Verrall AyeshaHon Dr AYESHA VERRALL (Associate Minister of Health): I want to accept the Leader of the House's invitation to characterise the Opposition's behaviour in detail; more than with a single lazy label. The behaviour we've seen in the House recently is intended to generate a suspicion of Māori aspirations and the Crown's efforts to partner with Māori to meet them. It is divisive. It is desperate. It underestimates New Zealanders and it is a political strategy that in order to succeed must play into fears insecurity and yes maybe racism. It is ultimately cynical. It is cynical because there are numerous examples where the National Party when in Government implemented these similar policies—those policies that they now label as separatist. Most significantly it displays a poverty of ambition and imagination for our country and our people. This on the other hand is a Government focused on the issues that matter to improving the lives of New Zealanders. And thanks to our strong public health response to COVID-19 and the efforts of our front-line workers including those at the borders and our health system and in our managed isolation facilities we are in a strong position heading into Budget 2021 to accelerate our economic recovery. It also means we are able to make meaningful investments in public services as we build back better. I was very proud to be able to make the first pre-Budget announcement with Minister Andrew Little and Peeni Henare on Sunday at Kōkiri Marae. Budget 2021 will deliver a better cervical-screening test and a major upgrade to breast cancer screening systems that will save lives. Every year about 160 women develop cervical cancer and about 50 die from it. The tragedy is that almost all cases are preventable if found at an early stage. Our cervical cancer screening programme as it is prevents about 70 percent of cervical cancers but these benefits have not been equitable. We know there are persistent inequalities around cervical cancer and that wāhine Māori are particularly more likely to die from cervical cancer. Budget 2021's investment of up to $53 million to complete the design and implementation of a new HPV test which is the cause of 99 percent of cervical cancers will make a real difference. The new test which will replace the current smear test is a simple swab that women will eventually be able to take themselves. The development that I'm most excited about is that routine smears will move from every three years to a five-yearly interval. These things combined will help reduce—Dr Deborah Russell: Great.Hon Dr AYESHA VERRALL: Ha!—the barriers to getting screened. The move to HPV screening is predicted to prevent about 400 additional cervical cancers over 17 years and will save around 138 additional lives. About a third of the lives saved are those of wāhine Māori. We're also investing in new technology for our breast cancer screening programme that will make it easier to reach communities that might otherwise miss out by making the screening programme opt-in rather than opt-out and supported by modern technology. About 271000 women who are currently unscreened will join the screening programme. We know there is far more work to do to address inequalities in health. That's why this Government is establishing the Māori Health Authority not just with a focus on policy and reporting but also with the ability to commission services. The authority will give Māori a voice and influence how our system needs to perform better for Māori. It will have joint decision-making rights to agree national strategies policies and plans that affect Māori at all levels of the system. And it will work with Health New Zealand to ensure that the service plans and commissioning of health services drive improvement. This is what real partnership looks like.On this side of the House we believe in the Treaty partnership and we won't be distracted from making progress by the desperate tactics of the Opposition. The Government is united and focused on getting on with the job of leading New Zealand's recovery from COVID-19 and that's in all of our interests.