Barnett Tim: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Barnett Tim: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:616;Page:12369] 
3.  
TIM BARNETT (Labour—Christchurch Central) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: What evidence has she seen to show targeting health services and funding to people with high health needs is working? 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of Health) 
:  
I have seen the report from Statistics New Zealand on Maori life expectancy which shows that after years of a widening gap between Maori and non-Maori mortality rates the trend has been reversed. I endorsed Dr Tony Blakely’s comments on this report: “It is likely that the bi-partisan efforts of both the 1996-99 National-led and the 1999-2002 Labour-led governments to assist Maori development generally and more specifically in the health services have helped.” Most New Zealanders I believe will be very pleased with this outcome. 
Tim Barnett 
: When were the first steps taken to proactively develop Maori providers? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: The first contracts were signed in 1992. Between 1993 and 1997 the number of Maori providers increased from 30 to over 200. The policy directions were set in 1993 including “resource allocation priorities which take account of Maori health needs and perspectives”. I believe we ought to be celebrating those improvements in Maori health not criticising them as Don Brash has done. [ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The member knows he cannot say that. He will stand withdraw and apologise. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I stand withdraw and apologise. I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: It had better not be discussing that point. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: No it is not that point at all. I simply ask that you again advise the House what our remedies are when a Minister stands up and misrepresents very deliberately and quite explicitly comments made by another member in this House. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: All I can say is that the remedy is in debate because I have never yet heard one party accept what another party has said. After all this is part of party politics. It is part of the genuine cut and thrust of debate in this House. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: Does she agree as average life expectancy is increasing for all New Zealanders regardless of race—1.4 years for females and 1.9 years for males—that improving Maori longevity is to be expected and what is her view of the summary by Statistics New Zealand that diabetes smoking and poverty contribute to the Maori - non-Maori differential; so National’s view of targeting programmes that meet these health needs regardless of race is how to best maximise improved health for all New Zealanders? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: Targeting diabetes smoking exercise obesity and poverty is what is needed in health and that is exactly what this Government is doing. Unfortunately Maori are overrepresented in those statistics and I can only believe that that member then believes we ought not to provide any targeted assistance for those people because they need it more. What else does she mean if that is not what she means? 
Heather Roy 
: When she is targeting people with high health needs why will she not target individuals with high health needs rather than targeting racial groups? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: In New Zealand the greatest weighting in health funding is done on age not on race groups as the member said. So when we provide funding for all the under-sixes it is provided by age not by the individual young child. When we provide it to the over-65s it is to all over-65s not Mr Smith or Mr Brown because we know that young people and old people have more health needs than those who are in the middle age group. 
Rodney Hide 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I would ask you to look at how the Minister answered that question and maybe go back over the  
Hansard 
 because the specific question related to racial groups not to an age group. The Minister gave a very good exposition about why over-65s should get more money and why under-sixes should get more money but that was nothing whatsoever to do with the question. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: No the Minister addressed the question to my satisfaction. 
Peter Brown 
: Is the Minister aware there is a major dispute developing between physiotherapists and the Minister for ACC and does she share the view that if it continues the way it is going there will be a severe effect on the health services of this country and on the health budget; if so what is she doing about it? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: That question is best addressed to the Minister for ACC. However I am aware of the difficulty. I am also aware that the Minister for ACC is dealing with that issue. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: I seek leave to table Statistics New Zealand data that shows that Maori - non-Maori differential partly reflects diabetes smoking and poverty. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: I seek to table the latest figures from 2000 of the percentage prevalence of cigarette smoking in New Zealand which show that 49 percent of Maori smoke compared with 22 percent of others. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: I seek to table the statistics of age-standardised death rates that show that ischaemic heart disease cerebral vascular disease hypertensive disease other heart disease and all diseases attributed to smoking are much higher in Maori. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: In the interests of fairness I seek to table evidence from Statistics New Zealand that states that 14 percent of non-Maori survive beyond 65 years and less than half of 1 percent of Maori survive beyond 65 years. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.