English on spot over home help

Bill English. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Bill English cleans his own bathroom. His wife makes him do it.

We know this because the Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister wanted to show he understands the value of home help, and how cuts in hours are affecting elderly people.

Addressing the Grey Power annual meeting in Christchurch yesterday, Mr English said: "You can actually do a lot in an hour with helping someone out."

That prompted Grey Power member Violet McCowatt to put a proposal to the minister: "I would like you to go home. Go inside. Get the cleaning things out of the cupboard. Go and clean your bath and your shower and your toilet, and perhaps do a few dishes, and see how much you can do in an hour. And I'm telling you, you can't do much. And that is one of the problems. By the time the (home help workers) start, half their hour is gone".

After a healthy round of applause for the questioner, Mr English responded: "I do do that - clean the bathroom - I have to say. Because my wife makes me. And I do get a sweat up".

Grey Power delegate Trevor Daniell told Mr English the organisation was aware of instances in the absence of home help where an elderly couple on walking sticks had been told to carry the washing basket out between them.

Mr English said he had been at the "front end" of the issue in his own electorate, and it had been made clear to DHBs that cuts needed to be dealt with on a case-by-case basis.