Doocey MattMATT DOOCEY (National—Waimakariri): Thank you very much Mr Speaker. I want to start by telling the tale of a former Opposition health spokesperson—and many an MP in this Chamber who was here in the 51st Parliament will remember one Dr David Clark as the Opposition health spokesperson who used to sit on the Opposition front bench. He was known for shouting out one phrase every question time what he used to say to the former health Minister: The worst health Minister in 50 years." Well how ironic. That phrase now will be becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy because this health Minister is incompetent and today I'm going to outline clearly one area of his portfolio that he has failed to deliver on one of the most important areas of health: mental health.This was a quote from the health Minister last sitting week in question time when he was questioned about the flagship $455 million new front-line mental health service. The health Minister said "It's quite impressive how quickly these things have rolled out."—in reference to where the roll-out is for that new front-line health service. It's interesting he uses the words "quite impressive how quickly" because let's remind ourselves out of $455 million that was allocated to that service in Budget 2019 $20 million has been spent on that to date. The allocation for the first-year roll-out was $48 million and the Minister has managed to spend only $20 million of that. And he thinks that's impressive and quick! Currently that new flagship front-line mental health service is operating from 40 sites. What's interesting about those 40 sites is that 22 of them were existing before the Government's announcement in Budget 2019. So that means to date the health Minister has delivered only 18 new sites. OK let's give him the 22 pilot sites; add the 18 new sites. That's 40 sites this new front-line mental health service is operating from. And it's interesting he used the words "quickly" and "impressive" when 40 sites is less than 2 percent of general practices.So you have a flagship policy that's spent only $20 million out of the $455 million you've got only 40 sites of delivery in the first year which is 2 percent of general practices—because of course this new service is meant to be rolled out in general practices—and this Minister is calling it "quite impressive" and a "quick" roll-out. This Government talked a big game for mental health in Opposition. They have come in they had an inquiry kicked the can down the road for another 12 months and here we land three years in and they have made no real change in mental health. Their own inquiry clearly outlined that currently New Zealand provides mental health services to 7 percent of the population. We need to increase that to 20 percent to capture the mild to moderate. You add on top of that the increased demand as a result of COVID-19. The Epidemic Response Committee heard from a range of experts who clearly outlined they are concerned at the wave of mental distress cause by COVID-19 that's going to pitch up to our GP practices. Sir Peter Gluckman forecasted 10 percent of those who lose their jobs or incomes will develop post-traumatic stress disorder. If that number is 200000 to 300000 in that cohort that's tens of thousands of New Zealanders that will develop serious mental illness.So in a time when New Zealanders needed the Government the most in the area of mental health we have a Minister that seems disinterested not over his brief and incompetent. Because here we are one year in and the Minister is struggling to spend the money allocated—$20 million out of the $455 million. He's rolled the service out to less than 2 percent of general practices. Clearly this Minister has failed mental health and has failed New Zealand.The debate having concluded the motion lapsed."