NZ’s health system suffers from chronic ailments only cross-party consensus can treat

Key points

• Health is a major voter concern ahead of New Zealand's general election. The writer argues neither Labour nor National has a credible plan for the system's underlying problems, including chronic underfunding and weak long-term planning.
• The government has missed several health targets set in 2024, and workforce shortages persist.
• The piece says voters should ask whether parties offer a credible workforce strategy, address causes rather than symptoms, commit to prevention and show cross-party thinking.