8. Question No. 8—HealthMATT DOOCEY (National—Waimakariri) to the Minister of HealthQuestion No. 8—Health8. MATT DOOCEY (National—Waimakariri) to the Minister of Health: Why did he announce yesterday an expansion of Mana Ake with $90 million set aside to start services in Northland Counties Manukau Bay of Plenty Lakes and West Coast regions" when he had already announced in April 2021 "The expansion of Mana Ake will start in five new DHB areas: Northland Counties Manukau Bay of Plenty Lakes and West Coast" and is he aware of any other recent Government mental health announcements that have already been announced?Hon ANDREW LITTLE (Minister of Health): The member has got it wrong—again. In April 2021 I announced $12 million for DHBs and local communities to co-design Mana Ake services for their local areas. Mana Ake introduced to Canterbury and Kaikōura by this Government has been successful but rolling out this successful programme further is not a matter of just imposing the same approach to different communities. With the co-design process having now been largely completed we now know what is needed to practically roll out relevant services. Yesterday I was proud to announce along with my colleague Dr Tracey McLellan $90 million that will allow these relevant and tailored services to begin in the Northland Counties Manukau Bay of Plenty Lakes and West Coast regions. In response to the second part of the member's question that has not happened. One difference is very clear between this Government and the last Government: we don't turn our back on mental health services.Matt Doocey: Why was $75 million announced to help deal with mental health and wellbeing issues in schools in November 2021 when the same $75 million for this initiative had already been announced in July 2020?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: I'm not quite sure what the member is referring to but we have a range of programmes in schools including school-based health services that deal with a range of health issues for children in schools deciles 1 to 5. This is a Government that takes seriously the need to provide a full range of health services including mental health services—including mental health services for young people—in a way that the previous Government simply turned its back on.Matt Doocey: In light of the Minister's answer to my primary question where he said last year he announced $12 million to co-design Mana Ake why in his PR put out on 15 April 2021 where he talks about the Government expanding Mana Ake and more children accessing it is there no reference to the $12 million or co-design?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: It was very clear when the announcement of $12 million was made—$12 million was not going to provide the range of Mana Ake services to five regions in the same way that was comparable to what was available then in Canterbury and Kaikōura. Sometimes it does require members in this House to take their brain cells and put two and two together. I'm sorry that that member fails to do that but that actually is what was required and yesterday I was very pleased to announce that we now have the funding to roll out Mana Ake services to provide support to children in primary and intermediate schools in the regions that were announced. That will make a huge difference to those regions.SPEAKER: Order! I am going to ask the Minister just to show a little bit more restraint in the tone of his answers. I think he can probably tell from the stimulation it provided at least to the vocal cords of some of his colleagues that it incited disorder.Matt Doocey: Why when questioned this morning on Today FM about his announcement over a year ago to expand Mana Ake services did he say "We didn't announce the expansion; we announced the money." when his PR from a year ago is titled "Government expands Mana Ake"?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: The announcement yesterday was $90 million of funding to provide the services the Mana Ake services in five more regions so that we provide the help and support to young New Zealanders—children at primary and intermediate schools in five more regions—who need that help who are dealing with issues of grief of parental separation of loss and who have not had that help ever before including in the years immediately after the Christchurch earthquakes in the Canterbury region and who are desperately needing that help. We are providing that help. This Government provides that help because one thing is very clear: this Government does not turn its back on the need to improve our mental health services unlike the previous Government.Matt Doocey: Could the Minister tell the House for the $12 million spent and the 13 months that it took to co-design what is one difference that was changed from the established service that has been running for five years in Canterbury?Hon ANDREW LITTLE: Quite a significant difference and the reality is you do not introduce a service that is requiring the input of local service providers local NGOs local communities some where their school populations are predominantly Māori or Pacific or different population groupings where there are different needs. We don't view the world on this side of the House as all white like the members opposite clearly do. We are a diverse country with diverse communities in all the different regions of New Zealand and when we provide very personalised services to people they need to be relevant to those communities and their whānau.SPEAKER: I'm just waiting to see if the member's finished. The member will put his mask on then."