5. Health Services—Counties Manukau District Health Board ReviewJAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany) to the Minister of HealthHealth Services—Counties Manukau District Health Board Review5. JAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany) to the Minister of Health: Has he read all correspondence and briefings provided to him relating to the Counties Manukau District Health Board?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK (Minister of Health): I have read all the briefings provided to me. My office has received a large volume of correspondence relating to Counties Manukau District Health Board (DHB). I have not personally read every letter and email but my staff do read all incoming correspondence. Jami-Lee Ross: What action did he take when the Office of the Auditor-General raised a significant audit matter with him on 29 January this year about specific issues relating to past financial practices discovered by the Counties Manukau health board chairman and the chairman of its audit finance and risk committee?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: I have received that letter from the Auditor-General alongside the other 19 DHB audit letters and I note that one paragraph—on page three I think of a six page letter—does cover this issue. It is one of 21 specific significant points raised by the Auditor-General and I took comfort from the indication that an independent external review into these issues was taking place.Jami-Lee Ross: When the Office of the Auditor-General told him that the Ministry of Health was leading an independent external review into the financial practices at the DHB what action did he take to ensure that the former chief executive of the DHB Stephen McKernan who was subsequently appointed as the Director-General of Health took no part in decision making about reviewing an audit that Mr McKernan was mentioned in?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: I have no knowledge that Mr McKernan was mentioned in that audit but I trusted Mr McKernan to manage any conflicts appropriately. That's my experience of him.Jami-Lee Ross: Why did he take no action to apprise himself further of the audit undertaken by the district health board which would have shown if he read those documents that in 2002 2003 2004 2005 and 2006 Mr McKernan was mentioned seven times in the report?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: Officials understand the seriousness of these matters. The Ministry of Health is working through a proper process and I'm not about to interfere with that. Jami-Lee Ross: Did he ever discuss with receive a briefing from or seek advice from Stephen McKernan when he was considering the removal of the former Counties Manukau chairman Rabin Rabindran and the board's audit finance and risk committee chairman Mark Darrow?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: Mr McKernan I think has mentioned the Beattie Varley report to me at some stage over the last period. It would be no surprise to the House I don't think that I've had plenty of conversations around Counties Manukau during my time as health Minister but the removal of those board members or my decision to refresh the leadership at Counties Manukau had absolutely no connection to that audit investigation that was going on. Jami-Lee Ross: Will he in light of the State Services Commissioner's decision to urgently investigate the matters I raised yesterday in this House also ask the Auditor-General to review his decision-making process in removing Rabin Rabindran and Mark Darrow from the DHB?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: Mr Speaker could the member please repeat that question?Jami-Lee Ross: Will he in light of the State Services Commissioner's decision to urgently investigate the matters I raised yesterday in this House also ask the Auditor-General to review his decision-making process in removing Rabin Rabindran and Mark Darrow from the DHB?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: No. The two matters are not at all connected.