Labour sidelines its own Health Committee

Labour voted in Parliament for the bill that will do the biggest ever restructuring of the health system not to go to the Health Committee. Instead they set up a special select committee to consider it.

Here’s who Labour has on the Health Select Committee:

• Dr Liz Craig (doctor, public health specialist)
• Tracey McLellan (psychologist, nurses union)
• Dr Anae Neru Leavasa (doctor, GP)
• Sarah Pallett (midwife, midwifery lecturer)
• Dr Gaurav Sharma (dcotor, GP)
• Tangi Utikere (Deputy Mayor)

So five of the six Labour MPs on the Health Select Committee are health professionals. There was obviously a huge risk they might actually ask questions they were not meant to, so instead it has gone to a new committee. The Government really doesn’t like independence.