Finance Minister calls National ‘completely out of touch’ over prescriptions

National is “completely out of touch” says Finance Minister Grant Robertson, after the Opposition vowed to repeal the Government’s Budget scrapping of $5 prescription fees shortly after the books were opened on Thursday.

Finance Spokesperson Nicola Willis then said on Friday that National supported “a more targeted approach for removing the cost of prescriptions”, and would keep free prescriptions for groups such as community service card and Super Gold card holders.

Willis told Stuff on Thursday that National would return the $5 charge to prescriptions if elected, as it would end up subsidising places such as Chemist Warehouse that offer prescriptions free already and “a lot of higher-income people who are perfectly happy to pay that charge”.

Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said from Hamilton it was difficult to know what the National Party’s position on prescriptions was.

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“Yesterday, they were saying they were going to reintroduce the prescriptions. Today, they’re saying they’re going to target them.

“They don’t seem to be particularly consistent between any of their spokespeople about it exactly what it is that they’re proposing to do. It’s difficult to know what their position actually is.”

He said it was a preventative measure, and it would save the health system money.

Robertson said Labour believed it was “a policy that’s not only good for New Zealanders in terms of easing the cost of living, it’s actually a really important policy for broader health care”.

In response to Hipkins and the Finance Minister, Willis on Friday said National supported “a more targeted approach for removing the cost of prescriptions”.

”We would make prescriptions free for the Kiwis who need help most – like community service card holders and Super Gold card holders.

“If elected, National would keep no-fee prescriptions for these targeted groups who need the support most.”

Willis said that while “the Government’s books are in as bad a shape as they are now, New Zealand simply can’t afford to embark on big, new, untargeted spending programmes.

“All New Zealanders are paying the price for elevated Government spending through higher taxes, higher interest rates and higher Government debt.”

The prescription spat filtered through to other MPs, with Labour MP Arena Williams tweeting: “The $5 prescription fee was charged per item, so my dad pays around $50 a month for medicine from our local pharmacist who he walks to, and who knows him by name.

“Scrapping the fee means he’ll never choose between heating his bedroom and his health.”

National MP Judith Collins replied: “Seriously? Arena be a good daughter, and help out your Dad. You can afford to.”

The Pharmacy Guild of New Zealand welcomed the move that kicks in on July 1, with chief executive Andrew Gaudin saying “more New Zealanders will get the medicines they need and help keep them out of hospital”.

ACT Party leader David Seymour said the Government’s removal of prescription fees and subsidy of public transport would be “eaten up by inflation driven by out-of-control Government spending”.

Green Party health spokesperson Ricardo Menéndez March said he was pleased the Government was removing the cost, a “significant barrier for people on low incomes”.