Southerners Lose Right to Vote for DHB Board
new-zealand-first-party
Wed Dec 09 2015 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)
Southerners Lose Right to Vote for DHB Board
Wednesday, 9 December 2015, 8:31 am
Press Release: New Zealand First Party
Ria Bond MP
New Zealand First List Member of Parliament based in Invercargill
8 DECEMBER 2015
Southerners Lose Right to Vote for DHB Board
Southland and Otago residents are being stripped of their democratic rights by a government intent on keeping control of the Southern District Health Board.
“Southerners are yet to see any meaningful changes made by the current commissioners, but we are told to trust the government that they are doing a good job,” says Ria Bond, New Zealand First List MP based in Invercargill.
“With the New Zealand Public Health and Disability (Southern DHB) Elections Bill now going through Parliament, voters will not be able to choose DHB representatives until 2019.
“Elections are referendums on job performance so if the commissioners are doing such an excellent job, the government should have no problem with them running in the board election on their own merits.
“The Southern DHB supports the largest geographic region in New Zealand and clearly cannot operate effectively under the government’s current population-based funding formula.
“It was disappointing the National Member for Invercargill, Sarah Dowie, was not in Parliament to explain why she favours stripping Invercargill residents of the right to choice their own DHB representatives,” says Ms Bond.
ENDS
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