Associate Health Minister Casey Costello says she's very pleased "challenging" negotiations with Hato Hone St John have been finalised this week, as she faces questions around the timing of a major funding announcement.
On Thursday, the Government announced the ambulance service would get an extra $258 million over four years, paying for more than 220 additional staff including ambulance officers and call handlers, as well as technology upgrades.
Asked how the timing of that announcement dovetailed with election rules, the NZ First MP told Mike Hosking Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora's negotiations with St John had taken many months, and she was pleased they had gotten over the line.
Wellington Free Ambulance was also close to an agreement, she said.
Costello's office has previously said she was only notified about the Health NZ decision on November 2nd.
Costello is standing in her home electorate of Port Waikato, which is a "very strong National seat", she told Hosking.
"I'm running a two-tick campaign, but it is a historically, I mean this is Bill Birch's seat, so you can imagine it being a blue seat."
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