Lotu-Iiga Sam: Annual Review Debate — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeLotu-Iiga Sam: Annual Review Debate — In Committee[Sitting date: 03 May 2016. Volume:713;Page:10669. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA (Associate Minister of Health): It is a privilege to speak in this debate. We have heard the member opposite Annette King ask for facts and then she proceeded to slander the Minister of Health who is doing a fine job I may add compared with the former Minister. I think that that may be the problem here—that it is the former Minister having a go at a Minister who is doing a fine job. Now here are the facts: in Labour’s last Budget it was $11.8 billion—she knows that; she was part of that Government—and that has gone up to $15.9 billion.Scott Simpson: Eh?Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: $15.9 billion Mr Simpson. So that is over $4 billion more in the health budget under this National Government—under this National Government—and those are the facts that she should appreciate. But it is not just the amount of spending that matters in Government; it is the quality of the spending—it is the quality of spending and it is New Zealanders accessing those services that are demanded by them. And the Minister of Health has already pointed out that under National an average of 6.5 percent has been spent as a percentage of GDP. So the actual amount spent by National as a percentage of our gross domestic product is 6.5 percent. Under Labour under Miss King and her mates—5.7 percent. So it has gone up by about 1 percent on average.But it is not about that; it is actually about front-line services. We campaigned in 2008 that we would be putting more police on the front line that we would be putting more teachers on the front line that we would be putting on more nurses and GPs and doctors to serve New Zealanders in terms of the quality services that they expect. Dr Coleman has already outlined 5500 more doctors and nurses. And what does it mean?Hon Annette King: And what are they saying about the health system?Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: Well what they have said is that there are 50000 more elective surgeries which she seems to try to debunk but those are the facts—110000 more first specialist appointments. Do you know that? Miss King knows that. What I can say in terms of the Pacific health portfolio you know we have spent millions in terms of getting more Pacific people to that front line. In terms of the Aniva Scholarships over $1.19 million in terms of getting more Pacific people on the front line—and that includes 58 doctors in the last year 27 nurses and four oral health and dentistry specialists. It is also about the nursing graduates.A couple of weeks ago I attended a scholarship presentation evening where Pacific people were being trained. They were being trained to become nurses physios doctors—and you know that is a beautiful thing. Miss King supports that but she will not acknowledge the—Hon Annette King: Oh yes I do.Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: —fine work that we are doing. Oh she does acknowledge it. Well thank you I am glad you do.I am glad that we also support health sciences academies because it is not just about doctors and nurses; it is also about getting the kids at an early stage in their lives and to promote health sciences and to promote medicine and science in our schools. One of them—my local high school Onehunga High School—has got a health sciences academy which is a collaboration between the local district health boards and the Ministry of Health. When I talk to the students in those classes what it is doing is promoting a subject that they would not otherwise be exposed to. It is allowing them to project their dreams and their aspirations to be in the health sector. These are young boys and girls but they will be the men and women who will deliver health services into the future.We also know in terms of facts—you wanted facts; we are going to give more facts—our immunisation rates under National are mid-90 percent. What were they under Labour? Mr Simpson do you know?Scott Simpson: Very low.Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: Mid-70 percent—they were in the 70s. So we have lifted immunisation rates right across the board from the mid-70 percent under the Labour Government to mid-90 percentages.Hon Annette King: Do you know when it started? With meningitis B. That’s when it started—when we started to train all the immunisers.Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: Oh here she goes—here she goes. She is denying it again but those are the facts. We can look at all the health statistics you like; the National Government has done a great job to deliver these types of services.One of the other statistics that I am particularly proud of is the reduction in rheumatic fever rates. Again in investment we put millions up front—Hon Annette King: Bronchiectasis.Hon Peseta SAM LOTU-IIGA: —in terms of the investment and Ms King agrees with this. I have heard testimonies from Māori and Pacific kids and their parents who have said that without that investment without their exposure to the type of treatment to reduce these rheumatic fever rates they would be suffering right now. So these things are important these are the facts and this is why—