December 21, 2021
Pandemic planning breached treaty protections
The Government’s Covid-19 response has been found to be in breach of the Treaty of Waitangi because the age-based vaccine roll-out was contrary to advice younger Māori were more at risk than older non-Māori.
In a report released today on a claim brought by the New Zealand Māori Council, the Waitangi Tribunal also found the younger Māori population structure meant Māori were 20 per cent behind the national vaccination rate by the time vaccines were made available to all.
The move to the traffic light protection system was done despite advice from every medical and scientific advisor and every Māori organisation that it should be delayed until the Māori vaccination level was higher.
The tribunal says Maori are suffering significantly worse impacts from the Covid-19 pandemic because of the breaches, accounting for 44 per cent of total cases and 48 per cent of deaths so far, despite being only 16.5 per cent of the population.
It also recommended the Crown urgently provide further funding, resourcing, data, and other support to assist Māori providers and communities with:
• the continuing vaccination effort – including the paediatric vaccine and booster vaccine;
• targeted support for whānau hauā and tangata whaikaha;
• testing and contact tracing;
• caring for Māori infected with COVID-19; and
• self-isolation and managed isolation programmes.
The council says it has been working with the crown to establish a new structure, Ngā Mana Whakahare a COVID-19, to support Māori-led solutions to the pandemic.