“The promise of better funding for aged care through more partnerships with the private sector if National wins the next election fall short of meeting the increasing cost of aged care for our frail, elderly New Zealanders” said Stephnie de Ruyter, Leader of Democrats for social credit.

Pete Hodgson’s announcement today that government has scrapped the South Westland SMA demonstrates their dismal failure to grasp the principles and advantages of providing free health care especially in remote rural regions, according to Democrats for Social Credit health spokesman, David Tranter. ...

The withdrawal of the Auckland & Canterbury DHBs from DHBNZ and the scathing comments by Canterbury chair Syd Bradley (The Press, 2 August) reveals another absurd aspect of corporatised health management in New Zealand, according to Democrats for Social Credit health spokesman David Tranter.

“We’re all to blame for child abuse,” declares Katherine Ransom, Social Issues Spokesperson for Democrats for social credit. “We have allowed real poverty to become entrenched in our land of plenty, while the top 10% of people get richer. Poverty and all that goes with it – overcrowding, poor housi...

“Bollard tells us ‘The New Zealand economy is running strong,’” says John Pemberton, DSC Finance Spokesman. “We are recording continued big increases in international commodity prices, he tells us. This is very good news for New Zealand, but Bollard still delivers a backhander.”

“Reports from the Local Government New Zealand (LGNZ) conference that funding issues are driving high percentage rates increases, causing hardship to many ratepayers and stalling necessary infrastructure upgrades, reflect the folly of the present narrow funding mechanisms” noted DSC Leader, Stephni...

Growing concerns about Kiwisaver make it imperative that government stop giving a one-sided view of the scheme and spell out to the public the pitfalls involved, according to Democrats for Social Credit health spokesman, David Tranter.

“The unpopular Therapeutic Products and Medicines Bill has passed its use-by date and should be binned, not shelved” said DSC Leader, Stephnie de Ruyter, reacting to news that the Bill does not have sufficient support in parliament to be passed into law and is to be put aside.

On the day of the Live Earth concerts, delegates attending the annual DSC conference in Christchurch last weekend voted to support a series of directional “eco-remits”.

“The move by the Southland District Council to hold a non-binding referendum to survey the views of local residents on the fluoridation of their water supplies is a fine example of real democracy in action and must be applauded” said Stephnie de Ruyter, DSC Leader.