Government refuses to fund cancer drugs, instead bows to gaming sector lobbyists

The Taxpayers’ Union is urging the government to rethink corporate welfare for the gaming sector and direct that funding into life-saving medicines instead.

“Reports suggest that it is Ministers Judith Collins and Todd McClay, along with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, that are preventing the Government from scrapping corporate handouts to the gaming sector. They must front up and explain why funding the latest mind-numbing game is more important than life-saving cancer drugs.

“The Government plans to spend $100 million a year on corporate welfare for the film and gaming sectors. If that money was put into Pharmac instead, it could fund 13 new cancer treatments that are available in Australia but not here in New Zealand.

“It is completely immoral to line the pockets of the rich and bow to the desires of well-connected lobbyists instead of throwing a literal lifeline to those most in need. It is even worse to not front up and justify why that trade-off was made. New Zealanders need to understand how this decision was reached.”