ACT Party leader and Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour is facing mounting scrutiny over education and health decisions critics say are placing extra pressure on whānau already caring for high-needs tamariki.
Parents, educators and health advocates have raised concerns over attendance rules that could see families fined up to $30 a day, saying the policy risks unfairly targeting households with children who are unwell, disabled, or receiving end-of-life care.
Critics say the rules may also increase pressure on general practitioners, with some whānau expected to repeatedly provide medical certificates to justify absences.
School leaders have also pushed back, with principals and teachers saying they are being placed in the difficult position of protecting their communities from what they describe as an overly punitive approach to attendance.
Seymour is also being challenged over health decisions made in his role as Associate Minister of Health, including the removal of Māori and Pacific priority access to some Type 2 diabetes medicines.
Health equity advocates say the change was made without a clear equity analysis or detailed modelling of who would be affected, raising concerns it could worsen existing disparities for Māori and Pacific communities.
The controversy comes as whānau continue to navigate pressures across education, health and household costs, with advocates calling for policy settings that recognise complex family circumstances rather than penalise them.
Seymour is expected to face questions on whether the Government has properly assessed the impact of these decisions on vulnerable tamariki, Māori health outcomes and communities already carrying the greatest burden.
