The wrong target

Over the weekend Labour made a couple of big announcement on health, including free care during pregnancy, and an extension of free GP visits to children under 13 and people over 65. Most of this is welcome and sensible - primary health care saves money in the long term, and its good to see it gradually being re-universalised. But the pensioner plan seems poorly targeted to health needs. As Dim-Post points out, pensioners are the least needy group in the country, and its hard to escape the conclusion that they're being prioritised here because they vote. Such cynicism from politicians is par for the course, but here it comes at the direct expense of younger kiwis with higher needs. And that is neither sensible not fair.