Grigg Nicola; Salesa JennyNICOLA GRIGG (National—Selwyn): Thank you Madam Chair. I want to start my contribution this afternoon with reference to the Hippocratic oath and I would like to acknowledge Dr Shane Reti Dr Liz Craig and Dr Gaurav Sharma for the work that you've all done in the health sector.The Hippocratic oath is recognised universally: first do no harm. It is an oath of ethics historically taken by physicians. It is a seminal articulation of principles that continue to guide and inform medical practice. I submit to the committee this afternoon that without the inclusion of a rural health strategy harm would be done.We have seen for a number of years now a real decline in the health network around rural New Zealand a network that is there to serve and service about 750000 New Zealanders who as Matt Doocey pointed out contribute 50 percent of the GDP of this country. When we look to the inclusion of a rural health strategy in this pae ora legislation the Minister has referenced the fact that he negotiates and meets regularly with industry groups and stakeholder groups. So I wonder if it was the Rural Health Alliance that may have swayed his opinion when they said that they were very concerned with the lack of focus on rural communities" that "it is well-documented that rural communities have poorer health outcomes than urban communities" and that inequity needs to be addressed in these reforms. Or in his multitude of meetings was it the Rural General Practice Network that persuaded him when it said "Rural New Zealanders need to be added to the list of priority populations." "Health inequities will remain and might well worsen as focus shifts elsewhere." and finally—to quote—"Change can only occur if this group is identified".So when I refer to the Minister's own Supplementary Order Paper (SOP) No. 169 and the inclusion of the "Rural Health Strategy" I can't help but notice the similarities with Dr Shane Reti's SOP 160 and I find it quite intriguing that this nine-page document landed on that very Table there about 60 minutes ago. I'm quite sure that I'd be casting aspersions if I was to suppose that this was pulled together at the last minute.But I was very interested in the Minister's previous comment that Dr Shane Reti's SOP 160 would not achieve equitable health outcomes. Well Minister my question to you is if you are as derisive of outcomes as you appear to be how about targets? How about targets for introducing rural maternity carers into the network? How about targets to introduce rural GPs into the network or professional mental health service providers maternity beds or aged-care beds because Minister in my own electorate in Selwyn as a result of the pandemic we've had two rural hospitals closed. That has taken about 10 beds for aged-care residents out of Darfield and another 10 beds out of in a little town called Leeston the Ellesmere Hospital. These—what would we call them—clients or patients have been transferred to other hospitals because these too-small hospitals have not been able to staff them. In that period of time I know that the residents or the patients in Ellesmere Hospital—out of about 10 of them four have actually passed away. They weren't able to die surrounded by their friends and their family in their own community and I think that's a travesty.So Minister I am very interested in how when incorporating a rural health strategy that will be well-serviced by personnel in rural health.CHAIRPERSON (Hon Jenny Salesa): I call Dr Michael Woodhouse."