7. Health Services—Auckland Typhoid Outbreak and FundingDr DAVID CLARK (Labour—Dunedin North) to the Minister of HealthHealth Services—Auckland Typhoid Outbreak and Funding7. Dr DAVID CLARK (Labour—Dunedin North) to the Minister of Health: Can he tell the House the source of the typhoid outbreak that killed a 52-year-old Auckland woman; if so can he guarantee that the outbreak has been contained?Hon NICKY WAGNER (Associate Minister of Health) on behalf of the Minister of Health: The source of this isolated typhoid outbreak is being investigated by the Auckland Regional Public Health Service and I am advised that clinically the response is being handled very well and that health officials are confident that the outbreak has been contained. As typhoid is not endemic to New Zealand at some point the disease has come from overseas.Dr David Clark: After watching TV news and learning that his own officials were responding to a typhoid outbreak already nearly 2 weeks old what precise actions did he take in the minutes that followed?Hon NICKY WAGNER: The Minister has made it very clear that there are some lessons to be learned regarding the communications but as I have said the advice is that clinically the response is being handled well and the Minister is pleased to hear that.Dr David Clark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question was really clear about the immediate action that followed this finding out and that is the issue at point.Mr SPEAKER: Order! I heard the question very clearly but when you consider it is being answered by another Minister on behalf of the Minister how could the Minister possibly know the precise action the Minister took after watching a particular news item? It cannot be answered any more accurately than it was.Dr David Clark: Point of order. [Interruption] Mr SPEAKER: Order! If there is going to be continued interjections I am going to have to start asking particular members to leave. I have given my ruling on that. If the member wants to raise a fresh point of order he is more than welcome but it had better be a fresh point of order.Dr David Clark: I seek the leave of the House to hold over the remainder of the questions for the next question time.Mr SPEAKER: You cannot now do that because you have started the question. You can certainly cease asking further supplementary questions if you do not think it is worthwhile—that is perfectly appropriate—but you cannot now hold over the supplementary questions associated with question No. 7 now that you have accepted that you have started question No. 7.Dr David Clark: When he found out about the typhoid outbreak on 31 March what assurances did he immediately seek from health officials that relevant health organisations in the area were being communicated with about the outbreak?Hon NICKY WAGNER: I cannot answer that directly but what I can tell you is that there will be a thorough debrief afterwards and that questions around both the source of the outbreak and the response will be properly reviewed.Dr David Clark: I seek leave to table a paywalled document that makes clear that the chief executive of the Whānau Ora commissioning agency said that her organisation had not been contacted about providing messages to the public a week after the event.Mr SPEAKER: Leave is sought to table that particular document. Is there any objection to it being tabled? There is none. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Dr David Clark: Who is responsible to this House for the health funding spent on dealing with the typhoid outbreak?Hon NICKY WAGNER: I think that will be decided through the thorough debrief afterwards where the questions will be looking at the sources about the outbreak and the response and who is responsible.Dr David Clark: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. How can that possibly be true? She is responsible to this House for the spending of the House; that is the role of the Minister.Mr SPEAKER: I accept the point the member is making but the Minister has answered that way. That is the way she has chosen to answer the question. The way forward now is for the member to follow up with supplementary questions.Dr David Clark: Does the Minister then take responsibility for the fact that the Auckland Regional Public Health Service's funding has not kept pace with population growth in Auckland under his watch?Hon NICKY WAGNER: I know that the member is new to health and he may not be aware that normally—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! A legitimate supplementary question has been asked. The Minister would be well advised to address it without the comment that she started her answer with. We might then all be able to hear the answer.Hon NICKY WAGNER: The member may not be aware that in Auckland it normally handles about 30 cases of typhoid every year. It does it efficiently and effectively.Dr David Clark: Point of order.Mr SPEAKER: I will invite the member to re-ask his question but I would be grateful for less interjection from my immediate left.Dr David Clark: Does the Minister take responsibility for the fact that the Auckland Regional Public Health Service's funding has not kept pace with population growth in Auckland under his watch?Hon NICKY WAGNER: That is not true. I have pointed out that every year Auckland manages about 30 cases of typhoid efficiently and effectively.Dr David Clark: I seek leave to table material showing that the Auckland Regional Public Health Service's funding has not kept pace with the population growth in Auckland under the Minister's watch.Mr SPEAKER: I just need the source and date of the document.Dr David Clark: The source is the Parliamentary Library. It was sourced yesterday from the Parliamentary Library.Mr SPEAKER: I will put the leave and the House will decide. Leave is sought to table that information from the Parliamentary Library. Is there any objection to it being tabled? There is not. It can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.