Prime Willow-Jean; Reti ShaneHon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME (Labour): Thank you Madam Chair. I actually have two questions which I will try and squeeze into the five minutes with the risk that I might not get 10 minutes to cover them.I want to ask—and it's my first time asking—questions about replacement section 43 inserted by Schedule 1 and employment policies. My point is a different one to those that have just been raised and have been raised about this section by other members. I have been listening to the entire debate so I know that this one hasn't been covered.So replacement section 43 inserted by Schedule 1 is about employment policies: The employment policies of the Māori Health Authority—(a) continue to apply after the commencement date—(i) in relation to an employee who becomes an employee of Health New Zealand by operation of clause 36; and (ii) with all necessary modifications;". What are the necessary modifications?It also says that they may be replaced by Health New Zealand by written notice to that employee. I do want to add my support for the questions asked by the Hon Willie Jackson regarding that simple replacement by a written notice. But an employment policy that I want to ask about in particular is for te reo Māori bonuses. So we heard the Minister for the Public Service very early on in this term of Government say that she was seeking advice on how to stop the bonuses being negotiated in the future. We know that the Public Service Association once again on behalf of its many members—not just Māori but in fact all of those who think it is important to have fluency in te reo Māori for their jobs—is deeply disappointed with the threat from the new Public Service Minister to remove allowances recognising competency in te reo across the public sector. What my question to the Minister is: will Te Aka Whai Ora staff who are being transferred to Health New Zealand be entitled to te reo Māori competency payments and allowances? Will they be eligible for te reo Māori training and learning? I note many comments from others who waded in on this debate about whether this should be taxpayer-funded or not saying that this Government actually campaigned on getting rid of them and stopping them in as the Minister said circumstances where they are not relevant.To the Minister: is proficiency in te reo Māori relevant to the mahi that those working in Te Aka Whai Ora do the services that they provide? Will policies regarding that transfer to Health New Zealand? Will they be honoured or will there be necessary modifications and could it simply be replaced by Health New Zealand providing a written notice to that employee?I believe te reo Māori is so important in the delivery of health services to our whānau that this is something we need an assurance on. We need a guarantee that that will be honoured by Health New Zealand and in Minister Willis' review that she's doing of this with an aim to ensure that there is a stop to any bonuses being negotiated in the future what assurance can the Minister give us that te reo Māori competency will be encouraged by kaimahi transferring from Te Aka Whai Ora into Health New Zealand and that bonuses for that proficiency of te reo Māori their competency the skills that they bring to that organisation will be honoured?Hon Dr SHANE RETI (Minister of Health): Thank you Madam Chair. I thank the members for their questions—again questions around replacement section 43 inserted by Schedule 1. The member over here was further probing around the appropriate transfer of people and their functions into the Ministry of Health and Health New Zealand.There are several parts to that. First of all the Ministry of Health has maintained a Māori health directorate led by John Whaanga and he amongst others including myself will keep oversight and overview of the appropriate transfer of people from the Māori Health Authority into the Ministry of Health and Health New Zealand.Furthermore in replacement section 43(2) I've been advised that the particular words "material effect on that employee" are specific words that trigger good faith expectations. The member who has just taken her seat was also asking questions around replacement section 43 and I've been advised that existing terms and conditions will carry across."