4. Health Services—Counties Manukau District Health Board ReviewJAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany) to the Minister of HealthHealth Services—Counties Manukau District Health Board Review4. JAMI-LEE ROSS (National—Botany) to the Minister of Health: Does the Beattie Varley review of financial matters at the Counties Manukau District Health Board include reviewing the authorisation of remuneration or allowances of a former DHB senior executive; if so was the review raised with him by Rabin Rabindran at their meeting on 29 March 2018?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK (Minister of Health): As the member is aware I have not been provided with a copy of the Beattie Varley report which is still being finalised and neither has my office. I'm advised that remuneration and allowances are within the scope of the review. The focus of my 29 March meeting with Rabin Rabindran was the state of buildings at the Counties Manukau District Health Board (DHB) including problems with rot and mould due to years of under-investment. My recollection is that the review was raised in passing.Jami-Lee Ross: Can he confirm that in addition to Rabin Rabindran Dr Lester Levy the Auditor-General and former audit committee chairman Mark Darrow all wrote to him raising the review of the Counties Manukau District Health Board audit?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: I can confirm that I received a number of people's views on the situation at Counties Manukau and that's why I agreed to the process of investigation that was pursued and of course I was assured by officials that an appropriate process was in place and that they would report back to me at an appropriate time and I don't see it as appropriate for a Minister to interfere in that process.Jo Luxton: What other matters were discussed with Rabin Rabindran at the 29 March meeting?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: As well as the multiple building issues we discussed the DHB's rising forecast deficits. Like many DHBs Counties Manukau has been struggling in the face of years of underfunding. That's why in Budget 2018 we put an extra $66 million into Counties Manukau—SPEAKER: Order! That is enough.Jami-Lee Ross: Is he aware of notes from Rabin Rabindran of his meeting with the Minister where Mr Rabindran wrote I inquired about the review which I understood had gone to the Minister's office and wondered why it had not been released. I did not get a clear answer but the Minister started saying there are other issues such as the number of people employed at the DHB."?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: I can't recall whether I've seen those exact notes and I certainly note that my recollection of some of those events would be different to Mr Rabindran's but I do think it's important that while this matter is being investigated speculation is not helpful. In fact the State Services Commission today has put out a report saying that ongoing speculation on matters relating to Counties Manukau is extremely unfair to Mr McKernan and people should not jump to conclusions. It also says that in the meantime people should step back and let the process run its course. Ongoing commentary risks compromising that process and I think the member needs to consider that matter.Jami-Lee Ross: Has he ever taken an opportunity after all of those individuals raised the serious financial management issues with him to actually read the district health board's regional internal audit report to find out exactly what's been happening in his portfolio?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: The officials are running a process around this. Ongoing speculation is unhelpful as I've told the member because natural justice is something that ought to be able to run its course here. I have had no evidence presented to me that suggests conflicts of interest have not been well managed and I ask the member to seriously consider whether it is appropriate to drag senior public servants' names through the mud when no evidence has been presented.Rt Hon Winston Peters: When these calamitous events that have been brought to this House everyday were happening who was the Government?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: Many of the events that have been described in this House occurred of course during the period that the previous Government was in office. I find it somewhat bewildering that the first allegation that member opposite brought to the House was that I was trying to cover up for activities that happened under their Government's watch.Jami-Lee Ross: Given he hasn't read the audit documents that he was advised about by multiple parties that contained the name of the senior public official how can the public have confidence in him that he's across the detail of his portfolio and doing his job?Hon Dr DAVID CLARK: When we're talking about conflicts of interest here it's worth noting that the recruitment of the Acting Director-General was the responsibility of the State Services Commission that any conflicts of interest would have been raised during the recruitment process and that the State Services Commissioner was aware of investigations into financial matters at Counties Manukau before he recruited the previous Acting Director-General and I would advise that member to consider seriously the statement that the State Services Commissioner has put out which indicates that people should step back and let the process take its course because ongoing commentary risks compromising that process."