7. Question No. 7—HealthHon Dr AYESHA VERRALL (Labour) to the Minister of HealthQuestion No. 7—Health7. Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL (Labour) to the Minister of Health: Why did he delegate responsibilities for the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990 to the Associate Minister of Health Hon Casey Costello and why has he not made any delegations to the other associate Ministers of Health Hon Matt Doocey and Hon David Seymour?Hon Dr SHANE RETI (Minister of Health): Thank you Mr Speaker. The current delegations I have given to the Associate Minister of Health the Hon Costello give effect to the coalition agreement with New Zealand First. I can assure the honourable member that the remaining delegations will be finalised shortly.Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall: Can the Minister confirm that when setting the delegation to the Associate Minister the Hon Casey Costello he set an expectation that she repeal the 2022 amendments to the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990 either directly or by reference to the National - New Zealand First coalition agreement and if not why not?Hon Dr SHANE RETI: The Minister expressed an interest in the delegation and I agreed.Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall: Why then did the Minister request his associate repeal a law that would save over 8000 lives extend Māori life expectancy and save billions in healthcare costs?SPEAKER: I think the problem with that question is that it makes a whole lot of assertions that are not currently in front of the House. So I think the member might like to consider rewording that supplementary.Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall: Why did the Minister request his associate repeal a law that was shown in modelling submitted to the select committee would save over 8000 lives extend Māori life expectancy and save billions in healthcare costs?Hon Chris Bishop: Point of order Mr Speaker. We're in a bit of difficulty here Mr Speaker because the primary question as worded is actually about an extremely specific and narrow area of the Minister's responsibility. It's actually about the process of delegation for the responsibility of a specific Act to a specific Associate Minister and the member's question is straying into the substance of the actual law that is potentially at issue. If the member wanted to ask about that she should have put a question down about that law. She didn't.SPEAKER: Well I'm sure that's the case but—Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order. The member's question is simply elaborating—seeking elaboration—on the last answer that Dr Reti gave.SPEAKER: The supplementary question does need to come much closer to the primary question notwithstanding that it may have moved slightly in the health Minister's response but not as far as perhaps Mr Hipkins is suggesting.Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall: Is it the Minister's expectation of the delegation that the Associate Minister will repeal the 2022 amendments to the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act and therefore cost as per the regulatory impact statement and evidence at select committee over 8000 lives losses to Māori life expectancy and billions in healthcare costs?Hon Dr SHANE RETI: It is my expectation that the Minister will fulfil her duties under the delegation.Rt Hon Winston Peters: Was the 2022 target—smokefree at the end of 2025 which is not too many months away from now—ever zero smoking or 5 percent smoking and what sort of fraud target is that?Hon Dr SHANE RETI: The target itself through all the documents I've seen was unlikely to be achieved even with that Government's proposed policies.Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall: Did he consider his obligations under the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control to keep tobacco industry influence out of Government before making the delegation to the Hon Casey Costello who has previously chaired the Taxpayers' Union an organisation reported to receive funding from tobacco companies?Hon Dr SHANE RETI: I considered all the required responsibilities when I made the delegation and I have full confidence in the Minister.SPEAKER: Can I just say to the member that that question was really quite a long way from where we need to be.Rt Hon Chris Hipkins: Point of order Mr Speaker. The primary question is about a delegation from one Minister to another. Asking about potential conflicts of interest in a delegation is absolutely in order.Hon Dr Ayesha Verrall: Did the Minister delegate responsibility for the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act because he doesn't want to answer to the Cancer Society the Stroke Foundation the New Zealand Nurses Organisation the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency the Secondary Principals' Council of New Zealand and his own professional college the College of General Practitioners not to mention hundreds of other organisations that have condemned his actions?Hon Dr SHANE RETI: No I have full confidence in the Minister.