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The Spinoff
08-06-2025
- Health
- The Spinoff
Tribunal hears what was lost when Te Aka Whai Ora was taken
In a major Waitangi Tribunal hearing, Māori health leaders laid bare the consequences of the government's decision to disestablish Te Aka Whai Ora. For many, it wasn't just policy – it was personal. At the end of last month, the Waitangi Tribunal wrapped up its hearing regarding the disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora, or the Māori Health Authority. An urgent inquiry as part of the wider Health Services and Outcomes Kaupapa Inquiry, the hearings took place over the space of a week and saw dozens of expert witnesses provide their insights into the state of Māori health in Aotearoa. Established through the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022 under the previous Labour government, Te Aka Whai Ora was an independent government agency charged with managing Māori health policies, services and outcomes. It was pitched as a pivotal step towards addressing the long-standing inequities in hauora Māori, grounded in a Tiriti partnership model. Its disestablishment on June 30, 2024, came less than two years into its operation. 'Te Aka Whai Ora was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to not only change Māori health outcomes, but to also change the health system,' said indigenous rights advocate and business leader Chris Tooley in his submission. But its beginnings were far from simple. Witnesses explained how the authority was required to be built from the ground up: no existing systems, no legacy staff or infrastructure, and no meaningful transfer of Crown power. In contrast to Te Whatu Ora, which inherited the resources and staff of the former DHBs, Te Aka Whai Ora was expected to function as an equal partner with a fraction of the funding, infrastructure or political support. Its disestablishment was a political decision, witnesses argued, driven not by evidence or performance, but by ideology. 'The fallacy of neutrality that our public health system treats everyone equally and fairly – it's not true,' said public health expert Elana Curtis. 'If you belong to white British colonial culture, then the health system will tend to produce better outcomes for you than someone who doesn't align with those values or that worldview.' The tribunal itself was not unfamiliar with the issue. A year earlier, it was forced to abandon its urgent inquiry into the government's planned disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora when the coalition government introduced repeal legislation under urgency, stripping the tribunal of jurisdiction. That legislation went through without consultation with Māori, and without input from the authority itself. Later, the tribunal would find that the process was a breach of te Tiriti. In the latest round of hearings, witnesses were clear: the authority was beginning to show real promise. A 'new whare' grounded in tikanga and data, commissioning services by Māori, for Māori, at scale. 'We must bring back Te Aka Whai Ora – otherwise we will be continuing to swim in the crap of colonialism,' said submitter Maia Honetana. Witnesses also argued the disestablishment has weakened existing structures. Iwi Māori Partnership Boards (IMPBs), destined to work in tandem with Te Aka Whai Ora, have been left adrift, they said. Some remain in name only, others have shifted focus to service provision, and several are now competing for the same limited funding. At least one board has said that its current funding is set to expire in June 2026, raising concerns about the long-term viability of the model. The effects are also being felt in clinical spaces. In renal care, the Māori renal health taskforce has been disbanded, and national forums where inequities were previously discussed have gone quiet. 'Equities seemed to be at the forefront of discussions, and that's now gone,' said Kidney Health New Zealand board member John Kearns. The Crown's position is that the current settings – including IMPBs, the Hauora Advisory Committee and residual provisions in the Pae Ora Act – uphold its Tiriti responsibilities. But several experts rejected that claim, describing the reforms as cosmetic without genuine devolution of power. 'Until the Crown devolves power and resources to these bodies, they are a toothless tiger who give an illusion that the Crown is honouring te Tiriti,' said claimant representative Maia Te Hira. Rawiri McKree Jansen, formerly chief medical officer at Te Aka Whai Ora, put it more bluntly: 'We aren't getting anywhere with this approach.' Throughout the week, witnesses called for a return to Māori-led design – not symbolic oversight, but meaningful authority over strategy, funding and service delivery. Many cited the importance of retaining evidence-based equity tools, including the use of ethnicity as a population-level health marker. Without these, several argued, the system will continue to fail Māori by default, not design. 'The fact that we are dying so prematurely, the fact that we have so much morbidity – when you start to do something like Te Aka Whai Ora and then take it away after 10 months, it's not OK,' said Elana Curtis. 'None of this is just or fair.' Crown engagement during the hearings was limited. Its only witness, deputy director-general of Māori health John Whaanga, had his written brief withdrawn just days before he was due to appear. Whaanga did appear, however, citing active cabinet deliberations about sector reform, while Crown counsel said officials were not authorised to discuss future reforms. No alternative model was presented. Claimants argued that the absence of a replacement plan was itself a breach of te Tiriti. In their closing submissions, they noted that the Crown had offered no justification for dismantling Te Aka Whai Ora, and no path forward since. 'This isn't a system failing by accident,' said Māori health leader Lady Tureiti Moxon, one of the lead claimants. 'It is a conscious decision to return to Crown control and institutional racism.' The tribunal's findings are expected later this year. What remains is a growing record of what Te Aka Whai Ora was, what it represented, and what was lost when it was taken away.
Scoop
31-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Innovative Report Shows Collaboration To Improve Māori Health Would Increase Regional Productivity By $122m Annually
Press Release – HBREDA The research only further highlights the importance of Mori health to Hawkes Bays future. This issue is not going to go away, especially as the working age population of Mori is expected to grow to 43,540 within the next two decades. A co-ordinated effort to help improve the health of working age Hawke's Bay Māori can lead to a productivity increase worth $122 million a year and supply an extra 1,800 workers for Hawke's Bay, an innovative new study has found. The report, 'Health and productivity opportunities: Assessing the economic value of addressing priority health conditions in Hawke's Bay working-age Māori', was commissioned jointly by Hawke's Bay Regional Development Agency (REDA) and theTihei Tākitimu Iwi-Māori Partnership Board. Produced by NZIER economists Sarah Hogan and Tom Dunn, the report is thought to be the first in New Zealand to consider the critical links between Māori wellbeing and regional economic development. Māori make up 29 percent of Hawke's Bay's overall working population and play a vital role in the food and fibre sector industries, along with regional recovery. 'The research shows that Hawke's Bay's working age Māori aren't accessing health care early enough, for a variety of reasons, which leads to more serious primary health conditions,' Lucy Laitinen, REDA's CEO says. 'One of the reasons it's so difficult for Māori to access health services is because they largely work in agriculture, forestry, and fishing with little or no flexibility in their working hours. They also earn less than the regional average. These are among the issues driving the relatively low use of preventative care which leads to the high rate of ED visits.'' Tihei Tākitimu Iwi-Māori Partnership Board co-chair Lewis Ratapu says the report provides the wider community with a burning platform to think about and act differently in how health services to Māori are delivered. We need to invest more effectively and deliver services targeting mental illness and addiction, diabetes and cardiovascular disease so Māori can lead happier, healthier lives, provide for their whānau and continue to make a productive contribution to the local community. Ratapu hopes the collaboration with REDA ensures health stays on the agenda for local regional leaders – the Matariki Governance Group – as it considers its priorities over the coming year. He noted the Regional Recovery Plan identified a need for 2,500 extra people to deliver the recovery programme over the next three years and with co-ordination needed to address current and future workforce requirements. 'We will be actively encouraging and facilitating a joined-up approach to addressing this issue, including exploring alternative health service models with large local employers, iwi, hauora Māori and health service providers and local and central government working together to trial different options for Māori that suit their needs, Ratapu says. The research only further highlights the importance of Māori health to Hawke's Bay's future. This issue is not going to go away, especially as the working age population of Māori is expected to grow to 43,540 within the next two decades. Together as a community we have to improve Māori health now,' Ms Laitinen says.
Scoop
31-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Innovative Report Shows Collaboration To Improve Māori Health Would Increase Regional Productivity By $122m Annually
Press Release – HBREDA The research only further highlights the importance of Mori health to Hawkes Bays future. This issue is not going to go away, especially as the working age population of Mori is expected to grow to 43,540 within the next two decades. A co-ordinated effort to help improve the health of working age Hawke's Bay Māori can lead to a productivity increase worth $122 million a year and supply an extra 1,800 workers for Hawke's Bay, an innovative new study has found. The report, 'Health and productivity opportunities: Assessing the economic value of addressing priority health conditions in Hawke's Bay working-age Māori', was commissioned jointly by Hawke's Bay Regional Development Agency (REDA) and theTihei Tākitimu Iwi-Māori Partnership Board. Produced by NZIER economists Sarah Hogan and Tom Dunn, the report is thought to be the first in New Zealand to consider the critical links between Māori wellbeing and regional economic development. Māori make up 29 percent of Hawke's Bay's overall working population and play a vital role in the food and fibre sector industries, along with regional recovery. 'The research shows that Hawke's Bay's working age Māori aren't accessing health care early enough, for a variety of reasons, which leads to more serious primary health conditions,' Lucy Laitinen, REDA's CEO says. 'One of the reasons it's so difficult for Māori to access health services is because they largely work in agriculture, forestry, and fishing with little or no flexibility in their working hours. They also earn less than the regional average. These are among the issues driving the relatively low use of preventative care which leads to the high rate of ED visits.'' Tihei Tākitimu Iwi-Māori Partnership Board co-chair Lewis Ratapu says the report provides the wider community with a burning platform to think about and act differently in how health services to Māori are delivered. We need to invest more effectively and deliver services targeting mental illness and addiction, diabetes and cardiovascular disease so Māori can lead happier, healthier lives, provide for their whānau and continue to make a productive contribution to the local community. Ratapu hopes the collaboration with REDA ensures health stays on the agenda for local regional leaders – the Matariki Governance Group – as it considers its priorities over the coming year. He noted the Regional Recovery Plan identified a need for 2,500 extra people to deliver the recovery programme over the next three years and with co-ordination needed to address current and future workforce requirements. 'We will be actively encouraging and facilitating a joined-up approach to addressing this issue, including exploring alternative health service models with large local employers, iwi, hauora Māori and health service providers and local and central government working together to trial different options for Māori that suit their needs, Ratapu says. The research only further highlights the importance of Māori health to Hawke's Bay's future. This issue is not going to go away, especially as the working age population of Māori is expected to grow to 43,540 within the next two decades. Together as a community we have to improve Māori health now,' Ms Laitinen says.
Scoop
31-05-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Innovative Report Shows Collaboration To Improve Māori Health Would Increase Regional Productivity By $122m Annually
A co-ordinated effort to help improve the health of working age Hawke's Bay Māori can lead to a productivity increase worth $122 million a year and supply an extra 1,800 workers for Hawke's Bay, an innovative new study has found. The report, 'Health and productivity opportunities: Assessing the economic value of addressing priority health conditions in Hawke's Bay working-age Māori', was commissioned jointly by Hawke's Bay Regional Development Agency (REDA) and theTihei Tākitimu Iwi-Māori Partnership Board. Produced by NZIER economists Sarah Hogan and Tom Dunn, the report is thought to be the first in New Zealand to consider the critical links between Māori wellbeing and regional economic development. Māori make up 29 percent of Hawke's Bay's overall working population and play a vital role in the food and fibre sector industries, along with regional recovery. 'The research shows that Hawke's Bay's working age Māori aren't accessing health care early enough, for a variety of reasons, which leads to more serious primary health conditions,' Lucy Laitinen, REDA's CEO says. 'One of the reasons it's so difficult for Māori to access health services is because they largely work in agriculture, forestry, and fishing with little or no flexibility in their working hours. They also earn less than the regional average. These are among the issues driving the relatively low use of preventative care which leads to the high rate of ED visits.'' Tihei Tākitimu Iwi-Māori Partnership Board co-chair Lewis Ratapu says the report provides the wider community with a burning platform to think about and act differently in how health services to Māori are delivered. We need to invest more effectively and deliver services targeting mental illness and addiction, diabetes and cardiovascular disease so Māori can lead happier, healthier lives, provide for their whānau and continue to make a productive contribution to the local community. Ratapu hopes the collaboration with REDA ensures health stays on the agenda for local regional leaders - the Matariki Governance Group - as it considers its priorities over the coming year. He noted the Regional Recovery Plan identified a need for 2,500 extra people to deliver the recovery programme over the next three years and with co-ordination needed to address current and future workforce requirements. 'We will be actively encouraging and facilitating a joined-up approach to addressing this issue, including exploring alternative health service models with large local employers, iwi, hauora Māori and health service providers and local and central government working together to trial different options for Māori that suit their needs, Ratapu says. The research only further highlights the importance of Māori health to Hawke's Bay's future. This issue is not going to go away, especially as the working age population of Māori is expected to grow to 43,540 within the next two decades. Together as a community we have to improve Māori health now,' Ms Laitinen says.
Scoop
22-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
'We just awhi them': Iwi-led initiative tackles school attendance crisis
An iwi entity leading a joint approach to tackle low school attendance in Whanganui and South Rangitīkei says the number of cases is sobering. But Te Rūnanga o Ngā Wairiki-Ngāti Apa, based in Marton, counts as "a huge win" its success in re-engaging more than 250 children with education last year. The students, aged between six and 16, had not been attending school regularly. "We just awhi them to try to remove any barrier," Te Puna education, training and employability manager Shonee Cooper said. In 2024, after contracting to the Ministry of Education in 2023, the rūnanga's Te Puna team worked with Whanganui hauora Māori provider Te Oranganui and schools to close 494 cases. Of those, more than half (52 percent) were closed because the children were now enrolled and attending school or engaged in alternative education. This was achieved with a workforce of three: two working in the Te Puna team in Marton and one based with Te Oranganui in Whanganui. Ngā Wairiki-Ngāti Apa is determined to build on the success. Rūnanga general manager of operations Katarina Hina said the numbers were "sobering" but the issues sitting behind non-enrolment and unexplained absences were complex. Intervention required a broader approach than focusing only on the individual student. "Our approach is grounded in Whānau Ora. It's not just about the student, but the whole whānau," Hina said. "By understanding the wider social context, we have been able to walk alongside families to address the real barriers to attendance." The iwi was well placed to offer this support and integrated responses that were proving effective, Hina said. This included services and programmes spanning education, training, employment, health, social services, clinical care, environmental services and research. "This allows for true wraparound services, where we can refer whānau quickly across our internal teams and trusted external partners, ensuring all needs are met." Cooper said whānau were mostly "very supportive" of their children's education, but some needed help. "There are always lots of external elements - the financial pressure of living, travel, even just understanding school and education policies. It can be really frightening for whānau," Cooper told Local Democracy Reporting. "To have 494 cases closed and 52 percent re-engaged in education in one year, that was a huge win for us. Our team is amazing and tracking well, and so are our whānau. "We still have a long way to go but we're getting there and working really hard." Cooper said for those aged under 16, cases were closed only when students were re-engaged in education. Some cases were closed when young people "aged out" at 16. These rangatahi were encouraged to consider other education and training options. "We inform them of what's available to them and try really hard to get them into something." Good schooling was vital to many aspects of a child's wellbeing, and positive education outcomes helped set a strong foundation for their adult lives, Cooper said. "We don't want to see any of our babies not fulfilling their education needs. "A kura should be another arm of the whānau, another valuable community for our tamariki to be part of, one that opens up more opportunities for them." But she said a one-size-fits-all approach did not work for every child. "It's important that our kids are learning things that help them with their individual goals. Not all our kids are the same." Cooper said there were flexible options for students who were not engaging with mainstream education, including hybrid learning arrangements where rangatahi spend part of their week with the iwi and the rest at school. The rūnanga also runs a rangatahi programme, which offers tailored support for young people from across Te Ranga Tupua (a regional tribal area encompassing Whanganui, Rangitīkei, Ruapehu and South Taranaki). Ten rangatahi took part in the first intake. Of those, four returned to secondary school and the remaining six transitioned into full-time training. Last year, Te Rūnanga o Ngā Wairiki-Ngāti Apa hosted the first joint hui for schools across Whanganui and Rangitīkei, bringing together educational leaders, private training establishments, Sport Whanganui, and other partners to share solutions for improving school attendance.
