Election 2023: Labour promises free dental care to all Kiwis aged under 30
Labour has launched a torpedo into the war of cost-of-living policies being fought by political parties this election, promising to extend basic free dental care to all New Zealanders under 30.
The policy, which is being estimated at $390 million over four years, would see 18 to 23-year-olds receive free annual check-ups, cleans, X-rays, basic fillings and extractions for free from July 2025. This would then expand to anyone under 30 a year later.
It’s not quite as ambitious as the Greens’ proposal to make basic dental care free for everyone, but Labour says it is just a “first step” as it builds capacity in the system to expand care.
BOOM!
Chippy promises free dental and suddenly Labour are back in the race!
After National’s disastrous Tax policy which will see rich Landlords get $250 per fortnight AT THE EXPENSE of 2 year olds, Public transport and climate change funding, the electorate now know exactly what Chris Luxon stands for, and it sure as Christ ain’t the bottom feeders!
Also note the entire thing is built upon a joke assumption regarding foreign sales that Shamubeel Eaqub called ‘bullshit‘.
Note how we are talking about the foreign buyers tax RATHER THAN screaming about National removing the foreign buyers ban while getting millions in donations from the Real Estate Pimps???
The venal and naked self interest by National is I think just too much for the majority of NZers.
On top of this ACT have been outed as increasingly extremist with lunatic candidates believing lunatic shit.
ACTs desire to bring back the machine gun the white supremacist terrorist used highlights how captured ACT are by the gun fetishists.
I believe we are a better people than National and ACT strategists think we are!
Labour have made up for a lack of much progress or policy with strategic twists that are inch by inch taking the election back.
Ruling out Winston, highlighting ACTs extremism, GST off fresh fruit and vegetables, cutting $4Billion in spending and now stepping up with free dental.
It’s an extraordinary game changing policy and it contrasts with National wanting to rob 2 year olds, public transport and climate funds to give tax cuts to rich landlords!
I get many are angry with Labour over Covid, and for some it’s a deal breaker, but you can not pretend that Labour/Greens and Maori Party on a bad day isn’t infinitely better than ACT/National/NZF on a good day!
The contrast is now glaringly clear. Labour/Greens or Maori Party for social policy focused on the many or ACT/National and NZFirst focused on the few.
Free Dental and GST off Fruit and vegetables vs Tax cuts for rich landlords funded by robbing 2 year olds, Public Transport and Climate budgets.
Comrades, Jacinda could have locked us all down for 3 years, it still doesn’t justify this venal and naked National Party self interest vs social policy for all of us!
Remember, if we get a Labour + Green +Māori Party majority, we will see a vast extension of these promises beyond Labour’s incrementalism because the Greens and Maori Party will negotiate with more insight!
While we face the most right wing Government since Roger Douglas, we could also get the most Left wing Government since Savage!
This is the time to fight dammit!
We have Labour over a barrel if they need Green and MP numbers for Supply and Confidence, which they will!
There is an attempt to tell you this election is already won by the Right and even if Labour won they couldn’t blah blah blah, but this is a right wing talking point nonsense!
The election is far fucking closer than it should be because many see what a National/ACT Government would do and they will vote Labour come hell or high water!
We will see this dental policy resonate and contrast with the self interest of National.
We will see the debates, and argue the points and I believe the Left will win because our argument is far less odious and cruel than National’s and ACTs.
It ain’t over till the fat blogger sings!
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Who, is pulling the teeth, without caring medication.
There’s no shortage of local Anastasia gonk.
So who is trying to sound intellectual? Sammy the snark… Silly bloody name for a silly boy… I refuse to believe it took two of you to make such a fundamentally half witted statement…
Martyn – Up to 30 years old…nice start, keep going Labour
Mmm they’ll be able to use the Nats house tax to pay for this and another hospital.
Do you ever read through what you write before it’s too late to stop yourself from making an utter fool of yourself? No? Ok, I understand that would require cognizance, and a mature perspective, but you could at least have made the gesture…
Still waiting for the Mental Health policy to happen! 5 years later.
Well remembered XRAY .Amazing when Greens suggest it it was too hard and too expensive .Another road to Damascus moment . He may fall short of saying he can walk on water but everything else in up for grabs if people are silly enough to believe .I wonder if he had his fingers crossed behind his back while he was smiling
Mental health is just a scam catering to the worried well.
A mental health crisis National created. Labour still have work to do to complete the very good job they started.
Mental health issues have multiplied exponentially under this Labour Administration.
They are guilty of a dereliction of duty.
https://thedailyblog.co.nz/2023/08/23/pr-min-verrall-free-mental-health-programme-hits-the-one-million-mark-nz-government/?
Great, another thing they can’t deliver, fortunately they won’t have to.
Also, Labour will NOT be lifting superannuation eligibility age above 65.
National & ACT have stated they will force people to work 2 more years.
We want something like this to happen but we are told by the Minister of Finance the state is cutting back because the economy is struggling. And we all know it will be badly researched, and delivered in a poll driven panic, much like the free under 2 childcare thing with dentists coming out over the next few days questioning it. And we just know it will NEVER happen. Free Cadillac’s anyone?
All the homeless kids will have nice teeth… remarkable.
It will be interesting to see who wins in the battle of smiles….the dentist or “ P “….it’s very hard on teeth…
At least it’s not a sugar Tax. Where is the free orthodontist bills and free Obesity operation s.
Labour are at the side of the track, tangled in the armco in a cloud of steam. They’re absolutely out of the race.
Couldn’t deliver a pizza…
Lol
Up to 30 years ey? Very clever, playing to their audience with kids. Only one problem Chippie, the other audience, the angry audience is bigger than your audience.
Of course they announce this the same day my brother gets a root and a few days after I got fillings…
Lucky brother…
😉
There is a lot of lefties disgusted at Labour who will just not vote Labour no matter how many election bribes are thrown their way. There is no point in rewarding them for their transgressions. What Chippie has overseen just in the education area is frankly unforgivable.
Yep , too little , too late ….
Good effort Labour – keep it up. Build on that with rewards for fitness for young school leavers, with travel round NZ as prizes etc. and help into jobs for the candidates and especially the winners. After the first wave, have more opportunities to start on new ones with jobs at the end. Ram raids would trend down for sure. Grab those school leavers before they become dissolute with more things wrong than teeth.
My simple question: if they are, now, scaling back $4b in costs, what on earth were they spending this vast amount on previously? Deciding not to put a bike track over the Auck harbour bridge? Gutting morale in the Polytech sector, while paying vastly bloated salaries to head office staff who have since managed to make a dog’s breakfast out of it? The 3 (or how ever many) Waters schmozzle? The Dept of Pacific People’s piss-up, as you’ve labelled it; a relatively modest amount, but indicative of the culture of profligacy in Wellington? Like the 1/3 m on an opening ceremony for Transmission Gully?
But: one thing they’ve already scaled back is our new hospital down south; surely one area where they really should have been willing to spend $$ on. Claw out a few more millions down here, and flick it over to the St James Theatre?
Labour’s all for the North, uninterested in the southern South.
Try me for size: I’m standing as an Independent the Taieri (former Dunedin South) electorate. Have a peep into my website: votemacgardner.net
Great Policy this should get Labour another 5%, a Sugar Tax would off set these costs. And the health benefits to society would be immeasurable !!!
It is as believable as KiwiBuild.
Free??? You mean tax payer funded…
Nothing is free.
Someone who looked after their teeth is going to finish paying for someone else who didn’t.
The “government” allows the shelves to be filled with all food unnecessarily filled with sugar
Takes time out of average households by necessitating 2 adults work or suffer
meaning less time in households for cooking
Quality food continues to spiral out of average person’s reach
Then our drinking water is charged- now “treated” water, not pure, is the gold standard
Then dumb an industrial chemical neurotoxin in the water as a solution.
Unless you’re wealthy enough to pay your way above all this without notice.
So, if you end up getting taxed for people’s dentalcare, it’s because you were too greedy/ignorant to stop the “government for the people” governing for the corporate profitmaking in the first place.
“Someone who looked after their teeth is going to finish paying for someone else who didn’t.”
Yeah right, Andrew, so just stop looking after your teeth, have someone else pay to fix them, then you won’t feel so put upon, you poor dear.
No one who pays attention believes Labour could deliver this or will get a chance to. Kiwi Build, Light Rail etc. and borrowing already up 100 billion since they came in to office. The current account deficit is now the largest it has ever been. Making promises is easy when you believe you will not have to deliver them e.g. Labour – Greens and the 2017 election.
Well Chris Bishop stated he “hopes” people lose their jobs . Aren’t these the same people the tax cuts are for , the “squeezed middle”. Obviously a day is a long time in politics especially for the “squeezed middle”, one day a tax cut the next day the dole ! so squeezed middle be very careful what you wish for sorry I mean who you vote for . Because nex munnitt you will be bottom feeders and there will be no more caring about you.
Whatever happened to the mobile dental clinics that Labour promised and funded back in 2021.
Nothing, that’s what happened.
You’re not getting that it doesn’t matter what Labour say anymore. The mood for change and the anti covid, anti labour movement even from a greenie like myself, is palpable.
Labour’s past form means any promises they make are airy nothings. Credibility is zero
YAWN
Labour’s promises from 2017 are yet to be realised.
Which one bobblehead?
How about the 2017 announcment ‘no new mines on Public Conservation Land’ for starters…
Not at all, Martyn. ‘Under 30’. He’s limited by Rogernomics, like all the previous Labour screw-ups. ACT and Labour are brother parties like some horrid fairy tale. Italo Calvino told it best in his fables.
And Prebble is still an advisor to Seymour, remembering his social democratic origins. Thinking he’s doing right and that’s consistent with his principles. He must be rationalizing like all get out.
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