10. Health Director-General—PerformanceDr DAVID CLARK (Labour—Dunedin North) to the Minister of HealthHealth Director-General—Performance10. Dr DAVID CLARK (Labour—Dunedin North) to the Minister of Health: Does he have confidence in the Director-General of Health?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Minister of Health): Yes and that is because he has overseen a lift in performance across hundreds of health services including delivery of 50000 more elective surgeries 150000 more first specialist assessments per year free GP visits for under 13s and nearly 7000 more doctors and nurses across the system. He is now focused on implementing the historic $2 billion pay settlement for 55000 of the hardest-working most deserving people in New Zealand: care and support workers. But of course there is always more to do.Dr David Clark: Now that he has had a copy of Paula Rebstock's draft performance report in his office for more than a month as canvassed in questions in this House on 21 June can he tell the House what he expects its main findings to be?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: As I have told the member before that report is far from finished—parts of it were blank in the version I was given—but most importantly it is the State Services Commissioner's report and it is up to the State Services Commissioner to finish the report and then to release it. He controls it; it is not a ministerial report.Dr David Clark: Has he met with Paula Rebstock since the performance review of his ministry began?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: I would have to go back through my diary and I can tell you the dates I did meet with her. Put it in writing and I am happy to answer it.Dr David Clark: What action has he taken in response to the fact that Chai Chuah contacted district health boards (DHBs) on 31 May and 1 June to tell them that they could keep money where there was no specific legal appropriation from the Parliament?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: Chai Chuah has been doing an excellent job overall. With that particular situation which involved a fraction of less than 1 percent of the total budget Mr Chuah felt that he could solve it. In actual fact he probably overreached a bit but the bigger picture is that DHBs have received $439 million Vote Health is at record levels and actually we are focusing on continuing to deliver more of the services that really make a difference to New Zealanders' health.Dr David Clark: So does overreaching a bit" mean that he had no specific legal appropriation?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: Could you say that again?Mr SPEAKER: I will ask the member to repeat the question.Dr David Clark: Does "overreaching a bit" mean that he had no specific legal appropriation for that action?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: I do not think he did anything illegal.Dr David Clark: Has he asked Chai Chuah why he appeared to go rogue—given that journalists put that question to him last week—and whether he had been directed to take that course of action; if so what was his response?Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN: I do not know whether the member has met Chai Chuah but he is not a "go rogue" sort of guy.Dr David Clark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. In response to journalists last week the Minister accepted that premise and suggested that the question be put to Chai Chuah himself—Mr SPEAKER: Order! This is not a point of order. This is now very much a debating matter. Unless the member can raise a point of order quickly I am moving on.Dr David Clark: He accepted that proposition previously and now I am afraid he is misleading the House by saying—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The member needs to go back and carefully look at the question that was asked and the answer that was given. My job is to adjudicate as to whether that answer addressed the question. There is no doubt in my mind that it did—I agree not to the member's satisfaction but that is not my role."