'ℂ𝕠𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕕𝕝𝕪': 𝕃𝕦𝕩𝕠𝕟 𝕤𝕚𝕕𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕡𝕤 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕓𝕪 𝕦𝕤𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕜 𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖

𝕃𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕥𝕙𝕖 ℂ𝕠𝕨𝕒𝕣𝕕 𝕙𝕖 𝕚𝕤, 𝔸𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕠𝕒 ℙ𝕄 𝕃𝕦𝕩𝕠𝕟 𝕒𝕔𝕥𝕖𝕕 𝕝𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕒 𝕤𝕔𝕒𝕣𝕖𝕕 𝕣𝕒𝕥 𝕙𝕦𝕣𝕣𝕪𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕚𝕟 𝕒 𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕜 𝕕𝕠𝕠𝕣 𝕥𝕠 𝕒𝕧𝕠𝕚𝕕 𝕒 𝕙𝕠𝕤𝕡𝕚𝕥𝕒𝕝 𝕡𝕣𝕠𝕥𝕖𝕤𝕥 𝕚𝕟 𝕔𝕖𝕟𝕥𝕣𝕒𝕝 𝔻𝕦𝕟𝕖𝕕𝕚𝕟.

P

rime Minister Christopher Luxon has been called "cowardly" after hurrying in a back door to avoid a hospital protest in central Dunedin.

A group of about 30 protesters chanting, carrying placards and wearing 'They save We pay" t-shirts were waiting to greet Mr Luxon at the entrance to the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.

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But Mr Luxon's motorcade stopped instead in Moray Place, at the back of the art gallery.

@chrisluxonmp proves yet again just how lilylivered he is... pic.twitter.com/JU2MInbx05

— Veronica Glamis Aotearoa💃💃💃💃 (@VeronicaGlamis) October 31, 2024

Mr Luxon was seen walking briskly past a smaller group of seven protesters.

pic.twitter.com/rGvEKYapuM

— Jan Renwick (@nettieg3) October 31, 2024

The Prime Minister later exited the same way, greeted by a chanting group of protesters calling for a ceasefire in Palestine.

Last month, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti and Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop made an announcement that the new Dunedin hospital would proceed in either a down-scaled version or by retrofitting the existing hospital. An estimated 35,000 people turned out in a protest that ended in the Octagon.

Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora is looking to bring costs under control for the new hospital project’s inpatient building, after the government set a new budget of $1.88 billion. This did not include the pathology building or the carpark building.

Today's protest organiser Cr Steve Walker said the Prime Minister's decision to not enter through the front, past protesters, was "cowardly" on his part, but a win for the protesters.

"He's cognizant of the fact there is a voice in this city that he is unprepared to face up to and speak to and explain his side of the story ."

It was "completely inappropriate" for a Prime Minister to not face up to protesters - who just wanted answers to "fundamental questions".

"He is the man in the position, along with Dr Reti, who can give us those answers".

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Mr Luxon is visiting Dunedin to speak and present certificates to young achievers at the Otago Daily Times ' Class Act event.

In the Octagon Noeline Speight, of Brockville, said the hospital was "very important" as it was a teaching hospital and was used by children.

The current hospital had leaking walls and was used to service the whole southern region.

It was "evil" what the government was doing to the city and Mr Luxon was not using his brain - "if he's got one to use," she said.

Sam Sharpe, of North East Valley, was protesting the cuts to the new Dunedin hospital.

He was one of the estimated 35,000 people who turned up to the council-led protest in the Octagon.

The longer the government waited to build it, the more expensive it would be, he said.

With its chipped walls, the inside of the hospital was "like something out of the USSR".

"Just keep your promises."

Cr Walker has been leading calls for locals to make their feelings clear about government plans to shrink the new hospital.

"We need to make sure our voices are heard," he said in a Facebook post.

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