The Government’s move to disestablish the Māori Health Authority before a Waitangi Tribunal hearing can consider the measure has been labelled as "dismissive" and "disrespectful" by one of its claimants.
1News understands legislation to scrap Te Aka Whai Ora is expected to be introduced to Parliament today.
As the plan would be before Parliament, that meant any tribunal hearing wouldn’t be able to proceed until the legislation came into effect.
When asked about it at yesterday’s post-cabinet press conference, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the Government was following through on its election promises and any challenge would be a matter for the tribunal.
“That’s a decision for [the Waitangi Tribunal]. What we’re focused on is making sure we follow through on the commitments that we’ve had from before the election,” he said, "which is to repeal the Māori health authority.”
Speaking to Breakfast this morning, Māori health advocate and one of the claimants, Lady Tureiti Moxon, said the Prime Minister’s response was “rather dismissive” but “isn’t unusual”.
She said the claimants were made aware of plans last week at the “11th hour”.
“And that’s a big disappointment, really, because the Waitangi Tribunal hasn’t really been given the respect that it deserves,” she said.
“And it hasn’t really been given the kind of kudos that this Government should be giving any judiciary in our country.”
Moxon said it was important to retain the health authority, as it was a system where Māori can “have control” in a way that “we believe is right for us”.
“Here we are again being plonked right back where we started, right back into a system that really doesn’t work for Māori, [that] never has worked for Māori.
“And believe me, [it] will never work for Māori.”
She also said it hasn’t been a fair process because "there hasn‘t been any consultation with any Māori person".
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti told 1News last week that the timing for introducing the legislation has not been based on a Waitangi Tribunal hearing timeline.
"It simply reflects the 100-day plan concluding by March 8," he said.
"Each of the coalition partners included the disestablishment in its manifesto, and this was also extensively campaigned on during the 2023 election."
He acknowledged the concerns and energy the claimants and interested parties had invested in bringing their claim to the Tribunal, and the work of the Tribunal which was still in progress.
"After the legislation comes into effect, the Waitangi Tribunal will again have jurisdiction to consider a claim."
'Doing what we said we'd do' - Luxon
The Prime Minister denied the plan was dismissive, saying the coalition Government was merely following its 100-day plan.
Responding to Moxon on Breakfast this morning, the Prime Minister backed up what his Health Minister said, saying the Government was executing its 100-day plan.
"We’re doing what we said we would do," he said.
Luxon said the Waitangi Tribunal would "continue to look at it in the way that it wants to look at it".
"But also, Parliament and Government are being very clear about what it wants to do, and we’re moving forward with what we want to do."
He denied the bill, being introduced today, was dismissive. He said removing the Māori Health Authority was a long-held position of the National Party. It was, he said,"the reality of where we are".
“We’ve opposed it the whole time we were in Opposition, we’ve campaigned on it. The New Zealand people supported it."
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