April 09, 2018
Mould small price for Bridges strategy
National Party leader Simon Bridges is playing down the size of the mould and other problems at Middlemore Hospital on his party's watch.
Speaking to Radio Waatea's Dale Husband, Mr Bridges said National's priority was to create the strong economy that creates the opportunities for people to get ahead.
He says while under previous Labour Governments many New Zealanders and especially Maori saw their best meal ticket was a plane ticket overseas.
He says things weren't perfect under National, including the Middlemore mould.
"But be very clear these are tens of millions of (dollar) issues, they are not hundreds or billions dollar issues, and having a strong economy, strong books allows us to pay for that," Mr Bridges says.
The Government has approved $11 million for immediate work to address mould and leaky building issues at Middlemore first identified in 2012, and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the total capital deficit across the health sector is more than $10 billion.
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