Ma¯ori Health Authority Now becomes a reality

Ma¯ ori health has been made a priority in a raft of radical changes to the sector.

Health Minister Andrew Little yesterday announced the creation of a Ma¯ ori Health Authority that will be independent and make joint-decisions with a newly created centralised health agency.

In a slew of reforms, the

Government will abolish all 20 district health boards, and create a new organisation, Health NZ, to oversee the sector.

The creation of the Ma¯ori Health Authority comes almost two years after a damning Waitangi Tribunal report outlined the consistent failure of the Crown in the care and wellbeing of Ma¯ ori.

‘‘The prejudice suffered by Ma¯ori because of these Crown failures is extensive,’’ the tribunal said.

It said despite the

Crown investing $220 billion into the health system since 2000, there had been little improvement in outcomes for Ma¯ ori.

On average, Ma¯ ori die seven years younger than non-Ma¯ ori, a fact health experts say is a result of inequities in the system caused largely by institutional racism.

Little acknowledged the systemic failures in the health system and its effects on Ma¯ ori.

The Government had decided this authority should be independent and have ‘‘joint decisionmaking rights’’ for healthcare strategies and policies which affect Ma¯ori – who were chronically underserved by the healthcare system, he said.

The authority will have some independent commissioning power, and it will work with Health NZ to decide where health dollars are spent for services for Ma¯ ori.

Associate Minister of Health Peeni Henare said transformation was needed to improve health outcomes for Ma¯ ori.

He said the authority would create real change and empower

Ma¯ori at the decision-making table.

‘‘It will be able to directly commission services where needed, and to grow kaupapa Ma¯ori services and innovation,’’ he said.

Taitimu Maipi, one of the original Waitangi Tribunal claimants who proposed a self-governing authority, supports yesterday’s announcement and said the opportunity to unravel the harm committed against Ma¯ ori in the current health system could now be acted upon.

Maipi, who in 1983 founded the first Ma¯ ori health provider in the country, Raukura Hauora o Tainui, and is an original member of Nga¯ Tamatoa, said the announcement showed a commitment to partnership as outlined in Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

‘‘I believe the Government has recognised what we have said in our claim, which was to establish a separate Ma¯ ori health system,’’ he said.

‘‘This is the first time I have ever supported a government initiative, as I have always opposed and protested anything that has come from out of this building [Parliament] . . . after all these years I see some hope in today’s government announcement, but our challenge will be to keep the Government to task, which was always the aim to achieve at Mana Ma¯ ori Motuhake in Hauora.’’

The reforms are expected to take three years to complete. The Government intends to make appointments for positions in the new agency from the beginning of 2022, and if needed will legislate for the changes by April 2022.

‘‘The prejudice suffered by Ma¯ori because of these Crown failures is extensive.’’

2019 Waitangi Tribunal report