Ayesha Verrall

New vape stores will be banned from setting-up within 300 metres of schools or marae under a government crackdown to stop young people getting hooked.

From August it will start phasing out cheaper… Video, Audio

National's accused the government of botching its measles catch up campaign - which saw tens of millions of dollars spent - but reached just seven percent of its target.

The office of the Auditor… Video, Audio

Health Minister Ayesha speaks with Kathryn Ryan about the state of the health system. Last week the Minister's office released a plan outlining how New Zealand's GPs and hospitals will cope with what… Audio

The government has ruled out following Australia's crackdown on vaping - at least this term. The Australian federal government has announced tough new measures in an effort to stop young people taking… Audio

We've been talking this morning about National's proposal to attract more nurses and midwives into the profession. The party plans to offer financial incentives ... as long as participants agree to a… Audio

The government has decided to keep the seven-day isolation period in place for those who test positive for Covid-19.

It will be reviewed again in two months' time. Health minister Ayesha Verrall… Video, Audio

The National Party is seeking assurances that public data on cancer and acute care is not riddled with mistakes after the fiasco over Emergency Department wait times.

Te Whatu Ora has apologised for… Audio

Emergency doctors are worried the country's hospitals wont cope in the face of winter illnesses with patients already turned away from Auckland Hospital, because its ED was too full.

But the Health… Video, Audio

The Associate Health Minister, Ayesha Verrall, has told National's Shane Reti he should renounce his medical oath to do no harm after voting against a new tobacco ban.

A bill ensuring people born… Audio

The government is planning to boost spending on scientific research and innovation by more than one-billion-dollars by 2030.

The decision comes as the Research, Science and Innovation Minister, Dr… Audio

The government has announced a Royal Commission of Inquiry into its Covid pandemic response.

It will look at the laws and decision-making that drove the government's pandemic response - and the… Video, Audio

Despite rising Omicron case numbers, hospitalisations and reinfections, the government has no plans to launch an annual Covid vaccination booster for the majority of people.

But the minister in… Video, Audio

For the first time since March 2020 there are no major Covid restrictions in New Zealand. On Monday the Cabinet decided to scrap the traffic light system and drop almost all restrictions; masks are… Audio

The government has announced just over 500 courses of a monkeypox medicine will arrive in the country late next month.

No vaccine has yet been secured.

The World Health Organisation says there have… Audio

In today's Focus on Politics podcast, Political Reporter Katie Scotcher assesses where the government's planning is for new and potentially more deadly variants. Audio

Doctors are warning they won't be able to help all of their patients when there are thousands of daily Omicron infections.

The warning follows the announcement of the Government's three-phase plan to… Audio

More and more New Zealanders will have to look after themselves at home as the Omicron outbreak grows.

The government has set out how each of its three phases in the 'red' traffic light setting will… Audio

Associate Health Minister Dr Ayesha Verrall talks to Lisa Owen about the ban on future cigarette sales.

  Video, Audio

The government intends to ban cigarette sales as part of its Smokefree 2025 plan.

It's hoped to become law by late next year -- with a transition period to make smoked tobacco products less appealing… Audio