$56.5m action fund for M¯aori

Government forced to release a specific Ma¯ori response action plan to the coronavirus after growing criticism from Ma¯ori.

The Government will spend more than $56 million on a specific Ma¯ ori response action plan. The cross-sector announcement comes after growing criticism from the Ma¯ ori community, iwi leaders and health experts.

Associate Health and Wha¯ nau Ora Minister Peeni Henare said the Government’s $12.1 billion economic package and $500m health fund included Ma¯ ori families, workers and businesses but a separate plan was needed because Ma¯ ori had specific challenges.

‘‘We know that we need to help our people and provide targeted support to Ma¯ ori businesses and help our vulnerable Ma¯ ori communities.

‘‘Ma¯ ori ministers have been developing a range of responses, and today we are announcing a further package that takes a whole of government approach to providing health, social and economic support tailored to meet the specific needs of

Ma¯ ori,’’ Henare said.

$30m will be targeted directly to Ma¯ ori health services and a further $15m to Wha¯ nau Ora commissioning agencies to support vulnerable wha¯ nau.

‘‘To protect our people, especially our kauma¯ tua and kuia, we can’t solely rely on them engaging with the health system but instead we must engage with our people, in their neighbourhoods, communities and homes,’’ said Henare.

Health experts were so worried by the lack of coronavirus planning for Ma¯ ori by the Government, they formed their own group to co-ordinate a nationwide response.

The Ma¯ ori pandemic group, called Te Ro¯ pu Whakakaupapa Uruta, was set up by health professionals to provide expert public health advice for wha¯ nau, Ma¯ ori health providers, community groups and iwi.

Te Ro¯ pu Whakakaupapa Uruta was critical of the lack of a Ma¯ ori response to the pandemic.

One of its three co-leaders, Dr Rawiri Jansen, said: ‘‘If the Government continues to ignore Ma¯ ori considerations, wha¯ nau Ma¯ ori will be most affected by this pandemic.’’

Ma¯ ori struggle with poverty and underlying health issues at a greater rate than non-Ma¯ ori.

Jansen said the lack of a pandemic plan for Ma¯ ori exposed racist policies underpinning the current health system.

Ma¯ ori Development Minister Nanaia Mahuta said she would reprioritise $10m to focus on the welfare of wha¯ nau Ma¯ ori.

The ministry would work with Ma¯ ori health providers to assist with the response.

Minister of Tourism and Ma¯ ori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti Kelvin Davis said NZ Ma¯ ori Tourism and the Federation of Ma¯ ori Authorities were now working in partnership to provide support and guidance to struggling Ma¯ ori businesses nationwide. $1m of funding would be used to develop a resource to assess Ma¯ ori businesses. A Ma¯ ori business response plan would then be produced and implemented,’’ Davis said.

$470,000 has also been reprioritised to Te Arawhiti to engage and work with iwi on their Covid-19 pandemic response plans.

National Party list MP Jo Hayes said the $1m being spent on a needs assessment for Ma¯ ori businesses was a waste of funding. ‘‘The Government just needs to listen to what wha¯ nau, hapu¯ and iwi and the commissioning agencies are saying and act accordingly.

‘‘They know what is happening on the ground.’’

Hayes said it had taken too long for the Ma¯ ori ministers to get their act together and respond to Ma¯ ori. The package was a good start but more work was needed.

‘‘I am quite concerned about Ma¯ ori tourism businesses,’’ said

Hayes. ‘‘I hope some of that package that went to Tourism NZ starts to flow down to Ma¯ ori tourism businesses.’’ She said Ma¯ ori health providers needed help to get their testing stations up and running.

Wha¯ nau Ora Commissioning Agency chair Merepeka Raukawa-Tait is welcoming the package. The agency had already started its own initiative to dispatch 10,000 hygiene packages to families, with another 20,000 to be sent out in the next two weeks. She said the generalised public health packages were designed for clinics that did not serve the majority of Ma¯ ori.

The funding earmarked for Ma¯ ori will provide for Ma¯ ori-led, Ma¯ ori-specific vaccination programmes to address equity issues; includes a targeted health promotion campaign; and supports its workforce.

‘‘It is timely that we finally get funded to support initiatives by Ma¯ ori to Ma¯ ori for Ma¯ ori,’’ said Raukawa-Tait.

Iwi leaders and Ma¯ ori organisations across the country have independently been developing their own coronavirus action plan, from closing marae to dealing with tangihanga, traditional funerals and culturally appropriate social distancing.

Te Wha¯ nau A Apanui iwi declared it would set up illegal roadblocks and checkpoints to keep Covid-19 out of its remote East Cape area. The nearest hospital was 180 kilometres away and there were no doctors in places like Hicks Bay.

‘‘We really don’t want visitors coming to our area, who may have come from overseas, we don’t know, or who may not have been abiding by the 14-day selfisolation,’’ said local resident Ani Pahiru Huriwai.

Tairawhiti area commander Inspector Sam Aberahama asked communities to rethink roadblocks. ‘‘We know the community is very concerned about Covid-19 but this is illegal,’’ said Aberahama.

Hayes said it showed there was real desperation in Ma¯ ori communities in need of help.

Employment Minister Willie Jackson has redirected 2000 workers from the He Poutama Rangatahi, a Government initiative for those aged 15-24 years at risk of long-term unemployment, to assist with the delivery of services.

‘‘Our programmes are run in four regions with high Ma¯ ori populations and where we have some of our most disadvantaged communities,’’ Jackson said.

The package would provide the additional help needed to support Ma¯ ori communities and businesses through Covid-19, said Henare. ‘‘My Ma¯ ori ministerial colleagues and I know we must act now to protect our people, particularly our kauma¯ tua and those who already have significant health issues. Times like these can be incredibly stressful so it is important we make manaakitanga [support] and ko¯ tahitanga [unity] the centre of our response. Na¯ u te rourou, na¯ ku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi – through collective contribution our communities can stay safe and healthy.’’

‘‘We know that we need to help our people and provide targeted support to Ma¯ori businesses and help our vulnerable Ma¯ori communities.’’ Peeni Henare

Associate Health and Wha¯nau Ora Minister