Hutchison Paul: General Debate 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Hutchison Paul: General Debate 
[Sitting date: 04 April 2012. Volume:679;Page:1660. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Dr PAUL HUTCHISON (National—Hunua) 
: 
 More good news: the Government over the last 12 hours has been able to announce as I say more good news about its forward planning and achievements. It was very gratifying this morning to hear the Prime Minister announce a $62 million package to help improve youth mental health—an area that unfortunately has been badly neglected particularly over the last 12 years and during the entire time of the Labour Government. The programme is backed up by evidence-based science. It is aimed at prevention and early intervention covers both health and education and is very much aimed at youth social media. It is also very gratifying that the Chief Science Advisor Sir Peter Gluckman has been fully behind this initiative. It demonstrates that the National Government’s policy programme is indeed backed up by evidence and science and this suite of initiatives should be applauded by all.  
 I want to talk also about more good news which relates to an inquiry carried out by the Health Committee last year into improving New Zealand’s environment to support innovation through clinical trials—a vital area and one that links the hugely important areas of science health and of course economic development. That inquiry came about because New Zealand—and I see the member Hipkins yawning over there. It is high time he contributed or his party contributed to this vital area of economic growth because his party has demonstrably shown a lack of interest in practical issues such as this inquiry carried out by the Health Committee.  
It was clear that New Zealand was losing its advantages in this area while Australia was forging ahead. Just for the member’s information clinical trials test the safety and efficacy of pharmaceuticals medical devices biologics bioactives and functional foods—all areas that are hugely important to New Zealand’s primary products to adding value and to opportunities we have in economic growth. The inquiry was supported by all parties. Fortunately they did realise the value of it. They realised that our regulatory environment was overcomplicated in this area that there was a lack of inter-governmental collaboration and that the district health board collaboration was also uncoordinated. The submissions were clear that a good environment in New Zealand would make a great deal of difference to these vital industries that I have earmarked—the biopharmaceutical industry the medical devices industry which is a billion-dollar industry and the functional food and natural products industry—again aiming for well over a billion dollars of exports.  
The committee wanted its recommendations acted on within 12 months and I am very pleased that at the Medicines New Zealand conference I was able to report to that conference yesterday that all the key recommendations have been agreed on and are essentially being acted on by this excellent progressive National Government. Simplifying and streamlining the ethical review process while maintaining patient safety as paramount is all in progress and under way. The National Government is promoting collaboration between key Government agencies—the Ministry of Economic Development the Ministry of Science and Innovation and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise. These have acted in silos in the past and certainly did during the time of the Labour Government. This is a great move forward. It is developing a national health research action plan to foster innovation and commercialisation—this is in progress led by Sir Peter Gluckman—and developing a framework for coordinating clinical trials throughout all district health boards via a health innovation hub which will eventually link up with the Crown research institutes with the universities and with the private sector. This is an example of how Parliament has responded under the National Government to an extremely worthwhile select committee inquiry.