Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is putting health equity firmly into the political spotlight, arguing Aotearoa needs a properly staffed public health system, affordable dental care and services that work for Māori and communities too often left waiting for treatment.
With pressure continuing across hospitals and primary care, health is shaping up as a major issue for whānau heading towards Election 2026.
Davidson joins Waatea as the Greens push for a health system built around equity, access and public provision, rather than one where income, geography or ethnicity can determine how quickly people receive care.
Staff shortages put patients under pressure
One of the Greens’ central concerns is workforce capacity.
The party has criticised health positions being left vacant while hospitals and frontline services face pressure, arguing that workforce shortages ultimately affect patients through longer waits and greater workloads for the people who remain.
For Māori, the workforce issue has another dimension.
Building the Māori health workforce and ensuring services are culturally safe can influence whether whānau seek care early, remain engaged with treatment and have confidence in the health system.
The Greens have consistently argued for stronger investment in publicly delivered healthcare. Davidson has previously criticised increased reliance on private hospitals for elective procedures, saying the public system needs the resources and capacity to deliver care itself.
Dental care remains a major dividing line
Dental care is another area where the Greens want significant change.
The party supports bringing dental treatment into the public health system and making it universally accessible.
In April, the Greens pointed to research they say demonstrates a universal public dental service could cost society less than continuing with a system where people delay treatment because they cannot afford it.
For whānau already struggling with housing, groceries, electricity and other household costs, a trip to the dentist can become another expense pushed down the list.
The consequences can extend well beyond teeth, with untreated oral-health problems potentially affecting nutrition, employment, education and wider wellbeing.
Davidson has previously made free dental care a prominent Green Party issue, arguing that access to oral healthcare should not depend on someone’s ability to pay.
For Māori, access alone isn’t enough
The debate is particularly important for Māori because health equity involves more than simply having a hospital or clinic available.
It includes whether services are accessible, whether people can afford to attend, whether they receive treatment early enough and whether healthcare recognises Māori realities and delivers culturally safe care.
The Greens have previously opposed the removal of Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority, arguing its disestablishment would weaken efforts to address persistent Māori health inequities and undermine Te Tiriti responsibilities within the health system.
Cancer care has also been highlighted by Davidson, with the Green co-leader acknowledging additional treatment funding while arguing that major inequities in access and outcomes remain unresolved.
The Election 2026 health test
As political parties roll out their election platforms, voters will hear plenty about billions of dollars, hospital buildings, waiting lists and workforce numbers.
For whānau, the test may be considerably simpler.
Can I get a GP appointment when my tamariki are sick? Can I afford the dentist? Will there be enough nurses and doctors when I reach hospital? And will the system understand and respect me when I ask for help?
Those are the questions that turn health policy from numbers on a government spreadsheet into something experienced every day by families.
For Marama Davidson and the Greens, the argument heading towards Election 2026 is that fixing the health system requires more than treating people once they become seriously unwell.
It means addressing access, affordability, prevention, workforce capacity and inequity together — and ensuring Māori are not once again left carrying the heaviest burden when the system falls short.
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