2020 election: New Zealand’s first leader Winston Peters vows to increase funding for ambulances

New Zealand First is committed to increasing funding for the cost of St John Ambulance from 70% to 90% if re-elected.

Leader Winston Peters said it was “a real shame” that one of New Zealand’s emergency services relied on charity to provide a service that all Kiwis needed in times of crisis.

The Ministry of Health and the ACC fund about 72 percent of St John’s operating costs. The rest is financed in part through contributions and donations.

NZ First would increase this funding to 90 percent and has made it a bottom line heading into the October 17 election.

Peters called this “common sense.”

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“St John’s services were overstretched and early in this period we were able to secure desperately needed short-term funding. But St John needs a commitment to meet the 90 percent funding level they require,” Peters said.

“St John’s ambulance professionals save and protect New Zealanders every day. They do a stellar job and it’s time the government was there to back them up,” Peters said.

“Our ambulance services need help and New Zealand First will support their future.”

Peters made the policy announcement on Levin with his “Back Your Future” bus.

He also said that “someone needed to explain” how the Rugby Championship was handed over to Australia to be the host given that New Zealand had a better handle on Covid-19.

“It is very difficult to understand how, with their Covid circumstances being much worse than ours, they could have beaten us.

“I don’t want a large-scale investigation, but a little open honesty would be a good idea.”