King Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeKing Annette: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 03 September 2013. Volume:693;Page:13154. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]10.Hon ANNETTE KING (Labour—Rongotai) to theMinister of Health: Does he stand by all his promises in health?Hon TONY RYALL (Minister of Health): Within contexts and this includes providing more front-line staff including 2500 more nurses across our district health boards compared with 2008 and investing an average extra $500 million a year over the past 5 years into the New Zealand public health service.Hon Annette King: Does he recall saying just a few minutes ago that in Government you are expected to honour the pledges of your campaign; if so why has he not honoured the pledge to continue Labour’s health spending growth track made by him after the global financial crisis had started and after the pre-election fiscal update and does his broken pledge account for district health boards now cutting important health services?Hon TONY RYALL: I think the member will find that Labour’s spending path was certainly replicated in the 2009 Budget when we had a $750 million increase. But what the member has to remember is that this party pledged to continue investing strongly in the New Zealand public health service and we have had $500 million a year on average during the most difficult economic times.Hon Annette King: I seek leave to table health policy part 1 which says that they will continue funding the current health spending—Mr SPEAKER: Order! The source of the document?Hon Annette King: This is the National Party’s pledge that the Minister seems to have forgotten.Mr SPEAKER: No. No if members want to look that up they can certainly find it.Hon Annette King: Is he aware that the chief executive officer of Hawke’s Bay District Health Board said last week that his board is getting its lowest funding for “many years” it is going to be “a tough year” and the standard of some services will have to be adjusted and access to some modified with $16 million to be shaved off this year’s budget to meet the Minister’s expectations; and is that what he promised the people of Hawke’s Bay in 2008 and 2011?Hon TONY RYALL: What I promised the people of Hawke’s Bay in 2008 is that I would restore their democratically elected health board that was summarily dismissed by the Labour Party health spokesman whom that member is actively campaigning against presently.Hon Annette King: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question had nothing to do with sacking a district health board in 2008.Mr SPEAKER: Order! I invite the member to go back. She asked a long question and the Minister has chosen to quite adequately address the second part of the question that was asked.Hon Annette King: Is he aware that the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board intends to cut nearly $700000 in funding forMāori health over the next financial year in a region whereMāori have the lowest life expectancy at birth of any health districts where the prevalence of diabetes is twice that of all New Zealand enrolees where theMāori mortality rate is twice that of non-Māori and serious mental health illness is 25 percent higher than the national average; and is that what he promised his coalition party theMāori Party?Hon TONY RYALL: What I know is that the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board has received an extra $9 million in this year’s Budget; that is $73 million under this Government. And what I can say is that the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board’sMāori immunisation rate is now I think the same as thePākehā immunisation rate. That was something that that member could never achieve. The work that they are doing on heart and diabetes checks is a significant lift in the level of service being provided toMāori there and there is a very significant improvement in smoking cessation rates amongstMāori in Hawke’s Bay. So we are putting more money in. We are delivering betterservices forMāori and all other New Zealanders and in particular the people of Hawke’s Bay.Hon Annette King: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. If you were listening carefully to the question I asked whether he was aware that nearly $700000 was being cut out—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! The member will resume her seat. It was a very long-winded question and I think the member adequately addressed parts of it.Hon Annette King: Is he aware that Hawke’s—Hon David Parker: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I would ask the Speaker to reflect on his tone when he dresses down an Opposition member—he calls them long-winded. When the Minister of Education gave repeatedly long answers he did not use language that was nearly as critical of Government members. I would ask that there be a bit of equality shown across the sides.Mr SPEAKER: I will certainly endeavour to do that but I remind members and I have attempted on many occasions to assist members that when they ask supplementary questions if they make them short and pithy then they and I can assist to get them a far better quality answer.Hon Annette King: I seek leave to table a fact sheet fromNgatiPorou Hauora 2013 that sets out all the appalling health statistics that I have just said in a question that the Minister then went on to totally ignore in his answer.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table thatNgatiPorou health facts sheet. Is there any objection to that being tabled? It can be so tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Hon Annette King: Is he aware that the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board intends to cut over $1 million from mental health funding this financial year to local service providers and out-of-region services and $795000 from the disability support budget which is funding that is provided to community organisations?Hon TONY RYALL: The information that I have been provided about mental health spending in the Hawke’s Bay is in fact that the district health board does expect to spend more in terms of the mental health ring fence this year compared with the previous year. Of course it will be moving its funding within its various spending priorities but what I can assure the member of is that we have given it more money this year. The Hawke’s Bay District Health Board’s budget is the highest it has ever been and I have got to say that I think it is providing very good services for the people of Hawke’s Bay. It has been backed up by significant capital investments that we are making in terms of improved mental health services and the Wairoa integrated family health centre.Hon Annette King: I seek leave to table page 35 of the district annual plan of the Hawke’s Bay District Health Board showing that $1 million is to be cut from mental health funding.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that particular page page 35. Is there any objection to it being tabled? There appears to be none. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.