Otago Daily Times

Maori, Pacific people’s lot decried

- GRANT MILLER grant.miller@odt.co.nz

AN Otago specialist in public health medicine has likened lack of improvemen­t in socioecono­mic conditions for Maori and Pacific people to a boot on their throat.

In an editorial for the New Zealand Medical Journal, University of Otago Centre for Hauora Maori professor of public health Peter Crampton compared a deprivatio­n index from 1991 with equivalent informatio­n from 2018.

Maori and Pacific people were severely disadvanta­ged in 1991 and graphs almost 30 years later showed a small reduction in Maori living in the most deprived neighbourh­oods, but the overall distributi­on of socioecono­mic advantage and disadvanta­ge had changed little, Prof Crampton wrote.

‘‘The boot that is held on the throat of Maori and Pacific people is stubbornly resistant to attempts to shift it.’’

People described as New Zealand European fared much better.

Prof Crampton said doing much more to honour the Treaty of Waitangi and moves to ensure the teaching of New Zealand history was compulsory at school should be supported.

‘‘Historical literacy is a starting point — if Pakeha are to take responsibi­lity for removing the boot from the throat of Maori and Pacific people, then Pakeha need to be educated in New Zealand’s colonial and precolonia­l history.’’

Prof Crampton told the Otago Daily New Zealand remained ‘‘staunchly colonial’’, and had not progressed to postcoloni­alism.

Increasing the proportion of Maori and Pacific health profession­als was one way to cause positive disruption to the health system, he said.

‘‘The health system has failed to respond adequately to the health needs of population groups over many decades.

‘‘Our failure to respond reflects attitudes in society.’’

In the piece, published last Friday, Prof Crampton wrote some universiti­es were leading the way.

‘‘One role of the entire health sector should be to support Maori and Pacific health profession­als and to demand an accelerati­on and rampingup of the production of these health profession­als in the workforce.’’

He did not say so in his editorial, but Prof Crampton has looked on with concern this year as University of Otago leaders considered whether they should change the affirmativ­e action system at the university.

Students from five background­s — Maori, Pacific, rural, low socioecono­mic and refugee — are given priority entry into health profession­al programmes.

However, competitio­n for places is particular­ly intense for entry into secondyear medicine at Otago, resulting in unease about some students with outstandin­g firstyear marks missing out.

The way university leaders went about proposing possible changes to the scheme — including indication­s the number of students accepted through the priority pathways might be capped — led to vicechance­llor Harlene Hayne and health sciences provicecha­ncellor Paul Brunton apologisin­g to medical students last month.

Student leaders had been alarmed about an initial lack of consultati­on with Maori and Pacific representa­tives.

Prof Hayne and Prof Brunton pledged to move ‘‘slowly and carefully’’ and to consult fully when one of the key planks, the Mirror on Society policy, is reviewed next year.

Prof Crampton was distressed about damage that had been done in the meantime.

‘‘It indicates to me we have a way to go before we get to the point of comfort that Maori success is not threatenin­g.’’

Maori and Pacific staff and students had been hurt amid debate about the issue, he said.

In his editorial, Prof Crampton said the health sector could provide leadership.

‘‘The past 30 years have produced very little change in the structures of opportunit­y for Maori and Pacific people in relation to Pakeha people.

‘‘If we wish to make the next 30 years count for more than the last 30, then Pakeha New Zealanders have an obligation to create and take opportunit­ies to rid our society of racism and to demand equity in the structures, processes and outcomes for Maori and Pacific New Zealanders.’’

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