Health groups ask National and ACT to reconsider view on Māori Health Authority

Friday, 8 April 2022

Raawiri (David) Ratuu is the lead claimant in a Waitangi Tribunal claim that alleges the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 has failed to protect Māori from alcohol-related harm. (Video first published March 2022)

A group of non-government health groups including the Cancer Society, Māori Cancer Leadership Aotearoa Hei Āhuru Mōwai and the Stroke Foundation New Zealand have called on National and ACT to reconsider their view on the Māori Health Authority.

The group, which as of Friday included 22 organisations and 80 individuals, is gathering support for a letter which will be sent to Christopher Luxon and David Seymour next Thursday, stating their support for the authority and asking the politicians to “re-think your approach”.

“We stand in solidarity with Māori leadership and are united behind the establishment of the Māori Health Authority/Te Mana Hauora Māori.”

* Hauraki health leader named as chief executive of new Māori Health Authority

* Covid-19: Māori leaders brace for impact as Government continues to ignore vaccine priority call

National leader Christopher Luxon has said the party does not support a Māori Health Authority. Health groups have written to him and ACT leader David Seymour asking them to reconsider their views.

In April last year Health Minister Andrew Little announced the creation of an independent Māori Health Authority, with commissioning powers to make joint decisions alongside a newly created, centralised agency called Health NZ as part of an overhaul of the health system.

ACT Party leader David Seymour and National Party leader Christopher Luxon have made it clear they oppose a Māori Health Authority.

In a recent speech Seymour said ACT would be campaigning for a referendum on “co-governance” and that the proposed Māori Health Authority was “completely wrong”.

On The Hui current affairs show this week Luxon said he did not support the Māori Health Authority as being the right vehicle to address inequity in health.

The health groups’ letter to Luxon and Seymour says the establishment of the Māori Health Authority – Te Mana Hauora Māori – “is central to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and will help ensure everyone has the same access to good health outcomes”.

Lung cancer specialist, Cancer Society medical co-director and Hei Āhuru Mōwai, Māori Cancer Leadership Aotearoa spokesman George Laking.

“We call on you to re-think your approach.”

Cancer Society medical director Dr George Laking said the groups decided to write to the leaders after they became aware of the parties' commitment to scrapping the authority if they are in government.

“We view the Māori Health Authority [is] a good thing. We have faith it will be successful in its project to start turning around the worst health outcomes for Māori.

He said abolishing the authority would cause “chaos” and it should be given a chance to succeed.

“There hasn’t been something like this before. Its time has arrived, and it needs to be given a chance.”

Hei Āhuru Mōwai chief executive Moahuia Goza said the organisation, along with the other non-governmental groups, felt they needed to challenge National and ACT over their position on the authority, which she said was “problematic”.

“It’s problematic because the status quo is not working and will continue to see inequity between Māori and non-Māori, and that health inequity will continue to widen.”

Goza said the current health system had been tested and “continues to fail Māori”.

The Māori Health Authority was an opportunity to create a system “designed by and for Māori”, which was the only way to ensure better outcomes for Māori.

Goza pointed to the Māori-led response to Covid-19 as evidence of efficacy in targeted health care.

“That’s a good example of what works when Māori are leading, and they have Māori-led solutions, and that’s what the Māori Health Authority affords us.”

The Stroke Foundation national Māori health advisor Nita Brown said the foundation supported the establishment of the Māori Health Authority and urged National and ACT to rethink their comments.

“We, like many others, are optimistic about the impending changes to the health system that will see a greater focus on more positive health outcomes for tangata whenua, through the establishment of Te Mana Hauora Māori.”

National deputy leader Nicola Willis said the party was focused on reducing health inequities, but she said the Māori Health Authority was not the way to do so.

“Do we want to see better outcomes for Māori cancer patients? Yes we do. We just don't think another new bureaucracy is the way to achieve that,” she said.