The same applies to Question Time, where each party or independent MP are allotted a number of primary questions each week and supplementary questions each day which, roughly, equates to their share of the seats.
The intent of Question Time is to hold the government to account for its actions but when MPs from the parties in the ruling coalition quiz members of the executive the very last thing that they want to do is give them a hard time about their actions, or inactions.
There was a terrific example of this on Wednesday when Waitaki National MP Miles Anderson rose to ask Question 7 to the Minister of Health, Simeon Brown: ‘‘What recent announcement has he made about improving access to healthcare services for people living in the Otago Central Lakes region?’’
Now Anderson knows very well what recent announcement Brown has made — he was standing less than one metre away when Brown was making it. But this is the magic of political theatre, so best not to dwell too much on that.
‘‘Earlier this month I announced that planning is under way for the expansion of locally delivered healthcare services across the Otago Central Lakes region,’’ Brown said, to the surprise of absolutely nobody.
‘‘Because people should not have to drive for hours simply to see a specialist, get a scan, or access maternity care. Our plan will grow primary care, diagnostic services, outpatient services, and mental health and addiction support, alongside further work to develop maternity care, obstetrics, and gynaecology, ensuring healthcare keeps pace with one of the fastest-growing parts of New Zealand.’’
The plan has been months in the making and it has involved Anderson — whose electorate is expansive enough to take in Wanaka — and his National Southland colleague Joseph Mooney, as well as Act New Zealand Southland list MP Todd Stephenson.
How to provide health services in the Lakes and Central has long been a fraught issue. Readers with long memories may remember the high-profile stoush over provision of maternity services across the region in general, and in Lumsden specifically, a few years back.
The issue is a real one. There are tens of thousands of New Zealanders who live in extremely rural locations (i.e., more than two hours’ drive from a base hospital) and 70% of them live in the Central Lakes region.
While they do their level best, a scattering of GP clinics and medical centres and the hospitals at Clyde and Queenstown can only do so much. This is the reason why Central Lakes has the highest number of — very expensive — air ambulance transfers in New Zealand (496 transfers in 2024-25).
As Brown noted, every patient treated locally is one fewer patient forced to spend hours on the road, or air, travelling to Dunedin or Invercargill for care.
‘‘Why is this investment so important for the Otago Central Lakes community?,’’ Anderson then asked, getting to the nub of why this is fast becoming a problem that the government cannot ignore.
‘‘The Otago Central Lakes region is one of the fastest-growing regions in New Zealand, and healthcare services have struggled to keep pace with that growth,’’ Brown replied.
‘‘For too long, these communities have been overlooked, and this government is ensuring that as communities grow healthcare services grow with them, delivering timely, quality care closer to where people live.’’
There are more than 80,000 permanent residents in the region, and they are kept company by an estimated 55,000 tourists each day — although that number would be highly seasonal and also events-driven.
StatsNZ projections predict there will be a 39% increase in population by 2043, which would be profound enough, but the Queenstown Lakes District Council is picking a 51% increase — which is why it has been very concerned about infrastructure and services for some time.
But what, you may be asking, is actually in the plan?
Well, fortuitously, Mooney — who was standing to the other side of Brown from Anderson during the actual announcement — was on hand to refresh his own memory.
‘‘What improvements can local families expect to see under this plan?,’’ he asked.
That would be $25 million in new operating funding for the region from 2027-28, and alongside a further estimated $103m over the following three years, and $52m in capital upgrades.
‘‘This plan will support expanded out-patient and diagnostics services, including improved MRI access and point-of-care testing, and enhanced mental health and addiction care,’’ Brown said.
He added that Health NZ was also working on a new maternity model for the region — and not before time, with almost 700 babies born each year in the region, a figure tipped to rise to more than 900 by 2043.
It only remained for Brown to, with barely a trace of humility, to ‘‘acknowledge and thank local MPs Miles Anderson and Joseph Mooney, who have been strong advocates for their communities and have worked constructively to ensure the voices of local families, clinicians, and health providers have been heard throughout this process.’’
Huzzah, we say. And, honestly, we do. For all that it is easy, and fun, to make light of the attendant PR flim-flam, this is an example of the government actually getting something done — and, what’s more, getting something done that really had to be done.
There are many rivers to cross. Details remain to be sorted for stage one. Stage two, which includes the maternity work, is guaranteed to stir up local passions, and stage three — the siting of a potential new general hospital somewhere in the region — will also have people up in arms if it is nowhere near them.
But the thinking has started and actions are now being taken, which is what the burgeoning population of the Lakes region has long been calling for.
