The Government has been forced to backdown after trying to hike hospital parking fees for patients, visitors and health workers already squeezed by rising costs.

“It’s outrageous that Health New Zealand thought it could make cleaners, nurses, and other frontline staff pay more just to park at work,” Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall said.

“This half-baked plan to outsource parking and slug workers more has rightly been scrapped. Staff spoke up and they won.

“People are already under pressure from a worsening cost of living crisis. Slapping massive parking fees on people visiting hospital would have piled on even more stress.

“Hospitals need car parks, but they shouldn’t be built off the backs of low-paid workers and patients.

“This is yet another example of a government that’s completely out of touch - cutting jobs, driving up GP costs, and trying to make it more expensive for New Zealanders to visit the hospital,” Ayesha Verrall said.