Mike Houlahan

SDHB will receive help to get Dunedin Hospital's misfiring linear accelerator machine working properly as part of a cancer funding announcement made by the Government.

The Green Party will push for "rent to buy'' schemes to be part of the pending reset of the KiwiBuild housing programme.

The Southern District Health Board's deficit has blown out to $40 million, almost double what the organisation projected it would be this financial year.

Parliament's health select committee has rejected calls from National for an inquiry into the Southern DHB's decision to change Lumsden Maternity Centre's status to a maternal and child hub.

Parliament's health select committee has refused a bid by National health spokesman Michael Woodhouse for an inquiry into the decision to change Lumsden Maternity Centre's status.

The Green Party holds its annual meeting in Dunedin next weekend, and the party will be focusing on both local and national issues, co-leaders James Shaw and Marama Davidson tell political reporter Mike Houlahan.