We trust Health Minister Andrew Little got his numbers right when he addressed the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists at a Virtual Conference on Equity of Health Outcomes for New Zealand.
One figure in the speech posted on The Beehive website seriously inflates the extra spending earmarked in this year’s Budget for Pharmac (obviously it’s an innocent typo).
The team at Point of Order long ago learned to be wary, if not downright suspicious, when politicians bandy numbers. More often than not the figures they brag about will be challenged by political opponents who produce contradictory data or put matters into a very different perspective.
For example, earlier this week we reported a statement by Jacinda Ardern, Minister in Charge of Child Poverty Reduction: Continue reading “Let’s not quibble about a typo – instead we should admire Little’s readiness to list achievements with mental health spending”