Foster-Bell PaulPAUL FOSTER-BELL (National): E Te Māngai Tuarua o Te Whare tēnā koe. Tēnā koutou katoa e ngā mema. It is a pleasure to take a split call with my distinguished colleague the member for Clutha-Southland Todd Barclay. It is also a great honour to follow on from the Minister the Hon Maggie Barry. With Maggie Barry and Dr Nick Smith we have a fantastic team advancing the Government's conservation and environment work and this is a set of policies that is very important to and popular in Wellington Central the area in which I work. If we look at the measures implemented so far in terms of increasing the protection of our natural species namely the Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary the War on Weeds but also the Battle for our Birds there is much that is being done in that important blue-green space that attracts a positive comment from the local people—the citizens in Wellington Central.This Government is advancing a comprehensive economic plan which is also benefiting our local residents. I recently went out to visit a film production facility headquartered in Cuba Street and it has its studios in the old Shelly Bay flying boat base. It was the site where the recent remake and rebooting of Goodbye Pork Pie was completed edited and the final post-production work was done. And it is currently the site where the stunt work for Peter Jackson's next epic Mortal Engines is being prepared.This modern facility unfortunately is on what one might call the city fringe. So it is currently reliant on broadband which is sent via a microwave signal instead of benefiting from ultra-fast broadband over a fibre link. So it is an example of the sort of business that will benefit hugely from this Government's added extra investment into ultra-fast broadband which is not only going into regional New Zealand but will benefit the businesses that are on the city fringe or even some of those in the central city area that have not yet been connected. These are huge employers in our local area and this will add to the already growing rate of employment. Let us not forget the 130000 jobs that have been created over just the last year by the solid efforts of this Government and the expected further job creation over the next few years to come.The economic surplus that this Government has achieved—the fiscal surplus—has given many more options than would be the case if one engaged in the reckless spending as proposed by the Opposition. I want to single out an area that I will call for some of that spending to be invested in. We have lifted the amount of money that Pharmac is funded by to well over $700 million. It received the biggest ever increase in funding. In fact it is now funded at the highest rate ever in New Zealand's history. This has allowed New Zealanders to get access to a wide range of modern and sometimes more expensive medications.Three years ago Pharmac's own anti-infective subcommittee looked at the way we fund and provide HIV medication in New Zealand. Its own committee suggested some changes. Pharmac is not a political agency. It is funded by the Government but it makes its own decisions as to what medications are provided. But I think this is a very serious issue. Studies have shown that where people take HIV medication after exposure there is a 50 percent lower chance of death or serious illness. So this represents not only a significant reduction in human misery but actually a much increased rate of saving to the taxpayer. It is a win-win and in my view it is a no-brainer. This is something that Pharmac needs to look at very very seriously.I am also calling for Pharmac to look at something called pre-exposure prophylaxis or PREP". This has a nearly 100 percent efficacy rate in preventing the transmission of HIV. The National Health Service in England has trialled it with 10000 people. In New South Wales it has been trialled with 3700 people and there are trials underway in Victoria. Again given the possibility for not only huge savings to the taxpayer but also the prevention of human misery this is something that Pharmac needs to look at very seriously. It was with pleasure that I signed the AIDS Foundation's petition on this today and I will be taking an HIV test in public to promote this issue. It is a disease that does not discriminate based on gender or sexuality or ethnicity or any other factors.So this is a Government that is working hard. It is providing New Zealanders with real choice and it is a great pleasure for me to support it fully."