Newshub understands a decision on whether to pump hundreds of millions of dollars into Pharmac to fix the Government's broken promise of funding 13 cancer drugs is set to go to Cabinet on Monday.
The Coalition Government was sharply criticised yet again over its failure to deliver funding for the life-saving cancer medicines that the National Party promised during its election campaign.
On Friday, there was fresh hope the 13 drugs will be supplied to New Zealand cancer patients after all; however the Prime Minister is refusing to confirm a report saying Pharmac will be given $600 million to solve the problem.
That triggered Opposition MP Willie Jackson to lay into the Government for the "absolute betrayal" of not delivering.
Patient Voice Aotearoa released a statement Friday morning claiming the "Government is expected to announce that Pharmac will receive at least $600 million as part of its pledge to fund 13 new cancer medicines".
"Today's news will put a significant dent in Pharmac's waiting list of medicines that they want to fund. This is worth celebrating," said Patient Voice Aotearoa chairman Malcolm Mulholland.
In response the Prime Minister's office released a statement saying "work is underway to fulfil that commitment and we hope to have more to say about that soon".
The statement said no decisions have yet been finalised, however Newshub understands the Government is closing in on a decision.
The most likely option would be to give hundreds of millions to Pharmac to start clearing its waitlist.
On AM, National MP Paul Goldsmith also shot down what he referred to as "speculation".
"Oh, look I've got nothing to say about any particular announcements. The Government will make announcements in this space when it's ready and final decisions have been made," said Goldsmith.
Labour's Jackson responded: "The reality is they've stuffed it all up. What they did with the Budget was one of the most traitorous things we've ever seen in terms of Budget history."
"We're talking about people's lives. People have been dying since they stuffed it up - it was an absolute betrayal of New Zealanders. They've seen what's been happening, they've been getting smashed and hammered everywhere and now, as Malcolm Mulholland said this morning, they'll be paying double," said Jackson.
"$280 million was the bill a couple of months ago, now they're going to pay double."
