Media release from Labour Health Spokesperson Ruth Dyson

Minister of Health Tony Ryall has been forced to admit that his statements to Parliament yesterday on the report led by Government insider Murray Horn were wrong, Labour Health Spokesperson Ruth Dyson says.

"Tony Ryall yesterday claimed in Parliament that he had not seen draft versions of the Horn report and that he had not asked Murray Horn or other contributors to the report to change their recommendations.

"However, shortly after the Labour Party requested under the Official Information Act the dates Tony Ryall had received drafts and background papers on the Horn report and the extent of his contact with the report's authors, the Minister returned to Parliament to change his earlier denials.

"The Minister, when he denied having received early versions of the report or having any involvement in the recommendations, had apparently forgotten that he had in fact received four different versions of drafts and background papers, had been in regular contact with Murray Horn over the report and had in fact taken the entire group of authors out for dinner to discuss their recommendations.

"I am appalled that Tony Ryall chose to cynically mislead the New Zealand public about the level of his involvement in the Murray Horn report.

"Tony Ryall has subsequently tabled the documents he received which the New Zealand public have never seen previously, and they show just how involved the Minister really was.

"In a draft report sent to Tony Ryall the authors ask whether a recommendation concerning who would be eligible for medical procedures and where those procedures would be carried out, would involve the Minister in too much controversy.

"In the final report the recommendation was completely re-worded.  One can only assume the Minister responded to the authors telling them to reword it.

"It is simply farcical for the Minister to continue to claim that the Horn report was written independently of his office when he was clearly heavily involved.

"It's no wonder the National Party yesterday voted against holding submissions on the report in public. Then they would actually have had to explain to the New Zealand public about the increase to bureaucracy and frontline service cuts that will result," Ruth Dyson said.