Veteran Māori health and equity leader Lance Norman says Budget 2026 falls short of what is needed to improve Māori wellbeing, strengthen whānau resilience, and close long-standing health inequities.
Norman, who has more than two decades of executive experience across Whānau Ora, public health, and social services, says the Budget delivers investment into the wider health system but does not go far enough in backing Māori-led solutions.
He says the key issue is not only how much money is allocated, but whether funding reaches the providers and communities best placed to deliver outcomes for whānau Māori.
Budget 2026 includes major health spending focused on frontline services, hospitals, infrastructure, and digital health systems. But Māori health advocates say broad system investment does not automatically translate into equitable outcomes for Māori communities.
Norman says the Budget misses an opportunity to directly address the pressures facing Māori providers, many of whom are dealing with growing demand, complex whānau needs, workforce shortages, and rising operating costs.
He says gaps remain in prevention, kaupapa Māori services, mental health, primary care access, disability support, housing-related wellbeing, and long-term investment in Whānau Ora approaches.
A key concern is whether the Budget aligns with Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations. Norman says genuine equity requires Māori participation in decision-making, Māori control over Māori health solutions, and funding models that recognise the value of kaupapa Māori providers.
He says future Budgets must shift from short-term, crisis-driven responses to long-term investment in Māori-led systems that strengthen whānau before they reach breaking point.
Norman is calling for immediate changes, including dedicated funding for Māori health providers, stronger support for Whānau Ora, greater investment in prevention, and transparent measures showing whether Budget spending is actually improving outcomes for Māori.
He says Māori communities know what works, but need the resources, trust, and authority to lead solutions that reflect their own realities.
With health inequities continuing to affect whānau across Aotearoa, Norman says Budget 2026 should be seen as a warning that investment without equity will not deliver the transformation Māori communities urgently need.
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