February 28, 2024
Fate of Māori health putea debated
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says the $ 750 million allocated to the Māori Health Authority under the previous Labour Government will go directly to iwi and Māori providers.
The bill to disestablish Te Aka Whai Ora was introduced under urgency yesterday.
It will transfer the authority’s roles and functions to Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora and the Ministry of Health by the end of March.
While the Government has not released any details on how it intends to address disparities in Māori health, Mr Luxon says it’s committed to devolution.
“We want to make sure the money that was going to be spent is actually getting to Māori. We think the best way to deal with that is to partner with iwi leaders. That’s what I have been talking about with them over the past year on a range of topics where we can actually work together, where we’ve got similar approaches to how we want to go about improving things,” Mr Luxon says.
But former associate health minister Peeni Henare doubts money currently allocated to the Māori Health Authority will stay with Māori.
He says disestablishing Te Aka Whai Ora is a cost cutting exercise at the expense of Māori.
“They’ve mad it very clear they’re pulling money back to the centre, all organisations have been asked to make 6.5 to 7.5 percent cuts. This shows us that usually it’s Māori first on the chopping block,” Mr Henare says.
The amending legislation introduced by Health Minister Shane Reti removes any reference to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the delivery of health.