Bond Ria: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeBond Ria: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 10 November 2015. Volume:710;Page:7799. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]10.RIA BOND (NZ First) to the Minister for Communications: Does she have confidence that all New Zealanders have ready access to the 111 emergency call service; if so why?Hon AMY ADAMS (Minister for Communications): I have confidence that the system is working as intended as anyone with a landline or usable mobile connection is able to access this service free of charge 24/7 and call answering targets are not only being met but significantly exceeded.Ria Bond: How can the Government be meeting its Kiwi share obligations given that Spark must answer 111 calls yet there is no obligation or time-scale on this Government to end mobile blackspots in rural New Zealand?Hon AMY ADAMS: Mobile blackspots is drifting quite a long way wide of 111 calling but I can assure that member that this Government has actually invested nearly $450 million in mobile rural connectivity and that means that we now have coverage to more than 97 percent of New Zealanders. We have just announced another $50 million into mobile blackspots and I am just proud to be part of a Government that is doing something about it after years of neglect under parties including that member’s party.Ria Bond: When will she prioritise areas of rural New Zealand such as Mōtatau in Northland and Wyndham in Southland which have no stable mobile coverage as evidenced when I personally tried to save a life in Mōtatau on 24 October and could not—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The question is too long.Hon AMY ADAMS: We prioritised rural connectivity on 8 November 2008 and have been doing so ever since which is why this Government has spent $450 million improving connectivity why we now have rural mobile coverage to 97 percent of where New Zealanders live and work and why we are now spending another $50 million to further enhance mobile blackspot coverage in New Zealand. But it is true that not every single part of New Zealand will be covered. We have an incredibly vast mountainous country including vast ranges of unexplored and undeveloped areas and people going into those areas I think have an expectation that they will not get mobile coverage. But I can say to that member that 97 percent of mobile coverage is I think a very very good position to be in.Ria Bond: In light of her answer is she concerned enough to prioritise alternative infrastructure technology for rural communities to save rural lives; if not why not?Hon AMY ADAMS: As I said at the outset anyone with a landline and anyone with a mobile phone is able to access 111. If you are leaving areas of accepted mobile coverage it is recommended that people carry alternative means of communication like satellite phones when they are out in the high country. But 97 percent mobile coverage is significant. It is better than it has ever been before and yet this Government is still investing further money in it.It is pretty rich for parties that have never done anything to advance it and never supported what this Government is doing to try to now criticise it.