The High Court in Wellington will hear a pivotal case challenging the Crown’s decision to disestablish Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority.
Dr Chris Tooley of Te Puna Ora o Mataatua, one of the applicants, says the move breaches Māori rights under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the Bill of Rights Act.
Te Aka Whai Ora was established in 2022 as a landmark expression of rangatiratanga in the health system.
Its disestablishment came without consultation, strategy, or co-design.
“When governments come into power, they accept a whole bunch of arrangements, whether it’s the Bill of Rights, whether it’s international trade agreements. So they have to abide by all these different instruments. And when it comes to our most important document that founded or gave sovereignty to this particular kawanatanga, to this particular government, you know, it’s been dismissed,” says Tooley.
Tooley says the case could set a legal precedent by seeking a declaration of inconsistency under Te Tiriti—a first in Aotearoa
