Private Medical Plans Disliked (Press, 11 May 1973)
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Summary: Private Medical Plans Disliked (Press, 11 May 1973)
On 10 May 1973, the Labour Party held its annual conference in Wellington, where delegates made significant decisions regarding healthcare and social issues. A notable vote passed to withdraw tax exemptions from private hospitals and medical insurance companies. Additionally, delegates supported a phased withdrawal of State funding for private hospitals and the gradual phasing out of private medical diagnostic laboratories. Instead, the health committee proposed improvements to public hospital diagnostic services to diminish the need for private hospital usage and private health insurance. The conference also addressed drug regulations, endorsing methadone maintenance programmes like the one led by Dr R. A. Roche in Auckland. However, Dr G. A. Wall, the committee’s chairman, cautioned against making hasty decisions regarding drug policy until the government’s new regulations were implemented, which were set to begin that week. Mr F. D. O’Flynn, the Minister of Health, noted that a review of narcotics classification was underway, which prompted discussions around the potential removal of cannabis from the narcotics list and a reduction in penalties for its use. O’Flynn stated this might not be an appropriate time for such amendments due to the ongoing review. Moreover, the conference called for the immediate removal of restrictions on contraceptive education and supply. This included urging the lifting of legal barriers preventing doctors and chemists from providing contraceptives. The delegates reaffirmed a decision from 1971 that decriminalised homosexual acts between consenting adults, and they adopted the view that the only grounds for divorce should be the irretrievable breakdown of marriage. Overall, the conference’s resolutions highlighted a shift towards enhancing public health services and adopting more liberal social policies in line with contemporary views on healthcare and personal freedoms.
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