Prime Willow-JeanHon WILLOW-JEAN PRIME (Labour): Thank you Mr Chair. I just want to start my contribution by reading from the evidence of our auntie Moe Milne. Paragraph 12: I was part of the branding and naming of Te Aka Whai Ora. We were very deliberate about what we were talking about. Te Aka Whai Ora were the vines from the whenua ki te rangi—our connections our intertwining the intertwining vines in the pursuit of oranga and wellbeing. Te Aka Whai Ora is the wellness of our people." I'm just going to leave that there for the Minister to think about when he thinks about what he is going to do with the taonga that was gifted to this Government for Te Aka Whai Ora.I want to talk about the determination of localities and locality plans. The Minister said that he has already spoken to this in previous debates but this clearly comes within the part that we are debating now and the schedule that we are debating now. It is new Part 2 which is inserted into Schedule 1. It is clause 34 and in particular sections 54 and 55 and dates that are going to be amended. What I want to refer to here—and I'm just going to pull it up. I'm skipping between what is currently in the Act and what is being proposed in the legislation that we have before us. I think that when it comes to localities and locality plans this is actually something all New Zealanders should be concerned about not just Māori. This is being dressed up as and presented as what I would call virtue signalling: "We're going to get rid of Te Aka Whai Ora. We're going to do it within 100 days. Look at us; look how great we are delivering on our election promises." I can talk to you about no consultation not following any due processes doing it under parliamentary urgency but what all New Zealanders need to know is that localities and locality plans were not just for Māori they were not just for Te Aka Whai Ora; they are actually part of how the whole pae ora legislation functions.So the Minister is delaying these by years. The proposal is an arbitrary time frame that he just thought up as a placeholder and he has given us no reason no proper justification as to why he has picked this time frame in the proposed legislation. Why this is important not just for Māori but for all New Zealanders is because when you look at locality plans section 55 of the principal Act states that "(1) Health New Zealand must develop a locality plan for each locality. (2) A locality plan must—(a) set out the priority outcomes and services for the locality; and (b) state the plan's duration which must as a minimum be 3 consecutive financial years; and (c) give effect to the relevant requirements of the New Zealand Health Plan; and (d) include a statement of progress against the priority outcomes set out in the previous locality plan unless it is the first locality plan for that locality. (3) In developing a locality plan for a locality Health New Zealand must—(a) consult consumers and communities within the locality;"—so I think about Northland and I think about Te Tai Tokerau. This is not just about consulting Te Aka Whai Ora and iwi-Māori partnership boards; this is the entire community.The whole point of the pae ora legislation was to end a postcode lottery for health services. I was in my communities talking to my communities about the postcode lottery we have had in Tai Tokerau for health services. Come and visit. Come and see the health inequities. In fact the Minister a former GP in that area knows these well. So your delay to 2029 and 2030 means the entire community that lives within these localities are now going to have to wait to have input into the health plan to have input into what's going to go into the Government policy statement (GPS) to have input and what is going to receive financial support. I don't think the Minister just dreamt up 2029 and 2030. That puts it beyond their current term. That actually puts this now beyond their term of Government. Basically they are kicking the can down the road—"We don't want to give locals a voice in the development of their health strategy and plans that we are then going to have to deliver on through a Budget process." Please explain to me if I am misunderstanding what the point of your pushing out of the time frames is.Section 55(3) says "In developing a locality plan for a locality Health New Zealand must—(a) consult consumers and communities … (b) consult local authorities affected by the … plan;"—sorry Far North District Council; sorry Whangarei District Council; sorry Kaipara District Council. You'll have to wait until 2029-30 when I might come and have a kōrero to you about the concerns for your health needs and aspirations in your area. You have to consult the social sector agencies and other entities that contribute to the relevant population outcomes within a locality. Sorry all of you providers. We're not coming to talk to you until 2029-30." "I'm going to set health targets" is what the health Minister said "but I'm not going to follow any of the processes in the legislation which gives a local voice." Now this has been done under urgency. There is no select committee process. Do all New Zealanders understand that in the disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora you're actually sneaking in other fundamental changes that are impacting the way in which this legislation operates to deliver health services to our community—do they? Well it's pretty late there's no select committee process this will be done by tomorrow and the very mechanisms in this legislation to make it work to deliver pae ora for all will be gone.Oh sorry it also says here that you will engage with the Māori Health Authority—that's going to be gone—and iwi-Māori partnership boards for the area covered by the plan and you'll consult any other individual or group that Health New Zealand considers appropriate. It says that a locality plan is made when it is agreed by Health New Zealand the Māori Health Authority and relevant Māori organisation iwi-Māori partnership boards—right? This isn't just about disestablishing Te Aka Whai Ora; this is about fundamentally changing the mechanisms within this legislation that will deliver healthy futures for all. So can the Minister again please tell the entire committee—or not "again" and "please tell" because you haven't yet. Can the Minister please explain to the committee why it is necessary to change the date for localities and locality plans to 2029 and 2030 and how will all of those in section 55 who were going to have a role in developing their locality plan which was going to inform the strategy and the GPS now have their say in the processes going forward?"