Leary Ingrid; Doocey MattINGRID LEARY (Labour—Taieri): I'd really thank the Minister for being able to get the Associate Minister to respond to the question please about Gumboot Friday—is that for now?Hon Dr Shane Reti: Can you pose it again please?INGRID LEARY: Yes sir. I made the point that in the Health Committee we're really interested in open transparent competitive procurement that there are assurances around clinical standards. Wanting to know more details about the procurement of Gumboot Friday we asked Te Whatu Ora. They directed us to the Ministry of Health. I've done a series of written questions and Official Information Act requests with very little openness back. So could we have the Associate Minister take the chair and answer please. There's a lot of providers wanting to know that they are on a level playing field but also a lot of those who are using the services wanting to know that clinical standards are assured. And what is the monitoring evaluation process for Gumboot Friday? So that we know that people are being appropriately triaged and treated.Hon MATT DOOCEY (Minister for Mental Health): Thank you very much Mr Chair. Look it's a real privilege to rise in the annual review debate as the Minister for Mental Health—New Zealand's first Minister for Mental Health. Can I put in my slight apologies for being late I was just meeting via Zoom the Welsh Minister for Mental Health Jayne Bryant. I've had the privilege to be able to talk to my counterparts around the world in the last few months since taking up this role. I think there are some real commonalities with other countries as they work towards better mental health in their respective countries. To acknowledge the member Ingrid Leary's very important question about how we get more funding out of Wellington to the front line. When we look at the funded sector we're currently funded around $800 million a year to power up NGO and community groups. So my expectation with any commissioning of NGOs and community groups is that Health New Zealand and the Ministry of Health would follow procurement rules.INGRID LEARY (Labour—Taieri): Thank you to the Minister for Mental Health for answering those questions. I'm not sure that I heard addressed the specific questions around what procurement process was used for Gumboot Friday in particular. It doesn't sit with Te Whatu Ora; it did sit with the Ministry of Health. I have written Official Information Act requests. Was it a transparent process and what is the monitoring evaluation system and what clinical standards are involved in the provision of that care? I know we are all fans of Gumboot Friday but there are many many questions about how it came to be and we need specific answers on those questions that none of my Official Information Act requests or written questions have secured any answers to. So if you could perhaps be more specific that particular procurement that would be really appreciated.Hon MATT DOOCEY (Minister for Mental Health): Well I agree with the member Ingrid Leary that we are all fans of Gumboot Friday. What I would say is some Governments are more fans of Gumboot Friday than other Governments and this Government has made a coalition agreement to fund Gumboot Friday and I would expect when that decision is made then the proper procurement approach would be taken.