Chadwick Steve: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Chadwick Steve: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:611;Page:8659] 
2.  
STEVE CHADWICK (NZ Labour—Rotorua) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: What progress has been made regarding the implementation of the Primary Health Care Strategy? 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of Health) 
: 
 Yesterday I announced that funding for the provision of low-cost health-care in pharmaceuticals for those over 65 years of age in any primary health organisation will be brought forward by 1 year to commence on 1 July 2004. This represents another $47 million invested in our primary health-care strategy on top of the $410 million that has already been committed. 
Steve Chadwick 
: When did the over-65 age group last have this level of access to low-cost health-care? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: The last time the subsidy for primary health-care was increased for the elderly was in September 1990. Under a National Government the subsidy was reduced in February 1991 and in 1992 it was removed altogether for all people including the elderly except those with a community services card. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I will not have that member shout out like that. He will stand withdraw and apologise. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I withdraw and apologise. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I heard the question asked and the question was answered. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Ministers answering questions are under the same duties as any member who asks a question. Their answers should be short succinct and to the point. For the Minister to give the House a history lesson about a period of Government that she had nothing to do with and had no ministerial responsibility for is quite out of order. She has been the Minister of Health for 4 years—an appalling watch I might say—and should account for her time. 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Speaking to the point of order Mr Speaker— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No I do not need any assistance. The member may say that but he did not listen to the question. The question was asked and it was answered properly. 
Judith Collins 
: How will the proposed closure of local and rural pharmacies due to the Government’s changes in dispensing policy advance the primary health-care strategy? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: It is the same stat dispensing policy the National Opposition spokesperson on health commended in a letter to Pharmac. There has been— 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister was asked a question. Would she give a straight answer please. 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Firstly I was addressing the stat dispensing scheme the member mentioned in her question. Secondly in terms of pharmacy provision district health boards are working with pharmacists to ensure that the provision of pharmacy services continues around New Zealand particularly in rural New Zealand. 
Pita Paraone 
: What has been done to address the geographical inequalities inherent in the primary health-care strategy? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Unfortunately geographical disparities exist right now in New Zealand. The aim of the primary health-care strategy was first to get additional money into areas of high need and second to ensure that we put more money right throughout New Zealand starting with the young and then the elderly. 
Heather Roy 
: Can the Minister deny that for 2 weeks she has evaded my question as to why she cannot deliver on her Budget promise to deliver $3 pharmaceuticals to young people aged between 6 and 17 from 1 October this year that problems with software have been key in that delay and if that was such a good-news story as she says it was why did she put out yesterday’s announcement at midnight? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: The reason that the statement went out at midnight was so that it could hit  
Morning Report 
 which it did and it received an extremely good airing by a very good health reporter. It also made the major dailies so that as many New Zealanders as possible would know what was happening in primary health-care. It was not just a promise but a delivery by this Government.