The last 12-18 months has seen some major changes signalled for the ambulance sector. Years of union pressure and member commitment to the improvement of their workplace and ambulance services provided to the community have finally been recognised.

• Union pressure resulted in the government announcing a Health Select Committee review into ambulance services during 2007, which outlined some major recommendations for change to the sector mid 2008. These critically included the need for greater consistency and cooperation, recommended nationalised training and clinical governance, the professional registration of Paramedics and target timelines for the double crewing of emergency ambulances in metropolitan and large urban centres.
• Ambulance NZ (the employer lobby group) began work in a collaborative manner with the sector participants to investigate a newly proposed education curriculum and work together on progressing the professional registration of Paramedics under the HPCAA.
• St John (lead employer provider) developed and is about to begin the release of a proposal for major education and qualification/skill level change which should provide national alignment of practice levels pending registration through stakeholder endorsement
• The government continued to fund additional positions in response to "hot spot" funding requests from some of ambulance service providers, most notably in response to St John requests for an additional 400 Paramedics over a number of years.
  
• The MoH and ACC established the National Ambulance Sector Officer (NASO) to cooperate on funding arrangements and provide funder led national consistency.
  
• The draft National Ambulance Strategy was released for public and other stakeholder consultation.
• NZTA Work Time rule was implemented that theoretically imposed more clarity on the driving related expectations of Paramedics in the performance of their emergency and non emergency roles.
  
• Media pressure from Unions resulted in the issues of ambulance funding and service deficiencies being raised to the wider attention of the public, but more critically to the attention of politicians.
  
• Commitment to national terms and conditions through union pressure to develop multi-employer collective agreements and the lead provider St John agreeing in principle to work towards national parity.
  

Despite all the changes, the critical missing link is the commitment of central government to adequately fund emergency ambulance services. Most elections the NDU raises the awareness of general issues that impact workers without intentionally showing party preference. Whilst we are cognisant that our members are free to make their own decisions, we wanted to use this forum to identify key party policies in regard to the ambulance sector. In this period of high public interest in ambulance services, we expect comprehensive policies on the ambulance sector from the lead parties.

We have reviewed the literature that is publicly available on the respective parties website about ambulance services, focussing on recent comments in the last 12 months. This generally includes all public statements includind media releases. Additionally, Iain Mackay (a WFA Intensive Care Paramedic and CAWU Head Delegate) also sent three questions to the main parties for comment. The questions were:

• Do you share the view of ambulance officers that all emergency ambulances should be staffed with two qualified ambulance officers?
• Do you believe that ambulance services muct be adequately resourced and able to comply with NZTA work time regulations?
• Do you believe that by comparison the response time requirements in NZ are too low and should be the same as other developed countries?

The statements and/or answers to the questions stated above are detailed below, including any specific policies about ambulance services.

• National Party Commentary
  
• Act Party Commentary
• Labour Party Commentary
• Green Party Commentary

• General Media Commentary - Health Policies
  This includes commentary we have found in various media outlets that relates to general health policies of all the parties.

Some of the more interesting comments are provided below:

Volunteers are a strong and vital part of many communities, and as such, are an extremely valuable resource. Any move to have ambulances only crewed with a salaried workforce is bound to undermine our rural and provincial communities
(Jo Goodhew - National Party)

The Green Party will look into replacing the current largely voluntary system with a professional ambulance service that is an integral part of the public health system. We will increase funding for the provision of ambulance services, and integrate funding into one single provider.
(Sue Kedgley - Green Party)

I think fire and ambulance services in NZ are complimentary frontline service activities that should be contracted out professionally to private enterprise, regulated by one health authority in a similar way to the reserve bank with one Governor.
(Kevin Campbell - ACT Party)

• A 19% increase for 2006/07 on the 2005/06 base funding
• A 25% increase over two years on the 2006/07 base funding
• A one-off 5% payment, to St John and Wellington Free Ambulance, on the 2006/07 baseline funding in 2007/08.
• A $47 million dollar increase announced going forward from 2008.

We are not making any recommendation either way about who you should vote for, either party wise or local politician wise. The only request we would have is that you do actually vote, having contemplated the effect of your vote on the future of New Zealand and how it might impact on you and others going forward.