This one is a revival of the free prescriptions idea. You’ll remember Labour introduced this in 2023 when it was in Government. It scrapped the $5 fee you pay when you pick up a prescription.
The coalition Government then reinstated that $5 charge as soon as it won the election.
Now Labour is promising to remove the cost again, bringing it back down to zero - at a cost to the taxpayer of $75 million a year.
So, what are the problems with the policy?
First, they claim people will save up to $100 a year. That implies 20 prescriptions annually (100 divided by 5 equals 20). But I’m calling bollocks on that. Since Labour was last in power, you no longer have to refill prescriptions every three months - you only need to do it once every 12 months.
So, the only way you’re hitting 20 prescriptions a year is if you’re on 20 different medications, or you’re on a lot of medication and also need frequent courses of antibiotics throughout the year. For most people, that simply doesn’t stack up.
Second, can you already get free prescriptions? Yes, you can. Where? Chemist Warehouse.
That means this policy doesn’t help those people at all - they’re already getting their prescriptions for free. If anything, it helps Chemist Warehouse, which will now be able to charge the Government for a cost it has been absorbing until now.
Third, can you get free prescriptions if you’re very poor and can’t afford the $5? Yes, you can - through the Community Services Card.
So, what does that leave? A very small group of people: those who don’t live near one of the approximately 70 Chemist Warehouse stores in New Zealand and who don’t already qualify for a Community Services Card.
And the idea that those people will save up to $100 a year? I think that’s bollocks.
This is the third Labour Party policy in two weeks where the numbers don’t add up.
Do better, Labour.
Heather du Plessis-Allan is a journalist and radio broadcaster who hosts Newstalk ZB's weekday Drive-Time Show – where this article was sourced.
2 comments:
Yes but Heather, you are forgetting who the labour voter base is.....they are so stupid, all they hear is 'free'. They can do the simple math. Plus I'm betting most of these people are at chemist warehouse anyway!
My conclusion, not much thought goes into the lefts policies, does it?. Nothing ever adds up from the left. Their idiocy adds up for me tho. I own ebos stock - chemist warehouse contract owner. More profit, more dividends. But I still don't really want left incompetence and racist ideology in charge of anything.
And the one point Heather does not make is that the policy really only delivers a benefit to those who can already afford to pay $5 for their prescriptions. This is classic middle class welfare, just like free university fees largely enjoyed by the well off, and the cheap bus fares that wil benefit middle class commuters who already have jobs. Does Hipkins think we are idiots?
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