Kerre Woodham: Talk about pot calling the kettle black over free dental care

So Labour and National kicked off their respective campaigns over the weekend to Labour's big wizz-bang attention-getter was the promise of free dental care for under 30s, but not until 2026.  

National, having already announced 37 different policies, decided to stick to a pledge card detailing the party's eight main commitments, if and when elected. Both took potshots at one another over the weekend, Hipkins said that National's tax plan was sneaky.  

He questioned the costings and he said National are people who want to win the election, whatever it takes and bugger the cost. Talk about pot calling the kettle black there.  

Luxon fired back at Hipkins saying power doesn't concede easily and Labour's campaign was one of fear and disinformation.  

Certainly, the CTU's gone all out with the attack ads. If you see the cover of this morning's Herald newspaper, it's pretty much a rich prick assault on the leader of the National Party with the ad they've taken out.  

Still, that's democracy.  

And if Citizens and Ratepayers decided to put something out about Hipkins' inability to be an effective Prime Minister, then I'm quite sure the Herald would take the money and wrap the ad around the newspaper.  

You've got to survive in the media, you gotta take the ads. I did think Hipkins' whatever the cost comment was a bit rich, given that Labour's committed to free dental health care for under 30s, a policy Labour’s considered before, but did the numbers and said it was too expensive and unworkable.  

And while the Labour Party luvvies got terribly excited about the announcement, it won't be rolled out until the next election. Health Minister Ayesha Verrall was on with Mike Hosking this morning and says the free dental rollout will take until the next election because of staffing. 

So much to unpack from that. For a start, we've got the mental health system that's seen a million people. Has it? Has it really, Ayesha?  

And this would be the same mental health system where mental health workers at Capital Coast and Hutt Valley say that they're at their wit's end, the system is in crisis, we're overwhelmed. It's an increasingly unsafe mental health public system. We have a desperate shortage of skilled and experienced clinicians.  

That would be that mental health service would it Ayesha?  That one. Because it doesn't sound like it's coping terribly well.  

It sounds like the staff themselves are about to have mental breakdowns because of the pressure that they're under. The unworkable conditions that they're having to work under. So there's that.  

And then we've got the dental service, the free dental care to under 30s that has been dismissed by Labour before as expensive and unworkable.  

There was a story about a dentist in the Weekend Herald whose kids can't get into dentistry school despite their A+ pluses, and he's packed a stroppy, rich guy sad and said my children want to be dentists and I want to give my dentist clinic to them and they can’t get into Otago.   

And so Ayesha Verrall was asked why there are only 60 places offered at the University of Otago, when you get more than 500 applying every year. And she said it's very expensive, it's specialised and high cost to deliver dentistry training. And then she said there is a relatively small labour market in New Zealand for graduates.  

So she's basically saying we only need 60, so this vision of universal free healthcare for under 30s must have been a relatively recent vision. Because how in the name of all that is holy are 60 new dentists going to be able to deal with the expected influx of people wanting their fangs checked?   

You've also got Labour and Chris Hipkins telling the Newsroom media website last month, so not even 30 days ago, he said the health system doesn't have the capacity to deliver free dental care for all, and there would likely be a significant investment required just in order to build capacity, to meet the need for additional dental care.  

So last month we didn't have the capacity in the health system to deliver universal dental care. So less than 30 days later, all of a sudden, we finesse it by saying, okay, it's gonna be for the end of 30s and it’s not going to start until 2026.  

Newsroom went back to him and said, how can you do this? And he said, well, every election you have a different set of priorities.  

And he said it won't be too little too late, even though it takes 6 years to train a dentist and the first tranche, won't be funded till May of next year. I mean, they're basically saying whatever it takes to get votes and we shouldn't be surprised because it's an election campaign. But can they just be even a little bit clever about it?  

Last month we didn't have the capacity for universal dental care. This month we do. Because the polls say it would be a good thing. I still think the most egregious turnaround and absolute disposal of any morals and principles was when Hipkins and Kelvin Davis announced they'd build two youth prisons when they realised how badly they'd lost the room when it came to law and order.  

And this despite the fact it goes against everything they believe in. But they announced they'll build 2 youth prisons, no start date. But they just say it, because they realize they're losing the room on law and order.  

Sacrificing everything they believe in. Just to try and get up in the polls. This universal dental plan for under 30s comes pretty close to that egregious turnaround. Labour reckons National wants to win the election quote, whatever it takes and bugger the cost.  

Really, Chris Hipkins? National weren't the ones spraying around expensive, unrealistic and unachievable promises over the weekend. 

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