Coleman Jonathan: New Zealand Public Health and Disability (Southern DHB) Elections Bill — Second ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeColeman Jonathan: New Zealand Public Health and Disability (Southern DHB) Elections Bill — Second Reading[Sitting date: 05 May 2016. Volume:713;Page:10838. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon Dr JONATHAN COLEMAN (Minister of Health): I move That the New Zealand Public Health and Disability (Southern DHB) Elections Bill be now read a second time. The effect of this bill is to allow for the term of the Southern District Health Board Commissioner to be extended from December 2016 until the triennial election scheduled for 2019. That provides the commissioner sufficient time to develop oversee and implement a financially sustainable plan for quality health services for the people of Otago and Southland. Without legislative change the commissioner would have had less than 18 months to improve the Southern District Health Board’s position.In June 2015 I dismissed the Southern District Health Board’s board and appointed a commissioner following my serious dissatisfaction with the board’s performance. The board’s management of the district health board’s finances had caused me to lose confidence in its ability to deliver on its strategy for the region including delivering much-needed capital redevelopments at Dunedin Hospital. Resolving the Southern District Health Board’s financial issues will take some time and that is unlikely to be completely addressed by the end of the commissioner’s current term on 2 December 2016.The commissioner has developed a work plan that has begun to address the financial and service challenges that she has been consulting on with the district health board staff and the southern district’s communities. I note that the district health board is currently performing better than the forecast budget for 2015-16. These are the first steps in achieving sustained financial performance improvements. In parallel with the work undertaken by the commissioner on the district health board’s financial and clinical sustainability the Government is working with the district health board on two streams of capital development. In September 2015 the Government approved $22.5 million for urgent hospital maintenance as well as upgrades to gastroenterology audiology and intensive care units. These projects will ensure that the immediate demands around delivery of services continue to be met while planning for the major redevelopment progresses.To ensure the robust oversight of this project I also established the Southern Partnership Group in September last year. The Southern Partnership Group has been working closely with the district health board and the commissioner to oversee the redevelopment of Dunedin Hospital. The Health Committee examined the bill and recommended that it be passed without amendment.From public submissions the committee raised a concern that Ngāi Tahu felt that its access to decision making was diminished under the new governance arrangements. The committee strongly urged the commissioner to engage with Ngāi Tahu to ensure that Māori can contribute to district health board decision-making and that the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi are upheld. The commissioner has confirmed that Ngāi Tahu will be engaged by the district health board’s iwi governance committee to provide nominations for Māori representation on the district health board’s statutory advisory committees. Furthermore the commissioner has previously affirmed the status of the district health board’s Treaty relationship agreement with local iwi. Through this relationship agreement and other established communication mechanisms the principles of the Treaty will continue to be recognised and applied.The Health Committee encouraged the commissioner to consider how its work can be made more transparent. It recommended that the commissioner set goals and targets and report on these to the public at the end of each year. The commissioner has confirmed that going forward the public will be able to attend statutory advisory committee meetings in the same way as at other district health boards. The 2016-17 district health board annual planning process is currently under way. Initial goals from the commissioner’s plan published in December 2015 are expected to be included in this document. This is the key district health board accountability document and the statement of intent which forms part of it is publicly reported on at the end of the financial year. The district health board’s annual report which is also publicly available provides information on the key aspects of the district health board’s performance.Finally the committee acknowledged some submitters’ concerns that the bill would affect their democratic right to elect a district health board and considered whether a requirement to consult with the community should be added to the bill to overcome the perceived reduction in democracy. When appointing the commissioner I noted my expectation that she work closely with southern district communities. This expectation will continue during the extended term. I understand that since her appointment the commissioner has held meetings and forums with a wide range of stakeholders and regularly updates the public on district health board issues through updates in local papers on the television via the radio and via the district health board website. The committee considered that there are appropriate mechanisms for public consultation and so no change to the bill would be required.I do not propose the cancellation of a local district health board election lightly. The bill therefore impacts only one election at the Southern District Health Board and will help ensure that the next board to be appointed as part of the 2019 local body elections will begin its term on a more secure financial footing. The appointment of a commissioner offers an opportunity to resolve the district health board’s financial challenges and to help secure most sustainable health services and health facilities for the people of the southern district. The commissioner has already begun to address the deficit challenge and it is vital that she is given time to complete this important work.It is challenging work and I want to acknowledge and thank the commissioner Kathy Grant and her deputies Richard Thomson Graham Crombie and Dr Angela Pitchford for the work that they are doing. I also want to acknowledge the support of my colleagues based in the southern district as well as the cross-party support for this bill. We all want to ensure the best possible health services are available for the people of Otago and Southland. I commend this bill to the House.