Labour, Government Butt Heads Over Who Came Up With Free Cervical Screening

Mary Argue
Reporter

Labour
says the government should help itself to more of the
party’s policies, after it announced free cervical screening
for all women.

On Tuesday, Health Minister Simeon
Brown said from March 2027, all women aged 25 to 69 would
be eligible for free screenings for cervical cancer –
implementing a recommendation from successive Parliamentary
Reviews since 2018.

Labour’s health spokesperson
Ayesha Verrall said she celebrated the move.

“I am not
at all worried about having one of our policies adopted by
the government, it’s a great idea. It was work I started
when I was minister.

“The important thing is that
women get access to this service,” she said.

“We got
halfway there when we were in government, but it’s good that
we’re going to get the whole way there.”

Verrall said
the government should also consider implementing Labour
policies such as free GP visits, free
maternity scans, and free prescriptions.

“Making
healthcare more affordable ensures problems are caught
early, whānau stay healthier, and hospitals are there when
they matter most,” she said.

Minister
for Women Nicola Grigg said she had been pushing for free
screening for years and rejected the idea the government had
pinched Labour policy.

She said the previous
Labour-led government had the opportunity to introduce free
screening, but didn’t.

“We’ve come into government and
we’re going to get it done.”

Grigg said the policy
would make screenings free for an estimated additional
786,000 women, which was a key step in the government’s plan
to eradicate cervical cancer by 2040.

“It’s really
important because cervical cancer is one of the most
preventable cancers, but you can only prevent it, you can
only eliminate it, if you find
it.”

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