanders get the outcomes they deserve. Rural New Zealand has seen a real decline in health services in recent years. Yet, until last week, the Government has doubleddown and insisted that rural communities didn’t need to be included as a key stakeholder in these reforms, despite having much worse health outcomes than urban areas. I welcome this U-turn from the Government and hope it will ensure rural health services are prioritised and properly funded to service rural towns across Canterbury. Nicola Grigg, Selwyn MP.