JONATHAN COLEMAN MP for Northcote

Coleman's Call March 22 2012

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 09:26:32 +1300

It’s been a busy start to the year with lots going on in both Wellington and Northcote.

As Minister of Defence, I have been fortunate to travel to London and Belgium where I met with international colleagues and participated in the re-burial of a NZ Brigade Unknown Soldier. I have had the opportunity to visit various Defence bases around the country and it’s been great to see the front line in action.

It is great to be able to come back to the electorate at the end of each week. I recently visited Northcote College to talk to a senior class about type 2 diabetes and the risks associated with obesity, attended the Northcote College Art Auction, attended the Glenfield community expo and visited Windy Ridge Primary School during the “Helping hands” working bee.

I am looking forward to the St Mary's School fair on the 31st of March – it’s always a lot of fun.

Please see below my last column from the North Shore Times for those who may have missed it.

Rate Rises Unsustainable

My campaign on the overgrowth of weeds across the North Shore generated a lot of positive feedback from people across the region. Raising the issue in the media also provoked an immediate response. Within a couple of days of the North Shore Times article highlighting the issue, there were teams of council staff out dealing to the weeds. It shouldn't have taken media coverage to get action but it's certainly much more effective than wading through layers of council bureaucracy.

While I'm concerned that we get our fair share of rates spend north of the bridge, I'm even more concerned that Auckland Council doesn't seem to acknowledge that every entity in the country from the individual household to the largest government department has spent the last three years figuring out how it can live within its means and has cut its cloth accordingly. When wages are growing at less than 2 per cent and for many people incomes are static, how on earth can the council expect 45,000 North Shore ratepayers to absorb proposed rate rises of 10 per cent year on year for the next three years?

On top of that the council is now suggesting a long list of ways to pay for Auckland's transport infrastructure over the coming decades. You will have seen it all on the front page of the Herald – bed taxes, a special GST for Auckland etc. As the Prime Minister indicated, it's central government that sets taxes, not councils. I don't think Aucklanders will have any appetite for increased costs at a time when household budgets are already extremely tight.

My suggestion is for Auckland Council to take a long hard look at its spending with a series of Value for Money reviews across all areas of council spending. It should be local government bureaucracy 101. Similar exercises across central government over the past three years have yielded savings of more than $1 billion out of a total Government spend of $73 billion a year. Those savings have been reinvested back into the country’s key priorities – health, education and infrastructure.

At a more local level, the council also needs to get a real feel for what ratepayers want to see their money being spent on. Too much money gets spent on too many projects that don't have real local buy-in or demand. While any given decision will never please everyone, presenting ratepayers with the financial reality of council spending choices in terms of impact on rates bills would get people thinking. All the little areas of council spend add up – and ultimately you pay for it through your rates bill.

My guess is that the people who are actually shouldering the burden of increasing rates bills will have a very different view on council spending to those who are not. The increases in rates across the North Shore are frankly not sustainable, and the council needs to have a major rethink on this one.

Speech to the NH90 Welcoming Ceremony

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 09:36:00 +1300

Your Excellency the Governor General

Your Excellencies: Ambassador Etienne

Ambassador Meister

Ambassador Trizzino

Mr Fabrice Rocherau, representing NHI and Eurocopter

Secretary of Defence, Mr John McKinnon

Acting Chief of Defence Force, Rear Admiral Jack Steer

Chief of Air Force, Air Vice Marshal, Peter Stockwell

Honoured Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a pleasure to be here today for the welcoming ceremony for the NH-90 medium utility helicopter.

Today we mark the start of a significant shift in defence capability for the NZDF, particularly the Air Force.

Alongside the recent introduction of the A109 training light utility helicopter and the construction of new purpose built facilities at Ohakea we are entering a new era for the Air Force.

The helicopter sitting on the tarmac here today is a twin engine, largely composite helicopter with a ‘fly-by-wire’ flight control system and electronic instrumentation. This is cutting edge technology!

With the introduction of the NH90 the Air Force is now transitioning to a modern, state-of-the-art medium utility helicopter platform which constitutes a quantum shift when compared with the iconic ‘Huey’ platform it will eventually replace.

For example:

the NH90’s range and endurance allows it to fly from New Zealand to Australia and to South Pacific Islands;

the NH90 will be able to lift an army Light Operational Vehicle (LOV), or an army 105mm howitzer artillery gun or up to 3,200kgs of cargo;

it will be able to carry up to 18 passengers;

unlike previous utility helicopters the NH90 has a self protection system; and

the NH90 will allow the NZDF to better integrate into missions with our key defence partners, particularly Australia and provide a modern medium utility helicopter capability which is highly sought after and valued by defence partners.

Before the NH90s can be put into operational use though, they will need to undergo a rigorous operational test and evaluation phase. This is where the Defence Force develops and fully tests procedures, training, maintenance and interoperability issues, to ensure we get the most from these awesome machines.

This testing has been designed to provide a ‘staged’ release of capability over the next 12 to 18 months as the wide array of capability the NH90 offers come on line.

The NH90 will contribute greatly to delivering on the Government’s defence objectives as outlined in the Defence White Paper.

In the domestic environment, the NH90 will greatly assist the NZDF’s ability to be able to respond to civil emergencies (such as the Christchurch earthquakes); enforce our interests in New Zealand’s maritime approaches; and support other agencies in their work.

In the South Pacific, our aim, with Australia, is to manage any reasonably foreseeable contingency. This is a significant commitment. New Zealand forces have played major roles in peace support operations in the region for more than a decade. Eventually, our NH90’s will be able to work closely alongside the Australian variants throughout the region.

Operating beyond the South Pacific, we will maintain forces to contribute alongside the advanced militaries of our partners, in the most demanding circumstances.

The capabilities described in the White Paper and Capability Plan will form a Joint Amphibious Task Force. It will integrate units across the Navy, Army and Air Force to operate as one force and provide the Government with a coherent and effective response to New Zealand’s security needs.

The NH90 is central to achieving the Joint Amphibious Task Force as well as contributing to fulfilling the roles and tasks I have just mentioned.

A continuing close and constructive relationship with NHI will be key to the successful operation and sustainment of our helicopters.

I look forward to my officials working closely with Fabrice and the NHI team to continue the momentum in this project and deliver the remaining six helicopters.

I want to acknowledge the attendance here today of the NHI on site team based at Ohakea.

While our relationship with NHI is based around the acquisition and sustainment of NH90 helicopters, it has already developed deeper strands.

NHI were there to support us during a time of need for our country. Their generous contribution to Christchurch Earthquake recovery efforts was much appreciated.

Turning to our own team I want to highlight the role of the Crown project team for their efforts thus far in delivering the first two NH90 aircraft.

I want to acknowledge the work of the Secretary of Defence’s acquisition team including Deputy Secretary Des Ashton, Project Director Kevin McMahon, Project Manager Grant Isherwood and present and former project team members including WG CDR Shaun Johnson.

There has also been a significant amount of planning and organisational effort and change within the NZDF to bring the NH90 into service that I want to recognise.

The work of NZDF’s Capability Branch and the Air Force’s Helicopter Transition Unit and others has been key to the success of the project.

I also want to acknowledge the efforts of present and former senior NZDF leadership to get us to today.

RNZAF 75th Anniversary

As the Air Force marks its 75th anniversary this month, it does so on the dawn of an exciting new era, with new or upgraded capabilities including:

a modified Boeing 757 fleet;

upgraded C-130 and P-3K2 aircraft;

a new A-109 training and light utility helicopter fleet; and

the arrival of the first two NH90 medium utility helicopters.

I look forward to the Air Force displaying these new capabilities at the open day at Ohakea later this month.

Thank you.

General Debate - 29th February, 2012 - Part 5

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 16:05:16 +1300

Address In Reply Debate -16th February, 2012 - Part 3

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 09:01:41 +1300

Reburial of unknown New Zealand Soldier, Messines Ridge

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 11:09:00 +1300

Thank you Burgemeester Evrard

Your excellencies, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen.

Today’s ceremony is a chance to reflect on the sacrifices of a generation of young New Zealanders who gave their lives in Flanders.

It is also a time to acknowledge the people of Flanders and Belgium for looking after the sons of New Zealand in remembrance of that terrible experience of almost a century ago.

The ties that bind our countries were forged here and will never be broken.

This region was the scene of bitter fighting between the British Commonwealth and German forces in the third year of the First World War.

By this stage of the conflict New Zealanders were well acquainted with the horrific realities of modern warfare.

The battle of the Somme had already claimed 2000 New Zealand lives and a further 2,700 were lost at Gallipoli. But darker days were to come.

A key allied objective in 1917 was to drive towards the German coast, capturing Messines and Passchendaele on the way.

These names are now synonymous with the horror and sacrifice of the Western Front.

The battles around Messines and then Passchendaele led to the deaths of more New Zealanders than any other single event in New Zealand history.
Messines was the scene of particularly intense fighting by the New Zealand Division in June 1917.

During one battle of the Passchendaele offensive 800 New Zealand soldiers were killed in action in just one day alone.

By the time they were finally withdrawn from the Ypres front line in February 1918, the New Zealand Division had suffered more than 18,000 casualties – including around 5000 deaths – and won three Victoria Crosses for bravery.

The New Zealand soldier we are laying to rest today – almost a century after his death – is one of those 5000 killed in the Ypres battles.

We know this soldier was a member of the 4th Battalion of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade. Beyond that, we know only that he was one of the tens of thousands of New Zealanders who volunteered to serve, and one of the 9,000 New Zealand servicemen who have no known grave.

In this ceremony, we recognise his sacrifice, and the sacrifices of all New Zealanders who fought here.

We can only hazard a reasonable guess at the life this young man would have led in New Zealand before boarding a ship to serve his country.

What we do know for sure though is that is was a time when men were called to make extraordinary sacrifices so that the peoples of our two countries might live in freedom.

That sacrifice is not forgotten is clearly shown by the growing crowds at each year's ANZAC day ceremonies and in the interest of a new generation in the deeds of their forebears in lands faraway.

If you speak to any New Zealander who visits this region they are struck by the hospitality of the people of Flanders and humbled by the way in which the legacy of young New Zealanders who died so far away from home is honoured.

It gives us great comfort to know that the memory of our fallen is so solemnly and actively preserved by the people of Flanders.

For that we cannot thank you enough.

The reburial today is important on so many levels.

It is important to pay tribute to past suffering and sacrifice.

It is also important to remind ourselves to preserve the hard fought gains of peace and democracy.

Lest we forget.

ISAF Defence Ministers Meeting Intervention statement by New Zealand Minister of Defence Hon Dr Jonathan Coleman

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:14:00 +1300

Secretary General

It is a pleasure to attend my first meeting of NATO’s North Atlantic Council with its ISAF partners and I look forward to working with you and all my colleagues around the table in the months and years ahead.

Secretary General, today’s discussion provides an important opportunity to further refine and shape the strategic plan for Afghanistan that will be adopted at the Chicago Summit in just over three months time.

For its part, New Zealand is committed to supporting the people of Afghanistan as they build a safe and sustainable society. As the Commander of ISAF and NATO’s Senior Civilian Representative have recorded in their transition reports, there has been positive progress in Bamiyan province since we last met. In that regard let me explain the progress in three areas: security, development, and finally governance.

• Progress is also being made in building the capability of the ANP Quick Reaction Force (PQRF), a key part of our security strategy for transition. We welcome the support of NATO’s Training Mission in Afghanistan (NTM-A) in providing equipment and logistical support to the PQRF. Likewise, we welcome EUPOL’s steadfast support in mentoring and training the ANP in community policing.
• On the back of these and other security developments, there are indications that more insurgents are looking lay down their weapons. Earlier this month, Bamiyan held its first ever reintegration ceremony at which five former Taliban insurgents joined the reintegration process.
• On the development side, New Zealand’s principal contribution is expanding the provision of electricity in Bamiyan, where we are proceeding with a concept design for a solar energy project. We are also assisting in agriculture where New Zealand tractors will help raise productivity. Thought is also being given to the long term potential for encouraging visitors back into the province. Needless to say, the people of Bamiyan set great store by those initiatives and this represents a potential path to sustainable and meaningful prosperity.
• It is also important to note that Bamiyan is relatively isolated within Afghanistan. Therefore the upgrading of communications links into and through the province is vital. There are two projects which are planned to start in the middle of this year.
• Lastly, on governance, we are supporting Governor Sarabi in her determination to establish an independent Anti-Corruption Committee.
Secretary General we have many partners working with us and the provincial authorities in Bamiyan. The United States, Malaysia and the European Union have all contributed to what we have achieved in the province. We also co-operate closely with our friends from Japan in delivering development projects, and we welcome Japan’s interest in assisting with the re-development of Bamiyan airport.

In conclusion we are very aware that the durability of what has been achieved in Bamiyan relies on progress right across Afghanistan. Bamiyan cannot be secure if the country as a whole is not ultimately secure.

Speech to NZ Institute of Chartered Accountants - Public Sector conference

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 09:49:00 +1300

Good afternoon everyone and thank you for the opportunity to speak today – the Minister of Finance Bill English has asked me to pass on his apologies as he is unable to attend.

I think it’s very timely that your conference is addressing the important and ongoing challenge of transformational change.

In the time I have with you today I’d like to touch on:

My impressions so far as Minister for State Services.
What the Government has set out to achieve and its work so far.
What this means for yourselves.

Following the election last year the Prime Minister asked me to work on three portfolios: Defence, Finance and State Services.

With this wide involvement across the State Services I can tell you my impressions as Minister of State Services are those of immense respect for the work of the public service, and its commitment to service.

The work of the public service is broad and touches just about every facet of our lives: from the preparation of your birth certificate, to providing a student loan, to receiving a pension.

And that commitment to service has continued for a century – in November this year it will be 100 years since the Public Service Act 1912 came in to being.

And so it’s a fitting milestone to consider the future for public services.

It is a milestone we are focusing on not because of an anniversary but because of the immediate situation we face as a country.

Those challenges we know well:

- - The global economic situation in the wake of the Global Financial Crisis.
  - Our country’s deficit – and the sound imperative to get back into the black.
  - And our country’s desire for modern and cost-effective public services which make a tangible and positive impact on New Zealanders.

And so these challenges are what create the four priorities the government has set for the term.

* Responsibly managing the Government’s finances.

* Building a more productive and competitive economy.

* Delivering better public services within tight financial constraints.

* And rebuilding Christchurch.

As you can see, ongoing reform of the public service is an essential strand of our top priorities.

For good reasons.

For our size, our country has a complex and cluttered State sector.

This means there’s duplication and waste - making it hard to prioritise what is most important.

The state sector makes up around a quarter of the economy.

It plays a critical role in how New Zealand is performing, delivering jobs and growth, and improving environmental and social results.

Good progress has been made so far:

* We have reduced the number of government agencies where it makes sense. The amalgamation of Food Safety and Fisheries into MAF, and Archives and the National Library in to the Department of Internal Affairs, are good examples.

* The number of public servants has been capped.

* Over three Budgets we have freed up almost 9 billion dollars to put towards boosting frontline services.

* A targeted approach in areas such as health has seen elective surgery waiting times reduced or cleared.

* We have collected and published public sector indicators. For example benchmarking back office services has become a valuable measurement tool.

* There’s been greater joint procurement by government agencies from IT to vehicles.

* And there’s been improved transparency around CEO spending.

All of these changes from the last three years have been driven by two common themes.

Making do with the present budgets we have, and achieving better results for the public.

That is going to continue this term.

At the moment, we can look around the public services and see "islands" of great practice in the public sector - initiatives, people and projects that work across agencies and within whole sectors to deliver tangible results for businesses, communities and the economy.

These are examples of how the Government would like the public sector to work.

We want to make sure these sorts of innovations occur across all government agencies.

Some examples are:

A shared focus on results - In the Justice sector, the three biggest departments are increasingly organising themselves to better leverage their resources to reduce costs and achieve better results. They have established a Sector Leadership Board and are looking to further collaborate on capital investments, policy, back office functions and leadership development.

Flexible, customer-driven service - The Canterbury earthquakes required agencies to find new ways to provide services to affected communities including remote working for staff, using community facilities, sharing staff and resources, and maximising flexible working – these were driven by necessity but in many cases showed that doing things differently can result in better services and is leading to these new approaches being utilised nationwide by some of these agencies.

Innovation - In an example of how central and local government can work together to achieve biodiversity – “Kia Whakarite” is a unique partnership between the Department of Conservation and Horizons Regional Council in the Whanganui National Park. Encompassing 180,000 ha of land (both conservation estate and privately-owned), Kia Whakarite has delivered improved water, biodiversity, and social/economic development - for the benefit of iwi, landowners, the rural unemployed, tourists, and endangered species such as the North Island brown kiwi.

Leadership across Government - The Ministry for Economic Development has led a procurement initiative which has more than 200 Government organisations signed up to all-of-Government contracts, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in savings.

Outcomes not outputs - The Pulse, a one-stop-shop for Whangarei’s young people and families, has attracted international attention as an innovative multi-agency response to community needs. Its services are constantly adapting and expanding to meet increasingly diverse local needs – from programmes for young dads, to an employment service, to a roving graffiti removal team.

Better services for less - following on from the Defence White paper in 2010, the New Zealand Defence Force has promptly undertaken a significant savings exercise.

As I mentioned, Defence is one of my other portfolios, and I often look upon it with the perspective as Minister of State Services.

I think the progress made by Defence is more advanced compared with other agencies.

It’s a good illustration of what’s possible.

Defence officials, and the civilian appointed Chief Operating Officer, have been prepared to engage in open thinking.

They accept slicing the salami approach is not longer viable.

Instead they’ve taken a fresh view.

It is appreciably improving management structures, human resource functions, contracting arrangements.

These changes also lead to better decision making.

As part of the tail to teeth approach there has been a modest civilisation process, where 305 non-deployable uniformed staff reapplied for their jobs. (Out of a total of 14,000 defence force employees)

The achieved savings, and there will be genuine savings, are distributed back into the Defence Force.

As new equipment is brought into service, such as the NH90 helicopters which are being commissioned next week, I believe defence force staff will welcome the capability results of the change process they have been through.

I am sure you are aware the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is undergoing a similar approach.

As promised prior to the Election, the Government will also lower the cap on core government administration. The Government policy is for the cap to sit at no more than 36, 475 FTE positions. We will maintain this policy with the next reporting date in June of this year.

Another featured change is leadership – the critical driver for achieving change.

The Government is committed to encouraging good leadership across the public service.

Along with this will be a stronger expectation around cross-agency collaboration in the years to come.

We expect government agencies to work together, not work separately.

To focus on the delivering the result rather than delineating on whose patch it is.

As the famous adages goes – you can’t expect a different result by repeating the same old approach.

In fact my message to you as the finance and business managers of the wider State sector is to bring leadership and cross-agency collaboration to the fore in your work.

I know the Secretary to The Treasury, Gabs Makhlouf, will be talking about leadership more specifically tomorrow, but I will highlight now an excellent example as a curtain raiser .

Iain Rennie, the State Services Commissioner, Maarten Weavers, Chief Executive of DPMC and Gabs, have combined their respective support services – Finance, HR and ICT – to deliver better and more cost-effective services.

The CASS initiative - Central Agency Shared Services – begins providing services to the three central agencies on Wednesday next week (7/3/2012).

The leadership and collaboration in action here speaks volumes and shows what is possible.

It is a significant shift and we anticipate similar types of initiatives in other parts of the public sector. This and other types of cross-agency collaboration will only increase in the years to come.

Another way of thinking about this dimension - the reforms we are implementing are unlike any that have gone before because it’s not just about the public sector.

Our ability to come up with innovative and cost-effective solutions is what this nation was built on and there is no better example than what’s been happening in Christchurch since the quakes.

Immediately after the major quakes – agencies were required to find new ways to provide services to affected communities including:

- Remote working for staff

- using community facilities,

- sharing staff and resources,

- And maximising flexible working arrangements

These were driven by necessity but in many cases showed that doing things differently can result in better services.

The underlying point is new approaches can bring good outcomes.

This spirit of looking for a better way with limited resources is, I think, at the heart of what we are trying to achieve with our services.

In conclusion I think it is an exciting time for the public service.

As a Government we appreciate the work of our public servants and the services the deliver to New Zealanders.

However as a country we have to live within our means and it is in everybody’s best interests to see the balance sheet return to surplus.

And as a Government we want our government institutions to think smarter, be responsive, and deliver upon key results.

Thank you.

My vision this year

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 10:06:00 +1300

Last year was intense nationally and locally, with earthquakes, tornadoes, the Rena stranding, the Rugby World Cup win and the general election.

It was a year that saw Auckland on the world stage during the cup. The odd hiccup aside, Auckland rose to the challenge. Many locals saw their city through new eyes as the waterfront came alive and the fan trail opened up previously unexplored nooks and crannies.

So what does 2012 hold and what should we be aspiring to?

On the wider front there’s no question that economic growth is the key priority and that is where the government’s focus is. Ultimately raising export levels is the key to future prosperity. There will also be a continued drive to contain growth in public spending, while making sure that government expenditure produces real results.

At the local level there are some areas I’d like to see focus on in 2012:

Enhanced ferry services. The Beach Haven service is coming later this year with Fullers also trialling enhanced services from Birkenhead and Northcote. However, the public needs to support services to ensure ongoing viability.

Auckland Council taking a sensible approach to transit lanes in Northcote. It is council that controls these, not central government. Why not trial a T2 lane on Onewa Rd and review the Lake Rd Northcote Transit Lane? Once the Victoria Park tunnel and overpass are operating at full lane capacity, it should be possible to let traffic flow far more freely down Onewa Rd on to the harbour bridge.
More information on walking/cycling across the harbour bridge. It’s time to answer some of the detailed questions around funding and access at the Northcote end. There is a wide range of opinion but people want to know how it might work in practical terms.

Continued community engagement about optimising our local environments. Communal gym equipment in reserves might be what some communities want; in Little Shoal Bay, locals might prefer to maintain the environment as is. The point is they haven’t been asked.

A hard look at what we’re actually getting for our council rates spend. Rates are going up beyond the rate of inflation and it’s difficult to see how it’s justified. I believe many people would like to see spending focused on the core services everyone expects a council to provide – like cleaning the overgrown weeds and dead leaves that are choking the Shore’s paths and gutters.

On a personal note, 2011 was a great year. We achieved a record 9379 majority in Northcote and I’m extremely grateful for that vote of confidence. I have new portfolios as Minister of Defence, Minister of State Services and Associate Minister of Finance. There are big challenges but I’m really looking forward to this term as MP for Northcote. Here’s to 2012.

Coleman's Call November 30 2011

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:52:05 +1300

Firstly, a huge thanks to everyone in Northcote who contributed to Saturday night’s resounding election victory. We can take real pride in an excellent result, both locally and nationally.

Our win here in Northcote is the result of a huge amount of hard work from a large and dedicated team of volunteers. To the people who campaigned out on the streets, folded letters, provided hoarding sites, made lunches for E-day workers, scrutineered or donated, your support and commitment is greatly appreciated.

In the Northcote electorate we secured 58% of the candidate vote to Labour’s 29% - that’s two votes to every one Labour received. We won the electorate vote in 20 out of 21 booths, and in the one booth we didn’t win, the losing margin was only three votes. On election night we polled 8535 votes – only 42 votes fewer than the 2008 election night majority of 8577. Considering the low overall voter turnout on Saturday night, this is actually a better result; 3305 special votes are still to be counted which means our final majority could exceed the 2008 final majority of 9360.

What’s more, we won the party vote at all 21 polling places in the electorate, something we had never achieved in previous elections. National achieved 52% of the party vote across the electorate.

Nationally the result was also a huge triumph for the Government. National won 48% of the vote which betters National's share of the vote in its landslide wins of 1990 and 1975; it’s our best result since 1951. For Labour, it’s their worst result since 1928.

I’ve been in Wellington for the past two days attending Cabinet and Caucus, but this morning I’ve been down on Onewa Road fulfilling a post-election tradition of thanking the electorate.

Once again, thank you to everyone who contributed to a very successful campaign. It’s a great result which you should take real pride in.

AUT Mental Health Week Seminar. The Great Push: Investing in Mental Health

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 09:53:02 +1300

Good afternoon. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you this afternoon as part of Mental Health Awareness Week.

The theme for today’s seminar is 'The Great Push: Investing in Mental Health'.

In New Zealand there was a 'Great Change' in the way we delivered mental health services, before the “Great Push” to invest in mental health began.

The catalyst for the “Great Change” was deinstitutionalisation. Large psychiatric institutions offered little hope to anyone who came in contact with them – little hope for the people who lived there that their situation could improve, their families or the staff of those institutions.

The closure of the large psychiatric hospitals signalled that services for people with a severe illness could be delivered in different and better ways, reflecting shifts in thinking that:

services for people with a severe illness can be delivered in the community
people with a severe illness can recover and lead lives full of meaning and purpose
people with a severe illness can be part of and contribute to their communities.

However the journey of mental health and addiction service development has not been without its difficulties.

In 1995, a government inquiry, led by Judge Ken Mason, was set up to investigate the delivery of mental health services in New Zealand following several serious and widely reported incidents involving people with a history of mental health service use.

The Mason Inquiry report linked “the gradual disintegration of systems, a flight of expertise, a loss of morale by those who remain within the system and a potential loss of confidence by the community” with the systemic under-funding of mental health services.

Mental health services were found to be at the end of the “pecking order” when funding for public health services was determined.

The Mason Inquiry made a number of important recommendations including the establishment of the Mental Health Commission as a monitor of the sector’s progress, and a new funding stream which became known as “Mason Money” to address the major service gaps for the estimated 3% of the population with a severe illness.

The Mason Inquiry also recommended the establishment of a ring-fence for mental health to protect funding for mental health from being diverted for use in other health services.

Mason money of over $120 million (nominal dollars) contributed to the growth in funding of specialist mental health and addiction services from $390 million in 1995/1996 to $571 million by 1999/2000, which represents an increase of 46% over 5 years.

Today, more money is going into mental health with sustained increases over the past 3 years taking expenditure to $1.27 billion - an increase of $1 billion over 20 years, which equates to an average increase of about $50 million per year over this period.

Budget 2011 provided more funding for mental health with an extra $40m over 4 years.

The Mental Health Commission’s development of the Blueprint for Mental Health Services led to successive governments approving annual Blueprint funding streams, which since 2001 has provided over $200 million (nominal dollars) to support DHBs’ growth of specialist mental health and addiction services.

In the 1990’s accurate records of the number of people accessing specialist mental health and addiction services did not exist, but in 2002/03, around 88,000 people were seen by these services. Today, about 126,000 people are seen each year.

Better access to services and better quality services have only been possible through the expansion of the mental health and addiction workforce, including medical staff, mental health nurses, allied health staff, community support workers and peer and family/support workers.

It is estimated that about 12,000 people are employed in delivering mental health and addiction services across all settings (public and private), with DHBs reporting over 7,000 people employed in DHB provider arm specialist mental health and addiction services.

About 120 Primary Mental Health clinical roles have been established since 2005.

The type and range of services that DHBs and NGOs provide today reflects the evolution of service models and pathways that support recovery.

Recovery has had a fundamental impact over the last 10 or 12 years on the way services are delivered and the outcomes for service users.

Whereas 20 years ago nearly all people with a severe illness were seen in inpatient settings, today 10 percent of people are seen in inpatient services and 90 percent of people are seen in community services.

Today, community services account for about 73 percent of the funding on mental health and addiction services.

We have over 300 NGO providers of mental health and alcohol and drug services, whose genesis for the most part can be traced back to the deinstitutionalisation process and the additional funding invested in the sector.

DHBs have the opportunity to fund a wide range of services for their populations - children and youth, adults, older people, Māori, Pacific and people of other ethnicities.

The range of services that DHBs can choose to fund include crisis respite, crisis intervention, early intervention for first time psychosis, mobile intensive treatment, acute packages of care, options for acute home based treatment and acute and intensive care inpatient services.

A large community clinical workforce provides services in outpatient settings and a mobile community support workforce provides supports for people- often in their own homes.

There are employment, housing, peer and family/whānau services to assist people re-integrate into their communities.

There are Kaupapa Māori and mainstream services and services for Pacific people, Asian people and refugees.

There is a range of specialist services for people with alcohol and other drug problems and services for people with co-existing disorders of mental illness and addiction, and mental illness and intellectual disability.

There are specialist forensic, maternal mental health, and eating disorder services.

Here are some figures that indicate changes in the type and quality of the services that are now provided:

The national total acute inpatient bed days have reduced from 233,103 in 2004/05 to 175,150 in 2009/10 – a reduction of 25% in five years.
The national average length of acute inpatient stay in a year has reduced from 42 days in 2006/07 to 36 days in 2009/10.
The National Mental Health Consumer Satisfaction Survey tells us that in 2009/10 81% of people who used specialist services were satisfied with the services they received, which compares with a satisfaction rate of 79% in 2006/07.

But how do we build on the gains we have made?

In the last few years we have already sown the seeds for some of this work.

More DHBs are implementing Knowing the People Planning for people with an enduring illness and more people have relapse prevention plans to help keep themselves well.

We are capturing Health of the Nation Outcome Scales (HoNOS) outcome data on the severity at admission and discharge of people using DHB specialist inpatient and community services. This data has the potential to identify the most effective services and therefore inform future service development

New services have been put in place where previously there were gaps. In 2009 new funding of $6.5 million per year was made available to strengthen eating disorder services across the country but especially in Auckland, including the establishment of a NGO-provided community residential service. There are additional community places for methamphetamine-related issues. An additional $1.3 million per year approved in 2010 has increased the capacity of DHB specialist youth alcohol and drug services to meet unmet need and referrals from the courts.

A number of DHBs are working on plans to improve the integration of mental health and addiction services across the care continuum and between mental health and other health and disability services.

There are additional places available in primary mental health programmes, offering services such as packages of care or extended practice consultations to people with mild to moderate disorders with $4.5 million more baseline funding per year invested in 2010/11 compared to 2008/09. There has been investment in the development of e-therapies.

We are working inter-sectorally on a range of issues including ways to improve the access of vulnerable families to positive parenting advice and to specialist services for children with more severe conduct or behavioural difficulties, with over $2 million additional funding per year allocated to the Ministry of Health for this purpose in Budget 2010.

But what about the future?

The new Mental Health and Addiction Service Development Plan or SDP is due for completion by 30 November 2011. It will provide a new overarching planning framework that will guide the MHC’s work to develop a new Blueprint and inform the next stage of implementing the recommendations of Health Workforce New Zealand’s Mental Health and Addiction Workforce Service Review.

The SDP aims to address health inequalities, remove barriers and enable change. It will set out the principles, priorities and targets for service development over the next three to five years and the strategies to enable this development to occur in a time of financial constraint.

The service priorities in the SDP are to:

promote the recovery of people with a severe illness- including assisting people to manage their own recovery and staff to work in a way that better supports recovery
develop services for people with a high prevalence disorder such as depression and anxiety, including better access to effective interventions such as e-therapies.
improve access to services for children and young people, including to appropriate primary and specialist services.
The strategies in the SDP to achieve greater focus on service development in these areas are to use the existing resources more effectively, support people’s self-management of their condition and work more effectively across health and social sectors

In conclusion, we have come a long way since the 1990s, but there are significant challenges ahead to use the existing funding we have more effectively to improve access to services to a wider population, while not losing the gains we have made.

Thank you.

New Zealand Healthcare Network Reception

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:31:00 +1300

Welcome guests and welcome to The Cloud

The Cloud showcases New Zealand’s creativity and innovation – it’s a national centre showcasing everything that New Zealand does well.

The Rugby World Cup has provided a great vehicle for New Zealand to present itself to the world. We’ve warmly welcomed the tens of thousands of visitors here for the tournament and 95,000 are expected to visit in total.

The tournament is also being screened to an estimated global television audience of 4 billion people.
It’s an unprecedented opportunity to showcase the best of New Zealand’s products and services, and our expertise and innovation, to an international audience.

One innovative sector New Zealand is healthcare.

Featuring in the Cloud are leading companies like Im-able, Fisher and Paykel Healthcare, Rex Bionics and Zephyr Technologies.

Health represents a huge global investment, estimated at around $6 trillion per annum. In the US, health spend represents over 16 percent of GDP; the OECD average is around 9 percent - similar to New Zealand’s per capita health spend with the Government spending $14 billion a year on health.

Healthcare services worldwide are under significant pressure, with costs being driven to unsustainable levels by demographic trends, rising prevalence of ‘lifestyle diseases’ and increasing expectations from patients.

New Zealandis no exception. Over the past 50 years, our health costs have risen over three times as fast as GDP. Despite these pressures, the New Zealand health system has performed quite well.

A number of factors have contributed to this performance:

Advanced use of health IT, including one of the earliest implementations of a unique national health identifier (NHI) for each resident, and the second-highest uptake in the world (behind Denmark) of electronic medical records. The NHI is critical for the communication of patient data across the continuum of care, and enables national reporting, monitoring and research.
Structural advantages, including a single layer of government (as opposed to federal/state systems like Australia) and a relatively small, geographically distinct country. This removes a layer of complexity, and makes it easier to be nimble.
An appetite for innovation has also moved us ahead. For instance, the disposable hypodermic syringe was invented by New Zealander Colin Murdoch in the 1950’s

When looking at our health system, it’s important to provide some context on the key developments over the past three years. When the Government came into office in 2008 we were very clear on what the public wanted from the health service – they wanted it to be efficient, convenient and led by clinicians. They expected us to deliver high quality health care and to get better value for their tax dollars, despite the challenging global financial situation.

When the government assumed office, it inherited some problem areas:

Elective surgery volumes not keeping up with population growth and ageing
People waiting too long in EDs
People waiting too long for cancer treatments
Low rates of immunisation
Alienated health professionals
A lack of collaboration and coordination amongst health agencies
Bureaucracy growing out of proportion with the clinical workforcK

To address these problems, and others, over the past three years the Government has focussed heavily on driving, improving and monitoring performance in the public health system.

This approach has been led through the adoption of Health Targets – a set of national performance measures specifically designed to improve the performance of health services and provide a focus for action.

There are currently six health targets with each reflecting a priority health area for the Government and we are seeing some very good results.

Shorter stays in emergency departments – 95% of patients are seen and treated within six hours
Shorter waits for cancer treatment – patients ready for radiation treatment start it within four weeks
Increased immunisation
Improved access to elective surgery
Better help for smokers to quit
Better diabetes and cardiovascular services

And we publish the results every quarter. The latest results show we are continuing to make good progress on these targets

For the final quarter of the 2010/11 year, record numbers of kiwi patients are accessing elective surgery.

DHBs delivered more than 145,000 elective surgery discharges in the last financial year - 26,000 more than three years ago. That's 500 extra patients a week are now getting elective surgery.

Other highlights in the latest results are:

A record 90 per cent of two year olds are now immunized, which is up from only 73% just over three years ago.
All cancer patients ready for radiation treatment started treatment within four weeks (except at the Christchurch cancer centre where one patient waited three days longer than target as a result of earthquakes).
92% of emergency department patients were admitted, discharged or transferred within six hours. 14 DHBs are now over 90%. This includes Waitemata DHB's North Shore Hospital...that was at 61% only 2 years ago. All evidence shows better treatment and recovery for patients seen sooner in EDs.
85% of smokers were offered support to quit smoking, compared with 74% the previous quarter. Lakes DHB becomes the first to hit 100% in this preventive health target.

The improved performance has been backed by Government investment in health.

Despite the serious economic environment, this Government has invested an additional $1.5 billion of new money into health in its first three years.

Budget 2011 acknowledged the importance of protecting and growing our public health services and delivered an extra $2.2 billion to public health services over the next four years, including an additional $585 million in initiatives in 2011/12.

Looking ahead, we recognise that we can provide a top-class health system and ensure patients get the treatment they need while seizing the opportunity to make our health system an engine of economic growth and a magnet for talent.

We will aim not only for better, sooner, more convenient health services with correspondingly improved health outcomes, we will also target economic returns and the attraction, development and retention of talent. By doing so, we will become healthier, wealthier and wiser.

Examples of areas contributing to economic returns from our health sector include:

World-leading health IT, developed by New Zealand companies like Orion Health, Emendo, HSA Global, Precept, and others
Innovative medical devices, developed by firms such as Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, Enztech, Triodent, and others
Leading services, such as distributors like EBOS, healthcare providers like Healthcare NZ, contract research organisations like Uniservices, medical education and training, and more
We also have committed to building up our clinical trials capabilities, serving both domestic and global customers

To support public-private collaboration in promoting and accelerating innovation, the Government recently announced support for the Health Innovation Hub, a joint initiative of the four District Health Boards representing the Auckland area and Canterbury. We’ll be hearing more about this from Jonathon Gray and Geraint Martin later this evening.

We are also developing a more coherent, whole-of-government approach, with increasing collaboration between Ministry of Health, Ministry of Science and Innovation, the Ministry of Economic Development and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise.

Strong industry groups such as the New Zealand Health IT Cluster, Medical Technology Association of New Zealand, and NZBIO are also working closely with government to ensure that the economic potential of innovation in the health sector is realised

One area of leadership we intend to develop is helping patients be much more active and effective participants in managing their own care.

If we can mobilise our population to look after their health, we believe that they will live longer, happier, healthier and more productive lives.

We already have some of the infrastructure in place to build this capability, and the National IT Board’s strategy for introducing shared care plans will further contribute toward enhancing the effectiveness, efficiency, and ‘user-friendliness’ of healthcare.

Many of you in this room are contributing to that effort.For this, New Zealand thanks you. For those of you who are visiting, we are delighted that you could join us, and look forward to exploring opportunities to work together.

Connect Conference 2011

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 15:29:00 +1300

Thank you for the warm welcome. It’s a privilege to be here today to open the Connect Conference.

Today we mark Connect’s “coming of age” since its formation 21 years ago by celebrating the mental health and addiction sector’s journey of growth and development over the same period.

We do things differently now than we did 21 years ago.

21 years ago most people with a severe mental illness lived in large psychiatric hospitals, often located in remote areas - hidden away from society.

These were generally not the type of hospitals where sick people got better.

Many people with mental illness were “patients” for life. They lived their lives as patients and they died as patients.

Psychiatric institutions offered little hope to anyone who came in contact with them – little hope for the people who lived there, their families or the staff of those institutions.

In New Zealand, the closure of the large psychiatric hospitals signalled that services for people with a mental health illness could be delivered in different and better ways.

Connect and other NGOs date their formation to around this time. The deinstitutionalisation process was not without its difficulties. However, it was the catalyst for changes in the sector. As a result New Zealand is identified as a world leader in the delivery of some specialist mental health and addiction services.

The deinstitutionalisation process started some fundamental shifts in thinking that subsequently became reflected in changed service pathways and models leading to better outcomes for people with a mental illness and more fulfilling ways of working for people employed in the sector.

Some of the concepts underlying these changes were:

services for people with severe mental illness can be delivered in the community
people with severe mental illness can recover and lead lives full of meaning and purpose
people with severe mental illness can be part of and contribute to their communities.

Change was made possible because successive governments recognised that public health funding was often prioritised to other health services. More funding was invested in mental health and addiction services to address this situation.

In 1993/94 $270 million was spent on mental health and addiction services.

Budget 2011 provided more funding for mental health with an extra $40m over 4 years.

Other key achievements in mental health over the past three years also include:

$23.7m for increased access to primary mental health
100 more people working in primary mental health
More extended consultations
More counselling, more interventions

I understand that Connect was originally incorporated as AMHS Accommodation for Mental Health Services. Connect, like other NGO providers, had the objective of providing “accommodation for life” for people leaving large psychiatric institutions.

The concept of recovery changed the business of NGO providers.

Our understanding of recovery is that a person with a mental illness and/or addiction can live well in the presence or absence of their illness.

Recovery has had a fundamental impact over the last 10 or 12 years on the way services are delivered and the outcomes for service users.

Whereas 21 years ago, nearly all people with a severe mental illness were seen in inpatient settings, today 10 percent of people are seen in inpatient services and 90 percent of people are seen in community services.

Today, community services accounts for about 73 percent of the funding on mental health and addiction services. We have over 300 NGO providers of mental health and alcohol and drug services, whose genesis for the most part can be traced back to the deinstitutionalisation process.

The type and range of services that NGOs provide today reflects the evolution of service models and pathways that support the recovery of people with mental illness or addiction.

People didn’t want to be “accommodated” for life, they wanted the supports that would give them opportunity to live their lives as they wanted to – to realise their own goals about housing, employment, friends, family and how they participate in their communities.

Many NGOs have changed their operations over the last 10 years and now employ a community support workforce which provides mobile supports to people in their own homes.

While residential accommodation is still provided, the emphasis now is on rehabilitation, so that wherever possible people can develop the skills needed to live independently.

NGOs provide respite services which help people “have a break” to prevent a crisis developing.

When people are ready to live independently, many NGOs provide services to help people find and keep a home. These services offer information, advocacy and practical help to setting up a home.

Employment servicesprovide people with assistance in defining their employment goals, finding work experience, making job applications and assisting with the job interview process.

Peer support and family whānau services provide people going through hard times with information, comradeship and hope that their situation can get better.

Drop-in-centres and day programmes offer a place of “belonging” where people learn new skills and make friends.

Today’s conference is about taking stock of where the sector’s come from, where we are now, and where we want to be.

We have made significant gains over the last 21 years. The challenge we have in a time of resource constraint is how we protect those gains and continue to provide access to quality services for people with a severe illness, so we don’t end up back where we started 15 years ago, while providing better access for a wider range of people, including at the prevention and early intervention stages.

A new Mental Health and Addiction Service Development Plan is due for completion later this year and will set high level directions, priorities and principles to inform DHBs’ planning and funding of mental health services over the next three to five years.

In addition, the Mental Health Commission is developing a new Blueprint with the objective of identifying a sustainable future investment pathway for mental health and addiction services.

We often hear these days about a “stepped care” approach to service delivery –which means people receive the least resource intensive and most effective services first.

Wherever possible that involves identifying how we can deliver services when problems are in their earlier stages and in clinically appropriate but least resource intensive ways.

The large investment in community services attests that the mental health and addiction sector already knows quite a bit about a “stepped care” approach.

But how do we build on those gains?

In the last few years we have already sown the seeds for some of this work.

More DHBs are implementing Knowing the People Planning for people with an enduring illness and more people have relapse prevention plans to help keep themselves well.

There are additional places available in primary mental health programmes, offering services such as packages of care or extended practice consultations to people with mild to moderate disorders.

A number of DHBs are working on plans to improve the integration of mental health and addiction services across the care continuum and between mental health and other health and disability services.

New services have been put in place where previously there were gaps. There are new eating disorder services in Auckland, with a NGO-provided community residential service. There are additional community places for methamphetamine-related issues and young offenders can access community-based youth programmes.

We are working on ways to improve the access of vulnerable families to positive parenting advice and to specialist services for children with more severe conduct or behavioural difficulties.

Your discussions today about the latest and most effective developments in mental health and addiction services could provide the “spark” for how some of this work can be advanced further, and in so doing support the implementation of the Service Development Plan and the new Blueprint.

I know Lorna and her team have put in many hours of hard work to host a conference that offers opportunities for celebration, networking and learning.

I hope you enjoy your day.

I announce the Connect Conference open.

Coleman's Call September 29 2011

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 09:32:08 +1300

Like many Kiwis, I love my rugby, and the World Cup is a very special time - even more so when it’s all happening on your home patch. You could tell there was something extraordinary happening in the week of the opening ceremony as flags started appearing on cars, and All Black banners were draped from house windows and decks all over the North Shore.

We’re on track to host an incredibly successful tournament; it’s a big opportunity for the country on so many levels. New Zealand is being showcased to an estimated overseas audience of 4 billion people- to achieve equivalent publicity through paid advertising would be simply beyond what we could ever afford.

Three key factors are combining to make this showpiece a great spectacle which is presenting New Zealand in a fantastic light – the exciting rugby, the special character and exuberance of the touring fans, and the participation of Kiwis as hosts.

The New Zealand public is living up to the promise of a stadium of 4 million people as ticket sales have gone through the roof. North Harbour stadium was chocka for the Japan vs France game on the opening weekend, and not far off capacity the next day for Australia vs Italy. South Africa vs Namibia sold out, and the final pool game at the stadium, South Africa vs Samoa, is a sellout as well.

Overseas fans are a vital ingredient to the colour of the spectacle, as they fill the grounds and party on afterwards. Kiwis have made them very welcome, and there has been a huge amount of goodwill going round.

Birkenhead has adopted Argentina as its second team and locally we are getting right into the spirit. There are Argentinian themed events happening in the town centre right through the Cup period, and Kae Condon, the Birkenhead Town Centre Manager, has done a great job putting together a festival programme. Similarly Takapuna has adopted France, and Browns Bay South Africa.

The Auckland waterfront has come alive and the opening up of Queen’s Wharf has finally given Auckland the central, outdoor venue it’s needed for so long. Get along to The Cloud- it really is a great addition to the waterfront, and an excellent place to get a bit of the World Cup atmosphere.

This World Cup has given New Zealanders something to really enjoy and has engendered a huge sense of pride as our city and country is on display to the world. But can the All Blacks break our 24 year drought? I have faith they will triumph on October 23 at Eden Park. Whatever happens, just enjoy the Rugby World Cup ride. It’s going to be great!

Out and About

There is a lot happening in the electorate at the moment.

This Saturday I will be out with the team putting up the first of our election signs. I will also be calling into Verran School Town and Country Day, the Chelsea Kindergarten Annual Market Day and I will be at Three Kings Restaurant for the Chords of Love Society’s launching ceremony of their officers.

Sunday I’m supporting Northcote Rotary’s Cuppa for a Cause event, raising money for Alzheimer’s Auckland at the Senior Citizens House at 119 Queen St – come along and support a great cause.

Sunday afternoon I will be down at Birkenhead Tennis club for the Cat Gut Scream and Scones with Cream Auckland Heritage event at 1 Verran Rd.

I will also be up at our local rugby ground, North Harbour Stadium on Friday night to take in Samoa vs South Africa – should be a cracker.

Go the All Blacks and Go the Mighty Warriors!

General Debate - 28th September, 2011

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:11:59 +1300

Get on board the Rugby World Cup

nospam@example.com (Jonathan) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 11:49:00 +1300

Like many Kiwis I love my rugby and the world cup is a very special time – even more so when it’s all happening on your home patch.

You could tell there was something extraordinary happening in the week of the opening ceremony as flags started appearing on cars, and All Blacks banners were draped from house windows and decks all over the North Shore. We’re on track to host an incredibly successful tournament. It’s a big opportunity for the country on so many levels. New Zealand is being showcased to an estimated overseas audience of four billion people – to achieve equivalent publicity through paid advertising would be simply beyond what we could ever afford. Three key factors are combining to make this showpiece a great spectacle which is presenting New Zealand in a fantastic light – the exciting rugby, the special character and exuberance of the touring fans, and the participation of Kiwis as hosts.

The New Zealand public is living up to the promise of a stadium of four million people because ticket sales have gone through the roof. North Harbour Stadium was chocka for the Japan v France game on the opening weekend, and not far off capacity the next day for Australia v Italy. South Africa v Namibia sold out, and the final pool game at the stadium, South Africa v Samoa, is a sellout as well. Overseas fans are a vital ingredient to the colour of the spectacle, as they fill the grounds and party on afterwards. Kiwis have made them very welcome and there has been a huge amount of goodwill going round. Birkenhead has adopted Argentina as its second team and locally we are getting right into the cup spirit. There are Argentinian themed events happening in the town centre right through the cup period and Birkenhead Town Centre manager Kae Condon has done a great job putting together a festival programme. Similarly Takapuna has adopted France, and Browns Bay South Africa.

Financially the RWC is a huge success. Since the opening match $5.5 million of tickets have been sold, taking total sales to within $14 million of the $268 million target. Research recently released by MasterCard estimates the 95,000 overseas visitors could generate $780 million for the economy. The Auckland waterfront has come alive and the opening up of Queens Wharf has finally given Auckland the central, outdoor venue it’s needed for so long. Get along to The Cloud – it really is a great addition to the waterfront, and an excellent place to get a bit of the world cup atmosphere.

This world cup has given New Zealanders something to really enjoy and has engendered a huge sense of pride as our city and country is on display to the world. But can the All Blacks break our 24-year drought? I have faith they will triumph on October 23 at Eden Park.

Whatever happens, just enjoy the Rugby World Cup ride. It’s going to be great.