Carter Kahurangi; Upston LouiseKAHURANGI CARTER (Green): We know New Zealand's dirty little secret is that having a disability is a pathway to prison and poverty and we can and we must do better. There are many ways that we can do this and consulting with disabled communities is key to improving equity for disabled communities in New Zealand. I thank you for the opportunity to be a part of this appropriations annual review debate on disability to ensure that we are working alongside community to enable resources opportunity and aroha to our disabled communities.I note both within the Whaikaha 2022-2023 annual review report and responses to written questions presented to the committee there are multiple references to engagement processes to ensure adequate consultation with communities; however my first question relates to how these processes and networks are functioning in reality in light of recent funding decisions. The annual review report and supporting documents highlighted various engagement structures within Whaikaha such as the transformation management board the strategic advisory group and nōku te kainga noho nōku te whakatau steering groups. Can you explain how these structures are supposed to facilitate consultation with disabled people disabled Māori and their families and why they were not utilised in the decision-making process regarding the changes to the purchasing rules on 18 March?Moving on my concerns not only relate to consultation process within the ministry but widen to the resource and funding pressures highlighted in the 2022-23 annual review report. Firstly the annual review for the 2022-23 year highlights several contributing factors to growing financial pressures within the disability support system including changes to the cost of labour and growing waitlists for specialist services. Is the Minister confident in the funding allocations over the last 12 months specifically focusing on operational and support allowance and were they adequate to meet the growing demands and needs?Secondly given the identified challenges such as growing waiting lists for specialised services and increasing pressure on services supporting autistic people what initiatives or strategies did the ministry undertake during the 2022-23 year to address these capacity constraints and improve service delivery?Finally I noticed in the annual review and the supporting documents the introduction of the work programme My Home My Choice which is great because it works alongside our disabled community to access residential care settings. However can you elaborate on the specific budget and appropriation measures that have been taken over the last year to increase the range of options available for people who prefer alternatives to traditional residential care settings? How has the ministry worked to ensure that these alternative options meet the diverse needs and preferences of the disabled individuals and their families giving them some choice? Hon LOUISE UPSTON (Minister for Disability Issues): I thank the member for her questions. And because I need to keep my answers brief I shall try and rattle through them. It's been traversed in this House that the communication of those changes was handled badly in that that caused distress and concern. I don't want to rehash that but I do want to say that the review that's under way at the moment is based on some of the cost pressures that you referred to earlier and it is about making sure that we have a disability support service that does meet disabled peoples' needs that does allow them access and choice also ensures that the Government agencies who have primary responsibilities in some areas that their services are available as they should be. So my commitment to you in terms of the review that's under way is that before any decisions are taken there will be consultation with the disabled community.