Māori Leaders Call For Urgent Intervention By The Waitangi Tribunal

Māori tobacco control advocates remain resolute in their
fight to create a smokefree Aotearoa and ensure flourishing
health outcomes for all whānau in Aotearoa. On the 29th of
January 2024, Rōpū Tupeka Kore claimants filed an urgent
application to the Waitangi Tribunal challenging the
Crown’s plan to repeal the Smokefree Environments and
Regulated Products Act passed by the previous Labour
Government.

The Waitangi Tribunal has set a deadline
for the Crown to justify the repeal of Smokefree legislation
by Wednesday the 7th of February. Once documents are
received from all parties the Tribunal will decide on
whether the claim will be granted an urgent
hearing.

There have been submissions to parliament and
a public outcry from a range of parties since the
announcement of the Smokefree Act repeal just before
Christmas 2023. This week the government has been called to
task about its own transparency, in particular its potential
collusion with the tobacco industry. Public health
researchers are urging government ministers to reveal all
affiliations with tobacco companies, asserting that their
language and key talking points for the repeal closely
imitate the tobacco industry rhetoric. Public
health professor on MPs tobacco links | RNZ

Sue
Taylor, chairperson for Te Rōpū Tupeka Kore says “The
submission to the Waitangi Tribunal is a strategic step,
symbolising an extensive and comprehensive effort to address
the multifaceted challenges posed by tobacco use and the
corporations that blame individuals for using their
addictive and harmful products.”

At the heart of
this submission is acknowledgement that Māori sovereignty
means more than just a Smokefree future, it means having a
healthcare system that is honest, inclusive, and equitable
reflecting the unique needs of Māori; Furthermore, it means
that pae ora (well-being) becomes an inalienable human right
for every individual, developing a future where health
equity knows no
bounds.

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