Prime Minister Chris Luxon on first 100 days, major health announcement today

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon spoke to Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking this morning on the final day of his 100-day plan.

Luxon denied that his 100-day plan was just announcements without actions when pressed by Hosking.

He said the resource management changes and the cell phone ban in schools were examples of actions taken during the 100 days.

“These are the must-dos.

“We’re going to announce five healthcare targets [today].”

“I want ministers to be decisive… but they’re going to do it with an expert panel.”

“There’s some pretty practical common sense stuff in there,” he said of his 100-day plan.

The healthcare targets would include set rates and expectations, such as wait times and immunisation numbers.

Hosking said our economy is going backwards compared to other countries, Luxon responded, “We’ve got some really big challenges ahead of us.”

“We’ve got a great future, we honestly do.

“The opportunities are bigger than the challenges for us.”

Luxon on his meetings in Australia

Luxon said while in Australia he was talking to leaders and investors.

“What we want to do, is make sure we do have good relationships with China,” he said when asked about Asia-Pacific tensions currently.

“We’re not gonna get rich trading with each other.”

Health targets announcement

Luxon is travelling between Auckland and Northland today as he completes his first 100 days in office, making a major health targets announcement.

He is set to review his Government’s performance over the first three months on Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking Show.

The PM will make the final health announcement of the 100-day reform package in Whangārei with Health Minister Dr Shane Reti this afternoon.

During his pre-election campaign, Luxon unveiled a 100-day plan comprised of 49 actions ” to improve the lives of New Zealanders”.

The bulk of the items on the Government’s plan was based on undoing what the previous Government did.

It’s understood they will introduce health targets today aimed at improving the country’s faltering health system.

During their election campaign, National’s five major targets for health were focused on emergency departments, cancer treatment, immunisation and wait times for specialists and surgery.

Shorter stays in the emergency department – 95 per cent of patients to be admitted, discharged or transferred from an emergency department within six hours.

Faster cancer treatment – 85 per cent of patients to receive cancer management within 31 days of the decision to treat.

Improved immunisation – 95 per cent of 2-year-olds receiving their full age-appropriate immunisations.

Shorter wait times for first specialist assessment – a meaningful reduction in the number of people waiting more than four months to see a specialist (target to be set in government).

Shorter wait times for surgery – a meaningful reduction in the number of people waiting more than four months for surgery (target to be set in government).