Stewart Barbara: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Stewart Barbara: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:616;Page:11840] 
10.  
BARBARA STEWART (NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: How many people infected with tuberculosis are currently patients at Auckland Hospital and if there are any how many of those patients were born in New Zealand? 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of Health) 
: 
 Auckland Hospital treats all tuberculosis patients from the region. Currently five people are in Auckland Hospital with TB four of whom were born overseas. 
Barbara Stewart 
: Does she consider there is any relationship between the increase in the number of tuberculosis patients treated by the public health system—particularly in the Auckland region which has a reported increase in tuberculosis of 20 percent for the past year—and the fact that Auckland is frequently the first destination of refugees and immigrants who have not been tested for infectious diseases prior to arrival? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: There is no doubt that there is a correlation between the increase in tuberculosis cases in Auckland and new migrants and refugees. However the member will be aware that changes have been made that take effect from this month in terms of immigration screening for tuberculosis. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: Does she accept that TB is considered a Third World disease plus an indicator of poverty and overcrowding; if so is not the 20 percent increase in TB cases—up to 243 in Auckland alone last year—an indication that this Government is failing miserably to deal with the issues of poor health housing and overcrowding due to poverty? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Certainly tuberculosis is related to poverty overcrowding etc. as the member outlined. I am pleased to say that this Government is doing a lot to address those issues. However if we look at the number of tuberculosis cases in New Zealand going right back to say 1996 we see that the numbers fluctuate. In 1999 they reached 214. They then dropped to 177 so they have fluctuated. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: Now it’s 248. 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: It is true that the latest figure is the highest number we have had. Fortunately we have put in place housing strategies and our primary health care strategy to help address some of those issues. 
Barbara Stewart 
: Can the Minister confirm or deny the existence of a new strain of tuberculosis in New Zealand that cannot be cured by medication currently available and at best can only be managed; if so what is she planning to do in order to tackle this new strain? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Multiple drug-resistant TB is in New Zealand. It is not new it has been here for a number of years and there are very few cases. For example last year there were two cases. So far this year there has not been a confirmed case although one case is being checked out. With these cases there is a drug regime. It does require a particular type of testing of what sorts of drugs they are resistant to and then a combination of the drugs that we have being put together. This is harder to treat and it does require countries to have very strong strategies and approaches to tuberculosis—which New Zealand does have. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: I seek leave to table a press release from the  
Waikato Times  
of 3 September 1998 where Annette King said that TB is a Third World disease and blames Government policies for the outbreak. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that article. Is there any objection? There is. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: I seek leave to table a press release from the  
Dominion  
of 4 September 1998 where Taito Phillip Field said that Government failure to deal with policy is the cause of the TB outbreak.  
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that article. Is there any objection? There is. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Mr Speaker— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Point of order the Rt Hon Winston Peters. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I am taking Mr Peters’ point. He can have a turn first. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Yes wait until I have had my turn. There is a little bit of impertinence around here. I ask the Minister why when I raised this issue along with my colleagues in New Zealand First during the last election and over many many years— 
Hon David Carter 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. You said: “Point of order”. It is a supplementary question. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I did not realise it was a supplementary question. Now that the member has started I will have the supplementary question and will hear the point of order after that. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. It is usually manners around here to table all documents after the question is finished and it has not been finished. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I thought the member was raising a point of order but he is perfectly entitled to have a supplementary question and of course I will hear Dr Lynda Scott after that. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I want to ask the Minister why it was when New Zealand First raised this issue over many many years on countless occasions particularly at the last election when the security and health of New Zealanders was concerned the Minister and her colleagues accused us of being racist? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: I cannot answer that question except to say that cases of tuberculosis in New Zealand have fluctuated over the years. I could read out the full list going back to 1996. The key issue is that it is related to poverty and overcrowding. Those issues are ones that have to be addressed in a comprehensive way. They were never addressed in the 1990s particularly under a National Government. I am pleased to say that we are addressing those issues to ensure that people do get affordable access. Unfortunately we cannot fix those problems overnight. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: I seek leave to table a  
Hansard 
 from 8 September 1998 where Phil Goff says: “What sort of Government do we have when schools in this country have cases of tuberculosis a disease of poverty neglect and overcrowding?”. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that article. Is there any objection? There is. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: I seek leave to table a  
Hansard 
 from 14 May 1998 from the Rt Hon Helen Clark who also talked about TB being a “poverty-associated health disease” and that people had had enough of the Government. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that article. Is there any objection? There is. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I seek leave to table a letter dated 1996 when New Zealand First launched a campaign on this issue and the National Party accused us of racism and xenophobia. 
Document not tabled.