Hon Pete Hodgson has been the Minster of Health since 2005. Previous to this in the Labour-led Government, Mr Hodgson has held responsibilities in Energy, Fisheries, Forestry, Research Science and Technology, Crown Research Institutes, Economic, Industry and Regional Development, Foreign Affairs and Trade, Transport, Commerce, Land Information, Statistics and Climate Change.

In 2004 Mr Hodgson was appointed as an Associate Minister of Health, which began his responsibilities in the health sector. Mr Hodgson joined the New Zealand Labour Party's Dunedin North branch in 1976 and has been the MP for Dunedin North since 1990.

Before entering politics, Mr Hodgson trained as a vet at Massey University and practised as a vet in Canterbury and England in the 1970s-80s. He has also worked as a veterinarian and secondary teacher, mostly of physics, in Dunedin and has owned or managed a range of small businesses.

Steve Maharey has been New Zealand's Labour Member of Parliament for Palmerston North since 1990.

He is currently Minister of Education, Minister of Broadcasting, Minister of Research, Science and Technology, Minister for Crown Research Institutes and Minister responsible for the Education Review Office.

He has previously held portfolios covering Social Development and Employment, Housing, Tertiary Education, Youth Affairs and Community and Voluntary Sector. In Opposition (1990-1999) Steve was variously the spokesperson for social welfare, employment, tertiary education, broadcasting, communications and labour relations. He was a member of the Palmerston North City Council between 1986 and 1989.

Steve has a B.A. and an M.A. (Hons) in sociology. He was a senior lecturer in sociology at Massey University before entering Parliament. He has published widely in his specialist areas of interest: media and cultural studies and social change.

Road cycling, music, social and political theory, travel and spectator sports are among Steve's interests.

Stephen McKernan is the Director General of Health a role he has held since 31 July 2006. As Director General he is the Minister of Health and Assoc. Minister of Health principal advisor on health and disability matters. The Director General has the key strategic role in leading the development and performance of the New Zealand health system. He is responsible for the negotiation of, and allocation of $10.6 billion of health expenditure and the monitoring of this through the 21 District Health Boards.

Prior to the Director-General position Stephen spent 4 years as a Chief Executive, of the Counties-Manukau District Health Board. Counties-Manukau DHB is one of the country's largest DHBs serving a high needs population with an annual budget of $950m and employing some 5500 staff. Counties-Manukau DHB has a reputation of excellence and innovation with a strong focus on integrated care programmes. During his tenure at Counties-Manukau the organisation's deficit position of $48m was returned to break even status.

Prior to joining Counties-Manukau Stephen spent 4 years as Chief Executive of Hutt Valley District Health Board and its predecessor organisation Hutt Valley Health.

Stephen holds a Bachelor of Business Studies from Massey University and a Diploma in Public Health from the Royal Society of Health.

Dr Lynne Maher is Head of Innovation Practice, NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement, University Of Warwick, Coventry. A strong supporter of improvement and innovation, she has worked with wide ranging groups within the health sector in the UK and internationally to encourage and teach creativity and innovation, develop leadership in health improvement, and help front-line service teams to be more creative in their improvement work and service delivery. Most recently this has included pioneering work on experience based design which truly involves patients in designing health care services.

Prior to this position Dr Maher was National Director for 'Booking', the first National improvement programme in England which redesigned services to provide choice and pre booking for patient appointments. She has also developed a Sustainability Model and Guide which has been translated into three languages and is used by improvement teams internationally. Dr Maher is a trained nurse who specialised in critical care.

Professor Mason Durie is currently the Assistant Vice-Chancellor and Professor of Maori Research and Development at Massey University. He is also Senior Advisor for Te Rau Matatini Limited which is a Maori Mental Health Workforce Development Organisation. Professor Durie completed a medical degree at the University of Otago before carrying out post-graduate training in psychiatry at McGill University. He then went on to become the Director of Psychiatry at Palmerston North Hospital; a Member of the Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatry (1971), and Fellow of the College (in 1979). Between 1986 - 1988 he served on the New Zealand Royal Commission on Social Policy.

In 1988 he was appointed Professor and Head of Te Putahi-a-Toi, School of Maori Studies, Massey University and recently appointed Chair of Research and Development. Professor Durie is of Rangitane, Ngati Kauwhata descent.

Mr David Clarke has significant commercial experience, at Director and Managing Director level in Health, IT and Biotechnology and is currently the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Neuren Pharmaceuticals. David stepped into the New Zealand health sector in 1991 from a background in engineering, finance, marketing and sales with previous positions in the steel and food industries.

For the five years prior to joining Neuren, David was Chief Executive Officer of South Auckland Health, one of the leading clinical and research centres and health providers in New Zealand, including working in the role as the organisation became Counties Manukau DHB. Mr Clarke is a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Management, a member of the Royal Society and a member of the NZ Institute of Directors.