October 21, 2021
Urban Māori resist Level 4 pressure


Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson says there is no appetite among Auckland Māori leadership to return the city to level four restrictions.
Mr Jackson has run a series of online hui between iwi and Māori leaders and Māori ministers to discuss the next steps in the Government’s response to COVID-19.
He says despite statements coming out from some groups opposing the proposed shift to a traffic light system rather than alert levels, he did not detect consensus on the issue.
There was also little support for the call from some Māori academics and medical professionals for tighter restrictions to slow the spread of Delta among Māori.
“It was very clear the Auckland Māori leadership, whether it was Ngā Whare Waatea Marae, Te Puea Marae, Waipareira, Papakura, Ngāti Whatua, they were absolutely clear to the iwi leadership there was no way they were wanting to go to level 4,” Mr Jackson says.