Faafoi Kris: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Faafoi Kris: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 29 May 2012. Volume:680;Page:2577. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
10. 
KRIS FAAFOI (Labour—Mana) 
 to the  
Associate Minister of Health 
: Does she stand by her statement that the measures in the Budget to change the asset threshold for aged residential care were “a reasonable approach to the way forward”? 
Hon JO GOODHEW (Associate Minister of Health) 
: 
 Talofa lava Mr Speaker. Yes I do within this context. The Government has slowed the rate of increase of the rest home asset threshold in recognition of tight financial times and an ageing population. On 1 July the threshold will increase from $210000 to $213300. 
Kris Faafoi 
: Which non-government individuals or groups—if any—were consulted as part of the process leading to the asset threshold change? 
Hon JO GOODHEW 
: The decision was announced in the Minister of Health’s main press release prior to the Budget being read in the House. [ 
Interruption 
]  
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! I want to be able to hear.  
Hon JO GOODHEW 
: Prior to the Budget being read in the House I phoned and spoke to both Grey Power and Age Concern to talk with them about this change and to also talk with them about the investments that we are making in this sector which are $40 million for residential care $40 million more for dementia care $40 million more for home support and a total of $1.5 billion more for health over 4 years.  
Kris Faafoi 
: Does she concede that the change made last week does not address serious issues raised by the Human Rights Commission report such as pay parity staff training and quality of care standards?  
Hon JO GOODHEW 
: The Human Rights Commission report last week contained 10 recommendations. The Government will carefully consider those recommendations. Amongst those recommendations are a number of issues that the Government is currently working on and I talk in this case about quality of care about rural funding for care and about training for caregivers. Therefore I would say to the member that in fact we are addressing many of the issues raised in that report.  
Kris Faafoi 
: Does she agree with the Prime Minister’s plan to address pay parity in workforce supply given that he said to media yesterday: “You know New Zealand might take a different view on migration and you know there might be a converge of you know Filipino nurses that want to come and live in New Zealand or whatever it might be.”? 
Hon JO GOODHEW 
: The best thing that this Government can do and has decided to do to actually address any need for further funding into aged care is to get our books back into surplus by 2014-15. That is the main focus for this Government in order to then look at the priorities which will include looking at the possibility of more funding into aged care.  
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Could I ask the Minister—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! I apologise to the right honourable member but I do want to be able to hear this supplementary question.  
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Given that New Zealand First secured an additional $580 million in aged care support to address the PricewaterhouseCoopers report of 3 years before that why is it a reasonable approach to the way forward as she says on the threshold for aged residential care to inflation-index that yet provide from her Government no inflation-indexing whatsoever of residential care allowances since it came to power?  
Hon JO GOODHEW 
: In fact the member is incorrect because cost-price increases are passed on from the district health board. But I want to also add that in fact the PricewaterhouseCoopers report has been superseded by the Grant Thornton report in 2010. That report identified that the most need in the aged residential care sector for additional funding was dementia care. In Budget 2011 we put an extra $40 million towards aged residential dementia care. There is a further $30 million in this Budget to aged residential dementia care and $10 million towards dementia care pathways in the community.  
Mr SPEAKER 
: Question No. 11 Eugenie Sage. [ 
Interruption 
] Order! I ask members please on both sides of the House to show some courtesy to a member at the back. I want to hear her question.