MINISTER IN REPLY

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 7, 3 October 1941, Page 8

MINISTER IN REPLY

Points Of Criticism NEED FOR ONE STEP AT A TIME “Many of those who have condemned this Bill have done so either misunderstanding its provisions, or, understanding them, wilfully distorting them,” said the Minister of Health, Mr. Nordmeyer, when he replied to the three-day debate on the Social Security Amendment Bill. “When the public comes to understand what the measure really is and when it comes to work, as it unquestionably will, then the great mass of the people of New Zealand will bless the Government responsible for its introduction.” Mr. Nordmeyer asked why the Leader of the Opposition had changed bis tune. Inside and outside the House he had been condemning the Government for not implementing its promises, yet he now asked that the scheme should not be operated at present. The Government never pretended that this was a complete medical service. It said it must take one step at a time. If it had not been for the war, the home nursing service would have been inaugurated. Mr. Holland objected to the coercion contained in the Bill. The modern social system was built on the State requiring that the licence and liberty of the individual should be curbed at almost every point in the interests of the community as a whole. The medical register contained 1693 names. Doctors engaged on military service totalled 259, not 300 as the doctors exaggeratedly suggested, but only 192 were overseas. Three years ago, 1457 names were on tbe medical register, so only 23 fewer doctors were now available. It was simply an exaggeration to suggest that the number overseas was such that the Government was not justified in bringing in the scheme at present. A doctor serving as a colonel received £l4/17/6 weekly. If he was married with two children, an additional allowance of £2/9/- was made. Allowing £l/15/- for his rations and keep, his income, free of tax, was £l9/1/6 a week, equivalent to £25 to £26, subject to tax, m New Zealand. Other equivalent incomes were £2l to £22 for a lieutenant-col onel. £26 for a major, £IS to £l9 for a captain, and £l6 to £l7 for a lieutenant. Many of tbe doctors who returned from the last war found it extremely difficult for months and years to get back to anything like their old income. On this occasion, the Government was guaranteeing the doctors overseas a sum for the first year after I they returned equivalent to that which : they returned for taxation in the year ■ before they left the Dominion.

From lodges and members of friend}ly societies, he had received letter < stating that the lodges were behind tlie Government in its introduction o ’ the scheme, said the Minister. Cer tain members of the Opposition wen named as being very- active in society circles in seeing that the resolutions oi protest which had been published went through. Following suggestions that the membership of friendly societies had dropped, he had asked the Friendly Society Department for a return dealing with this war and the last. An interesting and important fact was 1 that the membership curve since Sep-; tember, 1939, followed almost exactly the curve for the first two years of the last war. The inference was that the effect of the Social Security Scheme had been negligible. Another contention was that the Bill would result in tlie deterioration of medical standards. Tlie standard depended on tlie medical profession. If it deteriorated it was not the fault of the system or the Government but that of the,-doctors. For . one, he', refused?

to believe that the method of payment of the profession would cause ally deterioration. There was no falling of standard of the work of doctors who were paid salaries in hospitals. The Minister said nothing was contained in the original Bill dictating the terms and conditions of service or the keeping of case records or the hours in surgeries. Some of the finest doctors in New Zealand were working the capitation scheme, and he knew some bad doctors were not. Whatever scheme of payment was adopted, there would always be differences in professional capacity and skill.