December 21, 2021
Māori Council offers joint Covid response forum
The New Zealand Māori Council says a scathing report on the Government’s Covid-19 response provides a solid platform for better cooperation in the new year.
Council secretary Peter Fraser praised the tribunal for completing a lengthy and eloquent report in less than two weeks setting out how the Government ignored the advice of its own officials on how both the vaccine roll out and the move to the traffic light system could leave Māori behind.
It recommended a raft of changes including further support to assist Māori providers and communities with the continuing vaccination effort and with caring for Māori infected with Covid-19.
To keep up the momentum the Māori Council is offering to set up a national collective of Māori organisations Ngā Mana Whakahaere a Covid-19.
“What we want to do with that group is be able to provide government with much better advice and much better input so this is not just a talking shop. We want to have direct input into particular programmes,” Mr Fraser says.
He says the first priority would be making sure the vaccination programme for 5 to 11 year olds works for tamariki Māori.