OraTaiao Opposes The Scrapping Of Te Aka Whai Ora And Urges Delay Of Enabling Legislation

OraTaiao is appalled by Government plans to introduce
legislation abolishing Te Aka Whai Ora ahead of an urgent
Waitangi Tribunal hearing on the matter on
Thursday.

“In order to address the many health
inequities and health system disparities experienced by
Māori, it is vital to have a truly Māori-led structure,
independent from Te Whatu Ora, with the power and resources
to commission hauora services and the freedom to advocate
unapologetically for Māori health”, says OraTaiao
Co-convenor Summer Wright (Ngāti
Maniapoto).

“Successful adaptation to the effects of
climate change, which disproportionately affect Māori,
requires this Māori-led structure as well.”

“Even
in its infancy, Te Aka Whai Ora has demonstrated its ability
to put solutions to longstanding issues within health, such
as the empowerment of lived experience leadership across
areas that have historically failed to acknowledge the
importance of lived experience in the development and
delivery of services.”

“Drawing upon in-depth
engagement with Māori which only Te Aka Whai Ora could
achieve, for instance, the agency has already produced a
Rongoā Māori Action Plan which – if implemented – will
overcome the limitations of the 2014 rongoā standards
produced by the Ministry of Health.”

“By
acknowledging the deep, personal connections Māori have
with the natural environment and incorporating protection of
te taiao, this plan from Te Aka Whai Ora supports
Indigenous-led climate action which is essential to
sustaining a healthy climate for all.

“This is just
a glimpse into the sorts of innovations that will come
should Te Aka Whai Ora be enabled to flourish, which has not
been the case so far.”

The Government has
acknowledged that it has not consulted with Māori over the
disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora, in accordance with its
obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and has published no
plan for what will replace Te Aka Whai Ora to ensure
equitable health outcomes for Māori, as guaranteed in Te
Tiriti.

The Waitangi Tribunal has established that the
claimants, including 29 Māori Health Providers, have
demonstrated that they are suffering, or are likely to
suffer, significant and irreversible prejudice if Te Aka
Whai Ora is disestablished.

The Government’s plan
potentially jeopardises all commitments to Tiriti-based
health provision contained in legislation, strategies, plans
and funding arrangements, as a finding by the Waitangi
Tribunal that disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora
constitutes a breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi could mean that
service provision based on its abolition is likewise
non-compliant.

OraTaiao is also deeply concerned that
the Government’s plans have blindsided and undermined the
Waitangi Tribunal by bringing forward the introduction of
legislation from the previously scheduled date of 8 March,
just a week out from the Tribunal’s urgent hearing. If
legislation is introduced before Thursday, then the hearing
must be suspended since the Tribunal lacks jurisdiction over
matters currently before Parliament.

“This
undermining has serious implications for all of the
Tribunal’s work, including the two remaining stages of the
Health Services and Outcomes Inquiry and the upcoming
Kaupapa Inquiry into Government climate change policy”,
says Ms Wright.

“We urge Health Minister Dr Shane
Reti to defer the introduction of this
legislation.”

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