Verrall AyeshaHon Dr AYESHA VERRALL (Minister for COVID-19 Response): The Government has charted a steady ship through the choppy waters of the pandemic. And now as we emerge from the emergency phase of the pandemic we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to continue our strengthening of our health system to build a modern and high quality system that cares for people. We know the problems with our health system; they have been well traversed in this House. It was not fair for everyone; in fact you might say that 15 percent of our population was not thought of in its planning. It was fragmented it was complex its institutions were unsustainable they were perpetually burdened by debt. Healthcare had become dependent on where you lived there were multiple DHBs in which critical specialties like dermatology were just unavailable to people. People who did need to be sent to tertiary referral centres were tracked with a complex series of payments between DHBs that meant clinicians couldn't make effective and fast decisions in order to look after people. It was not right.This Government led by my colleague Minister Andrew Little has been changing it. This has been a long hard piece of work to create a more equitable system but we are making excellent progress re-orientating the entire systems towards Pae Ora - Healthy Futures for all. We are doing this because all people all whānau and all communities should be supported to achieve good health and wellbeing. It's the biggest change to health in a generation. We have created Te Whatu Ora a national entity that can drive consistency of access across the country. We have a New Zealand health plan that outlines priorities for investment. Finally the health system can think ahead of one-year cycles and we can tackle the big problems that have plagued our health system for too long. We have had no systematic workforce planning because we couldn't think beyond the one-year cycle. DHBs were not able to set planning beyond their annual one-year budget cycle—we're moving that out to two- and three-year cycles so that we can address the underlying problems that have stopped New Zealanders from realising the good health that they deserve.For too long Māori had been denied a seat at the table in terms of health decision-making. We are changing that. We've created a Māori Health Authority and iwi-Māori partnership boards. And yes while we have brought to the centre the planning and delivery and addressing of our health infrastructure and our health planning we are creating greater opportunities for local engagement through the localities prototypes where communities do get to work with health and social services providers to make sure that everyone gets the care they need. I've been particularly proud to be able to re-orientate our system towards prevention. That's why we're bringing our smokefree bill through the House as well and we've been investing properly in women's health screening and making tremendous progress there.Transformational change does not happen overnight but we have been courageous and determined in addressing the big issues around resourcing and inequities. We have looked at the infrastructure that supports our health system be that digital or be that buildings. We have turned around the fact that the party opposite for two years did not fund capital investment at all in our health system starving our health system of the ability to care for a growing population. Our health system needs choice and quality services and this Government is seeing to that.So when New Zealanders head to the polls they should know that a vote for the Opposition is a vote that puts their health services at risk. It's clear that the National Party's plan is tax cuts for the highest earning New Zealanders and that means massive cuts to health and other social services. It does not add up. We have ambitious goals of making New Zealand smokefree of ending HIV transmission of ending hepatitis C. A vote for the Opposition puts that at risk. Some 31000 children in healthier homes—a vote for the Opposition puts that at risk. The DECIDE abortion service for telehealth abortion—a vote for the Opposition puts that at risk. Our reforms are ongoing and we will chart our way through difficult economic times to make sure that we continue to provide New Zealanders with the services that they need and deserve.