Is NZ's health system in crisis? Luxon and Hipkins clash in leaders’ debate

Christopher Luxon and Chris Hipkins clashed over who was responsible for the “crisis” facing New Zealand’s healthcare system amid growing fears about how much more pressure it can take.

The National and Labour leaders are fronting the final leaders’ debate tonight ahead of the November 7 election.

On the first topic, health, both leaders swung between attacks and defence following questions over pressure on New Zealand’s emergency departments and nationwide staffing shortages.

After pitching how they each planned to ease pressures on the public system, moderator Paddy Gower asked Luxon whether he believed it was in a crisis.

“I think it’s incredibly challenging,” Luxon replied, before Gower pushed for a definitive answer.

“Well, you can call it ... We inherited a crisis, but it is very challenging. It was incredibly difficult.”

Hipkins, while acknowledging Labour led the country through “a global pandemic”, said Luxon was in “denial about the extent of the crisis” in the health system and blamed the current Government for failing to address the pressures.

“The health system has never been under more pressure than that. And our health workers, our doctors and our nurses, coped with that remarkably well,” Hipkins said.

“And all you have done as a Prime Minister is attack them.”

Gower asked Luxon whether his goal was to end emergency patients being treated in corridors.

“Yes, Paddy, that’s the goal,” Luxon replied.

“What we’re doing is we’re investing very strongly in emergency departments infrastructure.”

Tonight’s debate comes following two prior debates between the pair over the last fortnight.

Last week’s debate, hosted by the Herald, featured Hipkins ruling out the Greens or Te Pāti Māori from holding the Police and Corrections portfolios in a future Government after MPs from those parties posed for photos with Mongrel Mob members.

Hipkins said it wasn’t appropriate members of those parties went to a gang pad: “No, I don’t condone it. I think it was a bad judgment.”

Luxon leapt on the development, resurfacing criticisms he’d used in 2023 when he described Labour as “soft on crime”.

“Just imagine what a Cabinet table looks like with those characters around a Cabinet table with him there,” Luxon said.

Earlier in the debate, Luxon said Hipkins got “a new coalition member today, it’s the Mongrel Mob”.

“He’s got two of his party coalition partners, the Greens and Te Pāti Māori out there campaigning with them.”

Tonight’s debate follows the release of two polls today.

The 1News-Verian poll, released this evening, had National on 32%, Labour on 27%, the Green Party on 16%, Act on 11%, NZ First on 8%, Opportunity on 7% and Te Pāti Māori on 0.7%.

This morning’s Post/Freshwater Strategy poll, with Infrastructure NZ, had Labour on 28.7%, National on 27.6%, the Green Party on 14.3%, NZ First on 11.8%, Act on 9%, Opportunity on 5.4% and Te Pāti Māori on 2%.