Greens’ Northland candidate Huhana Lyndon says the party’s policy of free dental care for everyone includes a by-Māori, for-Māori element.

The Ngatiwai Trust Board chief executive says too many Maori in Taitokerau are missing out on dental care and have poor oral health.

and in Tai Tokerau there is an urgent need right now.

She says in the past Ngati Hine Health Trust included dental services in its Hey Mumma kaupapa for young mothers, but had o drop it because it did not come under government Maori health services funding.

“We need to bring hose services back into our kainga, back into our community – in fact, get those oral health, those dental caravans back on the roads so all of us whether we’re in Waikare, Hokianga, Whangarei can access those vital oral health services,” she says.

Ms Lyndon says keeping oral health out of the public health system is a political decision which the Greens would reverse and pay for through a fairer tax system.