Watts SimonSIMON WATTS (National—North Shore): Thank you very much Madam Speaker. I rise on behalf of the National Party and as the member of Parliament for North Shore to talk on the Medicines Amendment Bill second reading. I want to recognise Dr Leavasa—welcome back to the House and also a good and consistent member of the Health Committee of which previously he was a part of but I do acknowledge our members on this side of the House Matt Doocey and Dr Shane Reti for their contribution in regards to that Health Committee which has reviewed the bill that is in front of us. I think the review by that committee was an important aspect in terms of being able to put thought and get feedback from the six submitters that did provide feedback including the Ministry of Health in terms of some of the practical implications and challenges in regards to this bill. I pick up from David Seymour's comments before around that regulatory complexity. I think I would agree with that in regards to the fact that throughout COVID—and having been a member of the Health Committee throughout that period—I think one of my memories will be around the fact of the challenges around our system in terms of being able to balance the need for the regulatory impact which is articulated highlighted and amplified in a bill such as this but also the need to be agile to the rapidly changing environment. I think our regulatory complexity that we do have is an area that does need to be reviewed and simplified. The reality is as has been canvassed regulatory complexity and burden does bring a cost not only a fiscal cost but also a cost in terms of decision making and delay which can and does have implications more broadly. I wanted to recognise the submissions. While there was only a small number that were made in regards to this bill my understanding from those on the committee is that it was comprehensive and it did provide clarity and context in regards to this area which gave the committee confidence in terms of continuing to support this bill. I think the other element in terms of that—it has been already made as well—is in regards to that trust and confidence. You can definitely see that trust and confidence in Government has significantly reduced particularly over the past five years. I think post-COVID that trust and confidence or lack of has been amplified and definitely the way in which elements of the response in regards to COVID particularly around vaccination has definitely played a factor in regards to that. That's a real issue and something that has and will be canvassed. I'm obviously looking forward to the point at which we actually undertake a review of our COVID-19 response in this country and actually undertake a thorough exercise which I do note that the UK Government actually started to commission last year so they've already started and are well into it. The reality of any review of a response is one at a primary level to be able to learn from what did occur and what didn't occur so that those improvements can be made. I think this bill or the lack of that review not even being started or commissioned or planned remains a considerable issue I think in terms of New Zealand's resilience to be able to deal with—Hon Andrew Little: I thought the member didn't like working groups.SIMON WATTS: —future challenges in regards to that. And I can hear members on the other side just commenting around that and I'm still not clear on why they aren't supporting those reviews to be undertaken but I'm sure we will continue to call for that transparency. I think lastly the point around the fact that there is nothing in this bill that would mandate this vaccination I think is important to make. We have moved on in terms of where we are in regards to that conversation and again reinforcing that point that this bill does not do that but of course those decisions can be taken by Government and we've seen the implications of that in the past.That's pretty much all I wanted to cover in regards to the second reading of this bill. Obviously a comprehensive process undertaken which I think has added value in regards to where we are. I think obviously in terms of the ability now for this to be implemented to ensure that everyone who requires this will have the ability to have access to this medicine—as a result of this they now will be in that position. So I'd like to commend this bill to the House.