Ririnui Mita: General Debates 
Ririnui Mita: General Debates 
[Volume:617;Page:13326] 
MITA RIRINUI (Labour—Waiariki) 
: 
 I promise not to bring chaos to this House. It appears that there is more than one doctor on the Opposition benches who has the potential to make this country sick and I have just listened to one. My colleague the Hon John Tamihere is an honourable person. The only paper trail that really matters in terms of the foreshore and seabed is the legislation currently on the table. The member who has just spoken should take up the challenge and identify the disadvantages and advantages for all New Zealanders. 
I want to congratulate my Government colleagues on the way they have spoken about health in this country in terms of this Government’s commitment to improving the health care of all New Zealanders. In particular I want to refer to primary health organisations. This Government is committed to making primary health-care more affordable and accessible. Early intervention in primary care means improved health outcomes for all New Zealanders. Primary health organisations are the key vehicles for delivering primary health-care and improving the health of all New Zealanders. The Government is making a difference. 
The Government is making health care more accessible and affordable. More than 3 million New Zealanders are now enrolled in 68 primary health organisations throughout the country and more than 1 million have access to low-cost primary care through their primary health organisations. Last October all 16 and 17-year-olds involved in primary health organisations were added to the low-cost scheme and from July of this year all those aged 65 and over who are enrolled in primary health organisations will have access to low-cost care. That is a major commitment from this Government and the results are showing. 
However there is a reality around primary health particularly in the area of Maori life expectancy. As we know Maori life expectancy for both males and females is lower than for non-Maori. There is a higher suicide rate. The number of probable asthmatics is higher than that for non-Maori. The occurrence of overweight and obesity in both males and females is higher than among non-Maori. Fewer Maori have medical insurance cover and they have a greater chance of developing diabetes. 
But progress is being made. Primary health organisations are already making health care more accessible and affordable for Maori and Pacific Island peoples. In this way health-care problems can be tackled early. The majority of Maori—over 333000 which is more than 50 percent—are enrolled in primary health organisations. This Government launched the He Korowai Oranga health strategy and developed a permanent annual Maori provider development fund of $10 million to expand services for Maori by Maori within the appropriate workforce. 
Of course Dr Brash would ask why we need Maori doctors. This Government began funding smoking cessation initiatives for Maori; before 1999 the Ministry of Health did not fund programmes to assist New Zealanders to stop smoking. The Maori health strategy He Korowai Oranga and the Maori health action plan Whakatataka provide long-term frameworks for improvements in the delivery of health services to Maori. The frameworks push for the involvement of Maori at all levels of the sector in decision making for the development of specifically focused Maori health provider programmes that can focus on health care in a culturally sensitive way. As members will be aware that is a big issue for many Maori throughout the country. 
The Government’s policies are working. Statistics show the first significant improvement in Maori life expectancy. They show that targeted health services are making a real difference confirming what we all knew: that programmes for Maori by Maori together with a commitment from the Government are working. According to statistics non-Maori now live 8.5 years longer than Maori which is a major improvement compared with the difference of 9.1 years recorded between 1995 and 1997. 
A number of well-known health spokespeople around the country have congratulated the Government on its initiatives. Mr Peter Glensor chair of the Hutt Valley District Health Board said that the Government’s policy vindicates policies that address Maori health inequalities. The Waipareira Trust said that the statistics are the result of strong targeting of Maori health needs often by Maori themselves. Finally the Public Health Association suggested that targeted health-care is beginning to turn the tide. 
All these acknowledgments fly in the face of what the leader of the National Party has said about race-based funding. Mr Brash believes that all the Government’s policies are race based. They are not. They are needs based.