1
00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:01,520
Speaker 1: A lot of focus on fuel out of the war,

2
00:00:01,600 --> 00:00:04,240
Speaker 1: but fertilizer and a shortage could well be real. Helium

3
00:00:04,680 --> 00:00:07,160
Speaker 1: is used in things like MRI scan, so we're starting

4
00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:09,160
Speaker 1: to focus a bit on that. Apparently the world's helium.

5
00:00:09,200 --> 00:00:11,080
Speaker 1: A lot of it comes from Gitar sim And Browns,

6
00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:12,880
Speaker 1: a healthy minister, and he's with us morning.

7
00:00:12,760 --> 00:00:13,200
Speaker 2: Good morning.

8
00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:16,040
Speaker 1: Mine the helium issue first, how real is it and

9
00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:18,200
Speaker 1: how problematic is it? We just don't know.

10
00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:22,880
Speaker 2: Well. The advice I've received is that we have so

11
00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:26,079
Speaker 2: healthy center receives it from suppliers. Those supplies primarily source

12
00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:27,840
Speaker 2: through the United States, was about a third of out

13
00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:31,240
Speaker 2: of global supply. They have healthy stocks and their stock

14
00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:35,360
Speaker 2: on the way. However, Health New Zealand is seeking further

15
00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:38,680
Speaker 2: detail around what those exact stocks look like so that

16
00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:41,480
Speaker 2: we can get absolute certainty around this. But at this stage,

17
00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:44,040
Speaker 2: there's no issues that we've been advised of in relation

18
00:00:44,120 --> 00:00:46,839
Speaker 2: to the supply of helium, which is obviously critical for

19
00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:49,560
Speaker 2: operating our MRI machines and diagnostics.

20
00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:51,080
Speaker 1: So there's not a problem here.

21
00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:54,760
Speaker 2: Look, I mean globally, there is a problem. Globally, we've

22
00:00:54,760 --> 00:00:59,000
Speaker 2: had a third of supply disrupted through the conflict in

23
00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:02,360
Speaker 2: the Middle East. So look, there will be global challenges

24
00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:04,880
Speaker 2: around the supply of helium. What we focused on is

25
00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:07,080
Speaker 2: making sure we've got the supplies we need. The advice

26
00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:09,680
Speaker 2: we've got so far is that we have through our

27
00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:13,760
Speaker 2: supplies healthy stocks stock on the way. However, we are

28
00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:16,319
Speaker 2: working through getting that adequate detail on that to give

29
00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:18,200
Speaker 2: us that that extra extra confidence.

30
00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:20,240
Speaker 1: The reason I ask about that is, and I know

31
00:01:20,280 --> 00:01:22,600
Speaker 1: you're making an announcement this afternoon read the fuel and

32
00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:24,240
Speaker 1: stuff like that. I am a bit worried that we're

33
00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:26,600
Speaker 1: getting a bit panicky, a bit sort of nervous on edge,

34
00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:29,760
Speaker 1: and I'm just hesitant to start drumming up things that

35
00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:31,640
Speaker 1: aren't things. And if this isn't the thing, we shouldn't

36
00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:32,559
Speaker 1: be drumming it up. Right.

37
00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:35,400
Speaker 2: Yeah, Look, I agree, we need to be clear we

38
00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:38,720
Speaker 2: have healthy stocks, whether it's helium or whether it is

39
00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:42,800
Speaker 2: in relation to fuels, and we want New Zealanders to

40
00:01:43,160 --> 00:01:45,160
Speaker 2: be aware of the information. That's why we're publishing it

41
00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:48,160
Speaker 2: on a regular basis, particularly on fuels. We're now gathering

42
00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:51,760
Speaker 2: the extra detail when it comes to helium. But ultimately

43
00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:54,280
Speaker 2: we've we've we've got no we've had no advice given

44
00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:57,600
Speaker 2: to us that there's any concerns operate machines are operating

45
00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:00,320
Speaker 2: as usual, and we need to work through this in

46
00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:03,800
Speaker 2: a careful, considered manner, and in particular work closely with

47
00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:06,880
Speaker 2: industry because ultimately we have, you know, supply partners who

48
00:02:06,880 --> 00:02:08,959
Speaker 2: provide the supply, and we need to work in credably

49
00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:09,720
Speaker 2: closely with them.

50
00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:13,600
Speaker 1: Exactly. You onto Derek Ching's work in the Herald this morning, Yes,

51
00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:16,240
Speaker 1: and I read the article, right? Is that tied in

52
00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:18,320
Speaker 1: with your question an answer session a week or so

53
00:02:18,360 --> 00:02:20,080
Speaker 1: back with Peter's in the house. Is that what you

54
00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:21,160
Speaker 1: knew at that point or not?

55
00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:24,320
Speaker 2: Look absolutely absolutely if you read the article and you

56
00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:26,320
Speaker 2: look at the questions we were asking for, all the

57
00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:29,840
Speaker 2: questions that I was answering. So I say, from Winston Peters,

58
00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:35,440
Speaker 2: it's very clear that Chris Hipkins knew about these concerns.

59
00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:38,600
Speaker 2: He was provided advice in late December twenty twenty one.

60
00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:40,560
Speaker 2: He didn't even sign the paper. He provided it to

61
00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:44,200
Speaker 2: the Associate Minister of Health at the time to sign it.

62
00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:47,520
Speaker 2: And when they were provided advice, they didn't ask any

63
00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:49,960
Speaker 2: questions or do anything about it. And the reality is

64
00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:52,360
Speaker 2: he came on your show said he didn't know. Well, actually,

65
00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:54,040
Speaker 2: he's got questions he needs to answer.

66
00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:57,239
Speaker 1: So he was hiding. But see who's the bigger Well, no,

67
00:02:57,440 --> 00:02:59,880
Speaker 1: he's the biggest criminal. But the COVID Inquiry missed it.

68
00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:03,200
Speaker 1: The COVID Inquiry says, they claim they didn't see it,

69
00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:04,760
Speaker 1: didn't know and they accepted that.

70
00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:08,760
Speaker 2: Well. I think what the COVID Inquiry found that the

71
00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:12,760
Speaker 2: Ministry of Health didn't provide the information adequately and clearly enough.

72
00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:15,400
Speaker 2: And I think that's an as absolute finding. But they

73
00:03:15,440 --> 00:03:18,560
Speaker 2: were provided information in late December which did highlight risks

74
00:03:19,240 --> 00:03:21,679
Speaker 2: around a second dose of the COVID vaccine to twelve

75
00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:24,480
Speaker 2: to seventeen year olds. And once they knew, what did

76
00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:24,919
Speaker 2: they do?

77
00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:25,240
Speaker 1: Nothing?

78
00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:27,120
Speaker 2: The answer to that is it looks like nothing.

79
00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:29,920
Speaker 1: Right, So you knew what Derek knows now before Derek

80
00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:31,720
Speaker 1: published it this morning. That's what I'm just trying to

81
00:03:31,720 --> 00:03:32,680
Speaker 1: get clear in my head.

82
00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:36,800
Speaker 2: Well, that is, we obviously went right through the Royal

83
00:03:36,800 --> 00:03:39,040
Speaker 2: Commission report and we looked at all of the papers

84
00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:42,400
Speaker 2: we knew. We found that the line of what happened

85
00:03:42,400 --> 00:03:45,800
Speaker 2: and when, and it lines up exactly with what Derek's found.

86
00:03:46,000 --> 00:03:49,480
Speaker 1: Okay, is Hipkins a liar? Well?

87
00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:52,520
Speaker 2: I think the question for Hipkins is when he did know,

88
00:03:52,960 --> 00:03:56,200
Speaker 2: why did he do nothing? Or what did he do?

89
00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:57,440
Speaker 2: And he needs aswer.

90
00:03:57,600 --> 00:03:59,240
Speaker 1: Yeah, the problem with that is his answer to this

91
00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:00,160
Speaker 1: point is I didn't know.

92
00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:03,840
Speaker 2: And the answer is and the paper trail proves that

93
00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:05,960
Speaker 2: he did know. And the question is what did he

94
00:04:06,000 --> 00:04:07,720
Speaker 2: do when he did know? And and the answers so

95
00:04:07,800 --> 00:04:10,760
Speaker 2: that is nothing. Well, then the reality is there were

96
00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:13,160
Speaker 2: twelve to seventeen year olds who were there was known

97
00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:16,719
Speaker 2: risk around a second dose and nothing was done.

98
00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:18,960
Speaker 1: Is that a resignation problem?

99
00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:21,960
Speaker 2: Well, look, that's a question for him. I mean, I'm

100
00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:26,080
Speaker 2: concerned about the fact that we need to maintain and

101
00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:29,039
Speaker 2: we need to increase credibility of our vaccination programs in

102
00:04:29,040 --> 00:04:31,480
Speaker 2: New Zealand, and we need to make sure that we

103
00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:34,800
Speaker 2: have transparent information and that's what the priority is, to

104
00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:37,880
Speaker 2: ensure that we can build that confidence, particularly with the

105
00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:40,520
Speaker 2: government's half barget around two year old immunization's confidence in

106
00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:43,200
Speaker 2: our immunization programs are critically important. And that's what I'm

107
00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:43,680
Speaker 2: focused on.

108
00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:45,440
Speaker 1: Is virrill as culpable.

109
00:04:46,080 --> 00:04:49,880
Speaker 2: While she received exactly the same piece of paper, she

110
00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:52,760
Speaker 2: even made a note on it, but the same question

111
00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:55,880
Speaker 2: she knew, what did she do? And the answer appears

112
00:04:55,920 --> 00:04:56,600
Speaker 2: to be nothing.

113
00:04:56,360 --> 00:04:58,559
Speaker 1: All right, I appreciate time, health min is assuming and brown.

114
00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:01,800
Speaker 1: For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to

115
00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:05,000
Speaker 1: News Talks at B from six am weekdays, or follow

116
00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:06,599
Speaker 1: the podcast on iHeartRadio