Labour Party’s latest election policy makes cervical screening free for all women aged 25-69

Labour health spokeswoman Ayesha Verrall and leader Chris Hipkins announced the cervical screening policy today. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Labour will make cervical cancer screening free for all women aged between 25 and 69 years old, says its health spokeswoman, Dr Ayesha Verrall.

It is the latest policy the party has unveiled in the lead-up to the 2026 general election.

Verrall, announcing the scheme today, says it will cost $21.6 million and be paid for out of health baselines. At present, about half of the women who access cervical screening pay for the service.

“Cervical screening is an incredibly cost-effective intervention. For every dollar you spend, you save three, in some research.”

Verrall said the health budget was about $30 billion, and she was confident Labour could find the money to fund the policy.

If Labour were elected, women would access the free service using the recently announced “Medicard”. The scheme would start from October 1, 2027.

“Each year, 175 New Zealanders are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 55 die from it. Almost every case is preventable with better uptake of cervical screening and vaccination,” Verrall said.

“Adding free cervical screening to Labour’s Medicard will prevent cancers and avoid costly hospital treatments.”

What has Labour announced so far?

Capital Gains Tax

Labour was seemingly forced to scramble to announce its Capital Gains Tax (CGT) after details were leaked to the media. The 28% tax would apply to commercial and residential properties but would exclude the family home.

It would apply to profits made after July 1, 2027. Farms, KiwiSaver, shares, business assets, inheritances, and personal items would also be exempt.

Medicard: Three free GP visits

The CGT money would be funnelled back into the health sector and give Kiwis three free doctors’ visits a year. If elected, Labour would give all New Zealanders a “Medicard”.

This would be loaded with a patient’s medical information and free GP visits at the practice the patient was enrolled in.

The card would also be available as an app and accessible to every New Zealander.

The NZ Future Fund

Labour’s NZ Future Fund, the party’s first policy unveiled before the 2026 election, intends to take the dividends of some Crown assets and redistribute them to Kiwi businesses in the hope of creating new jobs.

The amount of ring-fenced money that would be invested into New Zealand businesses would depend on the entities chosen and their dividends for a certain year.

Labour is yet to say what assets could be included in the fund, citing commercial sensitivity. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon responded by calling the policy “totally underwhelming.”

On the lack of costings provided by Labour around the policy, Luxon said if his party had presented something like that they would have been “crucified”.

Julia Gabel is a Wellington-based political reporter. She joined the Herald in 2020 and has most recently focused on data journalism.