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- By Casey Costello, Minister of Customs, Seniors
International Paramedics Day was recognised on July 8, and I had the opportunity to meet
with Hato Hone St John in Mt Wellington, Auckland Hospital, and at Middlemore Hospital.
with Hato Hone St John in Mt Wellington, Auckland Hospital, and at Middlemore Hospital.
It was a fantastic opportunity to talk about the great work the Paramedics do and how they
are supported by a fantastic team, including the EMTs, call takers, dispatchers, management, and, importantly, the volunteers.
Coincidentally, while at Middlemore, I got to catch up with one of the Pukekohe crews and
talk about their 20+ years of serving our community.
I cannot speak highly enough of the professionalism, dedication and expertise that is so
evident.
The party I represent, New Zealand First, has always advocated for our frontline workers, and we included this commitment in our coalition agreement with National in forming our
government.
This includes the Crown funding agreement to meet a greater portion of Hato Hone St John’s annualised budget.
Unfortunately, on top of funding, there is a need to deliver protection for our first responders.
The increasing level of violence and concern about crime should not be part of the issues that our ambulance services have to deal with, but it is a sad reality.
It is for this reason that I was so proud of the announcement, delivering on another of New
Zealand First’s coalition commitments, which was to introduce further protection through a
specific offence of assault on first responders.
The importance of a specific offence is to send a clear message that our first responders hold a special status in our communities.
With so many factors impacting the work of Hato Hone St John, such as traffic congestion
and call volumes, the risk of violence should not have to be a consideration. Decisive action
in response to this violence is being taken.
But for now, on behalf of New Zealand First, I want to express my gratitude and appreciation for not just our paramedics but all first responders.
