Ryall Tony: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Ryall Tony: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:644;Page:14022] 
8.  
Hon TONY RYALL (National—Bay of Plenty) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: What was the “direct ministerial intervention” that the then chair of the Capital and Coast District Health Board sought to ensure did not arise again as referred to in her letter to the Minister of 14 June 2007? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON (Associate Minister of Health) 
 on behalf of the  
Minister of Health 
: The letter that the member is referring to and does not quote fully from the chair of Capital and Coast District Health Board to the Minister of Health states: “I am very appreciative of your decision”—that is the point that the member did not quote—“but at the same time determined to take steps to ensure that the need to seek direct ministerial intervention does not arise again.” The chair of the Capital and Coast District Health Board was referring to support of its projected deficit which at that time was around $11 million for 2007-08 and appears to be thanking the Minister and the Government for their help. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Why was the Government prepared 6 months ago to act to approve a blowout in the Capital and Coast District Health Board deficit but was not prepared to act to fix the problems at the district health board? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: The chair at the time of writing that letter did not wish to seek additional deficit support but the Minister signalled that if necessary further deficit support would be provided. The Government has acted to support the district health board with a review of clinical governance and the implementation of the recommendations arising from that review. The Ministry of Health has commissioned an independent review of the district health board’s financial systems. Ministry of Health officials are part of the steering group for the regional clinical services and as everyone is well aware the Government has added additional support to the new board a new chair a Crown monitor deficit support as needed and assistance from the Ministry of Health. That I dare say is more support than the previous National Government ever gave in its whole term of office. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Were any other Ministers involved in the approval to extend the deficit? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: I do not have any advice on that but normally speaking in these matters the Minister of Finance would of course be consulted. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: As the Minister has now given the Capital and Coast District Health Board’s new board 4 months to fix the problems at Wellington Hospital what are the benchmarks that he will measure the new performance of the board against? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: I do not have the details in front of me but if the member wants to have that information I am perfectly happy to see that he gets the details. 
Jo Goodhew 
: Is it likely that Mr Hodgson was too busy acting illegally by intervening in aged-care negotiations in a manner described by the judge of the judicial review as “wrecking the ship” and that his priority was to attempt to force unionisation on the aged-care workforce rather than spending time on the woes of the Capital and Coast District Health Board? 
Hon JIM ANDERTON 
: It is interesting that a party that claims that it will represent all New Zealanders is actually making a statement that it is illegal in some way to try to assist among the lowest-paid workers in the community. This Government is always proud to do that and it is interesting that the National Party is staking itself out in a position of opposition to that kind of action. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: I seek leave to table the declaration of the High Court that Mr Hodgson acted unlawfully in forcing unionism on aged-care workers. 
Document not tabled.