Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Peters Winston: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:611;Page:8038] 
11.  
Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Leader—NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: What reports has she received if any about the adverse effects of immigration since the 1999 election on public health in the Auckland region and what action has she taken? 
Hon ANNETTE KING (Minister of Health) 
: 
 While I do not have any specific reports regarding the impact of immigration on health in the Auckland region I am aware that this and other issues relating to overseas students overstayers etc. have been of concern to district health boards. In recognition of these concerns the Government has put in funding of $5.8 million for each year from 2001 to 2003. It has also changed the method of updating population changes including immigration to ensure appropriate distribution of funding takes place annually. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Can the Minister confirm that the percentage of TB cases in the Auckland region in the last 12 months that involved people who had been born outside New Zealand was 75 percent and why would she not regard this as 
it would be regarded 
in any other country by any Minister of Health as an act of treason against the interests of New Zealand people? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: No I cannot confirm those cases. However I would be happy to get the figures for the member. I know I have in my papers cases that go back a number of years that show we have had instances of TB coming in particularly among refugees coming into New Zealand. But it is nothing new; it has gone on for quite a number of years. 
Dr Lynda Scott 
: Why is the population-based funding formula based on 1996 census figures which do not take into account the large number of new immigrants—at around 30000—and refugees who are part of the Auckland District Health Board’s population meaning that the Auckland District Health Board is $8 million worse off; and why do overseas students not have some form of health insurance? 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: The member is correct that assessment of population in New Zealand has been based on the census. She may not have heard me say in my answer that we have changed that and from this year onward annual information will be available from Statistics New Zealand on population changes including immigration which will be used to inform the appropriate distribution of funding for the district health boards. This is a first and I am glad this Government has done it because migrants coming to New Zealand is not a new thing; it has been going on for decades. Ensuring that we fund it correctly is new and it is happening under this Government. The member also asked about overseas students. I am pleased that work has been done by the Minister of Immigration the Minister of Education and myself on ensuring in the future that overseas students have medical insurance. It is a shame that it did not happen a long time ago. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: Can I again ask the Minister what she has done to tackle the rate of tuberculosis incidence in Auckland which is twice the national average and does she not admit that the cause of that is unmedically tested immigrant students and refugees as well and why should one not regard this as an act of treason against the health interests of the New Zealand people? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Two of those questions can be answered. 
Hon ANNETTE KING 
: First of all the member in his original question did not ask me what I had done about tuberculosis; he asked me what figures I had and I said I could not provide those figures but I was happy to get them for him. These days tuberculosis is a very treatable disease. It is treated with high levels of antibiotics. I can assure the member that any person who gets tuberculosis in New Zealand whether a new migrant or a New Zealander is treated with the very best of care. 
Rt Hon Winston Peters 
: I seek leave to table as one example an article from the  
Dominion Post 
 of 5 August 2003 about a Hutt dental worker dealing with over 100 schoolchildren who was diagnosed as having tuberculosis. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is.