National spokeswoman to tackle men's health

By AUDREY YOUNG, political editor

Men's health issues will get special attention from National, says the party's new health spokeswoman, Judith Collins.

She has asked associate health spokesman Paul Hutchison to take responsibility for promoting men's and children's health, and pharmaceuticals.

There had been no specific men's health initiatives in the past five years, Judith Collins claimed. Sitting on Parliament's health select committee for 18 months, she had constantly listened to "women talking about women's health".

There was nothing wrong with that - "having had two breast lump-ectomies, I am very passionate about breast cancer".

But the issue of encouraging men to have greater awareness of their health was never addressed.

Health was reallocated last week after the former spokeswoman, Lynda Scott, announced her retirement at the next election.

Dr Hutchison, a former gynaecologist and obstetrician who was elected in 1999, is known to be very disappointed to have been passed over for the health job for first-termer Judith Collins, the Clevedon MP, who is 45 and a lawyer with an 11-year-old son.

She has little experience in the health field, though she has a special interest in disabilities, having been brought up by a mother who was profoundly deaf.

Before committing National to policy, Judith Collins said she wanted to get extensive advice on how the primary health sector was being organised under Public Health Organisations.

She wants to make sure PHOs provide services on a fair basis without creating costly bureaucracies.

Judith Collins earned her political stripes this year by pressuring former Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel over the deportation of a Sri Lankan girl, leading eventually to her sacking.

After the reshuffle, she is ranked 12th in the National line-up, a second-bench position.

Asked if she thought health should be a front-bench job, she said "eventually it will be a front-bench job".

"I am very happy with my current positioning because I view it as a very good step forward."