The centre-right government has announced that a health agency set up to improve access for Māori will be abolished by the end of June.
New Zealand's Conservative government has introduced new legislation that would dismantle an agency set up to improve the health of Maori people in the Pacific nation.
Health Minister Shane Letty said on Tuesday the Māori Health Authority would close by the end of June and its functions would be absorbed into the national health system.
He said the bill heralded “the beginning of a new vision for Māori health”.
The Māori Health Authority (Te Aka Wai Ora) is responsible for the health status of Māori people, who make up 17 per cent of New Zealand's population and suffer from higher levels of deprivation and incarceration than the general population, resulting in poorer health outcomes. Founded in 2022 to improve.
The move was recommended by a standing committee known as the Waitangi Tribunal, which has been hearing Māori complaints since the 1970s and recommending remedies where necessary.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's centre-right coalition, formed in October, has pledged to reverse the policies of the previous Labor government, particularly those aimed at promoting the official use of the Māori language and improving living standards and rights for indigenous peoples.
Mr Luxon says his policies aim to give all New Zealanders equal rights.
Health Minister Leti said transferring the role of the Māori Health Authority to the public health system means the health system retains the expertise needed to improve health outcomes for all New Zealanders, including Māori. Ta.
“A narrow focus on collapse does not mean the end of our focus on Māori health for those in need,” he said, adding that he wanted to “chart a new direction for Māori health”. committed to working with Māori health organizations.
But Indigenous groups say dismantling the Māori Health Authority will undermine their rights.
Jackie Harema, CEO of Hapa Tu Hauora, the largest Māori public health organization, said Māori people knew how to look after their people and improve outcomes, and the Māori Health Authority. He said the demolition was worrying.
“Māori know what's best for us. We need to be able to fund solutions that are based on our own worldview for our people,” she said. .
For example, when Māori health providers were receiving funding to distribute the COVID-19 vaccine, they were successful in reaching more people, she said. That's because they worked with families and had vaccine providers who were known in the community.
The government's decision came despite nationwide protests and legal action.
A petition has been lodged in the Waitangi Tribunal over the Māori Health Authority's plans to close, but the closure will be formalized before the court hears the petition.
