Christopher Luxon pointed to the government's plan to support a new medical school adding 120 training places each year from 2028. File photo. Photo: Reece Baker/RNZ
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says Labour's new GP loan proposal is "a bit confused" and does not address the real workforce shortage in the sector.
The Labour Party on Sunday announced it would offer doctors and nurse practitioners low-interest loans to set up new practices or buy into existing ones, if elected next year.
Responding on Morning Report, Luxon said the real problem facing the sector was not the number of clinics.
"It's actually about getting more doctors," he said.
"That's what we've been focused on."
Luxon pointed to the government's plan to support a new medical school at the University of Waikato, adding 120 training places each year from 2028.
That's on top of 100 extra spots at the Universities of Auckland and Otago over this term.
"It's about expanding the GP workforce, but it's also about opening up this pathway for nurse practitioners and nurse prescribers, [who] can do a lot of the work of GPs, freeing them up for other appointments."
Luxon also pointed out that those GPs who took out loans to buy clinics would be hit by Labour's proposed capital gains tax when they evenutally sold them.
"Doesn't make a lot of sense to me," he said.
Rates cap announcement coming "very shortly"
Luxon said the government would have more to say about a promised rates cap "very shortly".
"We are going to introduce rates caps," he said. "It's important that we do so, so that we can actually help people with their cost-of-living."
Local government minister Simon Watts had been tasked with bringing policy options for rates caps to Cabinet by the end of the year.
Local government minister Simon Watts has been tasked with bringing policy options for rates caps to Cabinet by the end of the year. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Luxon said upcoming changes to the Resource Management Act planning system would also result in fewer consents.
"The bottom line is that councils need to be focused on the must-do, not the nice-to-do stuff. You can't have inflation at 3 percent and rates going up over 12 percent. That's just not acceptable."
Leadership and coalition management
Luxon rejected commentary over the weekend that he announced National's KiwiSaver policy a week ago in a bid to quell persistent rumours about a leadership challenge.
"That's a complete unfair characterisation of it. We made that speech because, as I said, we're fixing the basics, and we've got to also build the future," he said.
"I'm not taking it too seriously... I've read it all before."
He said he would "absolutely" be National's leader and prime minister heading into the election.
Luxon was also asked whether National could campaign on repealing the Regulatory Standards Act - like New Zealand First - despite the coalition voting it into law last month.
"Look, it's only just passed. Let's see how it works first, and then we can form a position on it later."
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