Hon GRANT ROBERTSON: COVID-19 has highlighted how vital a joined-up and prepared health system is for protecting New Zealanders. There is also longstanding evidence that our health system has not delivered equitable outcomes, particularly for Māori. Budget 2022 will make significant investments in establishing the new entities on a sustainable basis that will replace district health boards, and begin delivery of the health system shifts envisaged through reform. Managing rising healthcare costs will be a major challenge in the coming decades, and we need to ensure that the new entities have a solid base for tackling that challenge. The Budget will also begin a multi-year approach to funding the health sector. Initially, this will be a two-year funding path, and then, from 2024, we will move to three-year funding, in line with New Zealand's first health plan. This approach is essential to give certainty to the sector and to tackle our long-term health challenges.