PM pledges new cancer drug funding, defends cuts to Pacific Peoples

Cancer patients across Aotearoa are devastated after finding out last week that the government’s financial plan for this year has nothing for them.

But the Prime Minister says the coalition government remains committed to funding cancer treatments and a decision will be made soon.

Last August, National promised to spend $280 million on 13 new cancer treatments that would have helped fight bladder, bowel, liver, lung, kidney, and head and neck cancers including melanoma.

“I get the frustration that people have felt and arguably we could have done a better job communicating the situation,” Christopher Luxon told Pacific Mornings’ William Terite.

“But it was also a pretty nasty surprise to be left with having to find $1.8 billion at a time when the economy is not in great shape, just to do the core cancer programme as well.

“I didn't think that was particularly fair, but we dealt with that situation as we should because that would have been a nightmare for New Zealanders not having access to the current set of drugs that they have.”

Watch Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s full interview.

Following the lack of funding in the Budget, cancer patients and organisation called for assurances that the government would deliver on its promise.

Luxon said the government had been working through procurement options over the past two months.

So why did funding for cancer treatments end up in the hands of landlords?

“We care about renters and renters have been loaded up with huge amounts of costs because landlords have been loaded up with costs,” Luxon said.

“They've had interest deductibility taken away and interest deductibility is a legitimate business expense, but it's one of the things that contributed to higher prices for higher rents being charged to renters.

“I think, $180 per week on average extra under the previous government. So we know we've got to get more supply of rental property houses built and we need a lot more supply of social housing, of which you've seen us announce 1500 more social housing places through community housing providers.”

Luxon is in the Pacific this week, his first tour as PM, visiting Niue and Fiji to discuss security and economic development with the leaders of both island nations.

The prime minister has also been under intense scrutiny over extensive cuts to the Ministry for Pacific Peoples.

He denied the Budget failed to help New Zealand’s Pacific community, but defended the government’s $14.7 billion tax package and investments in law and order, health, and education.

Watch Christian Malietoa-Brown, political commentator, and Vi Hausia, Otara-Papatoetoe Local Board member discuss the Budget and whether it’s a win for our Pacific communities.

“There are several benefits to the Pacific community. An average household income is getting up to $102 a fortnight. It's a big commitment. If you have young children under the age of five and early childhood expenses, which are really expensive in New Zealand, you could get up to another $150 a fortnight.

“Our job is to rebuild the economy, help people with the cost of living crisis that we're experiencing, and a big part of that is actually getting tax relief to lower to middle-income workers across New Zealand.

“So 94 per cent of all households, 1.9 million households, will have some benefit from the tax relief. I encourage anyone to jump on the tax calculator because everyone's circumstances are different and see what you're entitled to or what the benefit will be for you under this tax package. We want to be able to help the Pacific community navigate the cost of living.

“We've really designed our education spend up $2.9 billion, health up over $8 billion, law and order, actually sort of almost $2.5 billion. And that helps people who are victims of crime, it helps make sure our kids are being taught how to read, write, and do the basics well. And it certainly makes sure that we want to get people having access to healthcare in a much quicker way than currently exists and get those wait times down.

“So all of that is a budget designed for all New Zealanders and the Pacific community and Pacific people will benefit a lot from it.”

Luxon said cuts to the ministries and agencies looked at savings across the system.

He said the strategy helped “stop the dumb programs” that weren't working and delivering results because “that's a waste of taxpayers' money”.

He said the move also helped power up the “good” departments that delivered better frontline services that got a return on that investment.

“That's well worth it. This savings programme has enabled us to spend $8 billion more on health, it's enabled us to spend $2.9 billion more on education, it's enabled us to spend $2.5 billion more on police and corrections, and deliver tax relief.

“And those are the things that actually will advance outcomes and improve outcomes for Pacific people. We've pushed the system hard to generate savings. But that is what has to happen.

“People are going to work, listening to your show today, they pay the government taxes and they expect those taxes to be deployed so that it actually leads to better schools, better hospitals, lower levels of crime, certainly more support through a cost of living process. So that's what we've done.”