O'Connor SimonSIMON O'CONNOR (National—Tāmaki): Yes impeccable timing—serendipitous even. Thank you to the member Annette King who has just resumed her seat for the very kind words. It is a death knell for my career to have the Opposition laud me so strongly. It has been an absolute pleasure to serve this House—this could become a valedictory. Hon Annette King: Is this your valedictory?SIMON O'CONNOR: It could be my valedictory. I am very pleased to take a call in this third reading of the bills divided from the Health Practitioners (Replacement of Statutory References to Medical Practitioners) Bill. I think it is important to note that of course the original bill has been split into eight bills as the various aspects that we have looked at from ACC to the likes of death notices—so that affects the Burial and Cremation Act—begin to extrapolate out.I thought I would just touch on a couple of points—first and foremost to say thank you as others have to everyone who has been involved to the Minister who has brought the legislation to the House and to the Health Committee which worked very hard on this. Even though there was tongue-in-cheek at the end of the last speech and at the start of mine the committee actually worked very hard to try to get its head around the various aspects. I think one that really stands out for me was actually the contribution of the member particularly around mental health and who is the right person or persons to be assisting—how far this should be expanded. But very importantly we understood quite early on particularly through a member's intervention that we had to be very clear in this legislation of what facilities were appropriate. The long and the short is that the legislation as initially drafted around facilities was quite broad so the committee worked efficiently to tidy that up. Thanks too to the officials. I think that although we as MPs work hard we are very conscious of the work of officials in the background.There are two other general points I want to make. The first is that we are expanding the terminology from medical practitioner"—so again from doctor—to "health practitioner" taking in a whole range of other skills. So you are thinking nurses primarily but you are thinking right across the competencies such as podiatrists occupational therapists and the like. That is the distinction but I think what is really important to note is that there is a difference I would maintain between doctors and the other professionals. They work in a complementary manner. Some of the comments picked up—sometimes in the select committee; sometimes in the debates—have said they are sort of becoming one and the same. I just want to stress from my point of view and that of many others too that there is still a distinction if you will between medical practitioners and health practitioners. It is not one simply in legislation but by the various models—clinical medical and otherwise—that they make. So this is not making nurses or podiatrists or occupational therapists or other health professionals into doctors; it is just allowing a broader competency in the same way that doctors within their various professions are broadening their scopes. I have spoken a few times in this House about how general practitioners are now doing the work that some dermatologists plastic surgeons and general surgeons are doing—for example in the same way that nurses are now doing the work of the likes of endoscopists. So there is whole lot of change and flux.I think it is really important too to understand that even though this legislation allows an expansion there is another piece of legislation in the background the health practitioners competency Act—I am paraphrasing the name there. The long and the short of it is that all these health practitioners their colleges or their associations have guidelines—that might be one word to use for it—of what is and is not within scope. So this is not just carte blanche or a blank cheque for health professionals to do whatever they want. Their colleges and their associations have a very clear list if you will of guidelines to say what is and is not possible. It is my understanding that those colleges and the Ministry of Health are working together to update those at the moment.I will not go on for too much longer because I think we have heard some of the core elements of the legislation being described and I am very sure that people after me will be going through the different stages. Suffice to say this legislation is about expanding the scope of practice for health practitioners—again the classic example that has often come up is around the likes of death certificates. At the moment only a doctor can do that; post this legislation if it passes into law other health practitioners will be able to undertake that.So yes this is about health practitioners getting an increase of scope but really importantly it is about this Government and this House—I believe everyone is supporting the legislation—acknowledging that the profession is changing. People in other professions do have the skills necessary and we are trying to adapt and change to them. Fundamentally that will continue to build on an excellent health system and make it even better and so I commend this legislation to the House."