Soper Lesley: Public Health Bill — First Reading 
Soper Lesley: Public Health Bill — First Reading 
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LESLEY SOPER (Labour) 
: 
 I thank the very good Minister of Health for bringing this important Public Health Bill to the House tonight. Moving away from the conspiracy theories of the National Party speakers I would like to emphasise in my speech the important role that the bill has in extending to New Zealand’s borders protection from public health risks. 
The Public Health Bill will replace the Health Act 1956. The Health Act contains many provisions that aim to protect New Zealand’s borders by preventing reducing or eliminating the spread of risks to public health at the border. However the Health Act provisions were written 50 years ago and they reflect the fact that back then ships were the predominant form of international travel. Whereas it was a great novelty in 1956 for my father to travel internationally entirely by plane aircraft now carry most people travelling between countries. The Health Act provisions are also very specific on the diseases that the border health provisions can be used to manage. The Act provides that anyone who disembarks from a boat or ship is liable to quarantine. However that provision can be invoked only if the person is known to have one of four listed diseases: yellow fever plague cholera or avian influenza. That is obviously inadequate in this day and age. The bill expands the provisions in the Health Act so that all risks to public health irrespective of cause can be acted upon. 
Let me paint a scenario as to when the new provisions in the Public Health Bill may be invoked. Imagine that a plane is arriving in New Zealand. During the flight to New Zealand four passengers start coughing blood and bleeding from their nose and bowel and record very high temperatures. The captain of the flight notifies a medical officer of health in New Zealand that four of the passengers have taken ill and describes their symptoms. The captain requests travel information from the passengers. Nobody at this stage knows what is wrong with any of the passengers. When the plane lands at Auckland airport the medical officer of health and other ground staff are on hand to meet the passengers. The medical officer of health uses powers under the Public Health Bill to quarantine all the passengers and crew on board the flight. This means that all the passengers are moved to a special facility where they are isolated from members of the public to prevent the spread of the condition. Although no one is yet aware of what is causing the passengers’ symptoms the symptoms are very concerning and it is considered that they may be a serious risk to public health. While in quarantine the cases can be further tested to determine the nature of the disease and the threat it poses and of course the people can receive treatment. [ 
Interruption 
] May I point out that certain vessels full of sound and fury on the other side of the House tonight signify nothing. Other passengers can also be monitored to determine whether they are also developing the condition. 
The Public Health Bill empowers medical officers of health to take action to protect New Zealand’s borders from conditions that are suspected of being a serious risk to public health. Under present legislation passengers on board a ship or plane can be quarantined only if they are known to have one of the four specified diseases I mentioned earlier. The Public Health Bill will allow all risks to be managed at the border including viruses that we do not even know about yet. 
The bill also contains new provisions to control people departing from as well as those arriving in New Zealand to prevent the export of sources of public health risk. New Zealand is part of an international community and we owe it to our neighbours not to export diseases conditions or contaminants that may be a risk to public health. That is particularly important given our direct flights to the Pacific region. Medical practitioners or medical officers of health may advise the relevant airline carrier or country about a person with a quarantinable condition that is specified in the bill who is intending to leave the country and who is a health risk. 
The bill will assist New Zealand’s compliance with the 2005 International Health Regulations that came into force in June 2007. These require New Zealand to be able to implement a full range of health measures at the border to ensure that threats to public health can be managed. New Zealand of course is bound by those regulations. The most important benefit of the International Health Regulations is the greater level of global health security that will come from having a coordinated global surveillance and response system for managing emerging health hazards. 
Protecting New Zealand’s borders from all risks to public health is an important function in this day and age when risks and threats can come from many directions and causes. The Public Health Bill will keep New Zealand’s border control legislation in line with the 21st century. I commend the Public Health Bill to the House and like other sensible members of the Health Committee I am looking forward to the submissions.