VoterTorque - New Zealand Politics in Plain English
A fresh season for each new election from former government minister and ACT Party Deputy Leader Hon Heather Roy and TorquePoint business partner and former ACT Party candidate and ministerial staffer Dr Simon Ewing-Jarvie.
TorquePoint runs the popular LobbyTorque experiential learning programme on effective political lobbying in New Zealand. With much media coverage reduced to soundbites, many are frustrated with the lack of real commentary from people who have worked in Parliament.
Season 1 covers the lead up to the New Zealand 2020 general election include two referenda.
Season 2 is aligned with the 2023 election campaign.
VoterTorque - New Zealand Politics in Plain English
VoterTorque Political Podcast Election 2023 S2E18 - Health
Heather and Simon discuss health policies in the final week of the election campaign. There is general agreement that nothing being offered will result in the structural reforms and workforce solutions needed to get New Zealand's health system working properly. Although proposed increases to Medical School outputs for doctors will help, the numbers are tiny compared to the shortage of clinicians the country is facing. And it's not just doctors and nurses but every clinical specialisation. Mental health staffing is particularly troubling. The proposals to review how the PHARMAC funding model works is welcomed with the need to access modern biologic medicines. Parties on the centre right are planning to get rid of the newly created separate Maori Health Authority. Other than that, most policies offered are simply tinkering around the edges of health.