Contest of potential health ministers

Political editor Dene Mackenzie profiles the Dunedin North electorate. 
 
 
David Clark
David Clark
Education and health always dominate election debates in Dunedin North which has within its boundaries the University of Otago, Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin Hospital and Otago Medical School.
 

The seat is held by Labour's health spokesman David Clark who is again being challenged by National list MP and cabinet minister Michael Woodhouse.

Green MP Metiria Turei, having stood in Dunedin North previously, is standing this year in Te Tai Tonga.

The contest will again be between Dr Clark and Mr Woodhouse. Mr Woodhouse is widely tipped to become the health minister should National be re-elected and Dr Clark is sure to be the health minister should Labour win.

National narrowly won the party vote in Dunedin North in 2014, taking 32.3% of the vote, ahead of Labour on 31.8%. The result was a reversal of 2011 when Labour was 33.8% and National 32.4%.

Michael Woodhouse
Michael Woodhouse

The fate of Dunedin Hospital is key to winning the party vote in Dunedin North. Dr Clark will be untroubled to win as electorate MP.

National proposes using a private public partnership (PPP) to build a new hospital, giving no start date but saying the $1.4billion hospital will be completed in seven to 10 years.

Labour is committed to using only public funds and says it will start the new hospital within its first term.

However, both parties need to secure the site. A lot of the land around the hospital and university is owned by the university and is likely to be made available for any new hospital.

The Government wants to establish a new School of Rural Medicine within the next three years to produce more doctors for our rural communities.

Waikato University and the Waikato DHB will bid for the school against the Otago and Auckland medical schools, not an ideal campaigning platform for Mr Woodhouse to defend.

Labour wants to increase the amount students can get in student allowances and living cost loans by $50 a week, while accelerating its plan to make three years of post-secondary education free.

Labour's tertiary policy is likely to go down well with students and the parents of high school pupils bound for study next year.

Mr Woodhouse can expect support from the northern part of the electorate, which stretches to just south of Oamaru and includes rural voters annoyed about Labour's plan to tax their water.

Tax is likely to be a hot issue for all non-student voters this year. Labour plans to roll back National's tax cuts if elected.

Some of the hill suburbs should support National, but nothing can be taken for granted in such a volatile election this year.

Dunedin North has the most candidates in the South with eight.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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