Turia Tariana: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Turia Tariana: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:632;Page:4107] 
1. TARIANA TURIA (Co-Leader—Maori Party) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: How will the Government address the health disparities outlined in the  
New Zealand Living Standards 2004 
 report which provided evidence that lower living standards increase the risk of poor health and that poor living standards are particularly evident amongst Maori and Pacific communities? 
Hon PETE HODGSON (Minister of Health) 
: 
 The Government is of course already aware of the link between lower living standards and poor health. That is one of the reasons why the Working for Families package was implemented after the data to which the member refers was collected. Next month the Government will release the social report 2006. I am pleased to advise the member that for Maori although obesity rates are getting no better smoking rates are down suicide rates are down and life expectancy rates are up. Unlike the  
New Zealand Living Standards 2004 
 report which is something of an attitudinal survey the social report is hard data. 
Tariana Turia 
: What is the Government’s response to research recently published in  
The Lancet 
 that reported that Maori experience twice the rate of adverse events in hospital and is this an example of institutional racism? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: There have been two sets of reports in  
The Lancet 
 from New Zealand on this issue in recent times. I suspect the member is referring to the second of those which was drawn directly from the  
Decades of Disparity 
 report. The member is correct; there was a significant widening in disparity between Pasifika and Maori on the one hand and the rest of New Zealand on the other. What is interesting is that the third stage of that report was released by me as it happens just a few weeks ago. Researchers are saying that when they release the fourth stage they will no longer call it  
Decades of Disparity 
 because it is their belief that that gap is now narrowing—probably at an accelerating rate. 
Tariana Turia 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. I was referring to the report that talked about twice the rate of adverse events in hospital not  
Decades of Disparity 
. I would like an answer to my question. 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: I have read all of those  
Lancet 
 reports. I can assure the member that we are talking about the same thing. 
Ann Hartley 
: What reports has the Minister seen on cross-sector work to improve the health of New Zealanders? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: Last Friday I released a report from the Public Health Advisory Committee which called on Government and the health community to address the determinants of health including welfare education and housing. This call was welcomed by the Public Health Association which said: “We are fortunate that we have a Government supportive of public health … There has never been a better time to make progress on key public health issues.” 
Sue Bradford 
: Does the Minister have any concerns that as the incomes of beneficiaries continue to plunge even more people into extreme hardship and as Working for Families fails to assist them other departments such as his have to pick up the extra costs—for example in general and mental health services—and has he had discussions with his colleague the Minister for Social Development and Employment about what more the Government could be doing to make sure people right at the bottom of that survey have enough income for basic survival? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: I am sorry; I disagree with the member on the construct of the first part of her question. I simply disagree with her remarks. I do think however that the link between poor living standards and poor health is well made and well understood which is why this Government for example is so proud of the Primary Health Care Strategy which rolls out primary health care services as it did earlier to the communities that needed it most. We have got the beginnings of successful results coming through from that strategy. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: How does it feel to be a Labour Party Minister of Health with a report being presented by a Labour Government department that shows that the very people whom that party opposite seeks to represent have consistently gone backwards during the term of this report? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: In response to the newly caring member’s question I would assert as I did in my first answer that we have a report coming out next month on facts that show smoking rates for Maori have gone down suicide rates for Maori have gone down life expectancy rates for Maori have gone up and what is more that these reverse trends that were set well in train when that member was part of a National Party Government. 
Tariana Turia 
: Can the Minister explain the reasons for the dramatic rise in proportions of Maori and Pasifika people experiencing severe hardship—from 7 percent in 2000 to 17 percent in 2004 for Maori and from 15 percent in 2000 to 27 percent in 2004 for Pasifika people and how will the health sector respond to the increased risk of poor health for those communities? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: If I were the social development Minister I would respond to the first part of the member’s question by saying that there were definitional differences between the two surveys. However we will let him do that. In the meantime apart from acknowledging the member’s interest and competence in that area can I just say it is my view that the decade of disparity is now drawing to a close. We have still got a very large amount to do but it is very good I think for us to realise as a country that under the Government disparities between ethnic minorities and the rest of the population are becoming less at last instead of greater. 
Tariana Turia 
: What level of funding has been invested into ensuring health advocacy services are available nationally for all New Zealanders and what progress has been achieved in developing specific health advocacy services for Maori by Maori and for Pasifika by Pasifika? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: The Health and Disability Commissioner’s budget was increased somewhat recently. I regret to advise the member that I do not have the detailed figures to hand.