And if those principles are removed, or tampered with, it will cost more lives, especially Māori lives.
That was the message from Kerri Nuku, kaiwhakahaere of NZNO — Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa, who presented the union’s submission against the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill to the select committee yesterday.
Nuku was supported at the hearing by the union’s president, Anne Daniels, and chief executive, Paul Goulter.
‘This legislation, and its narrative, plays with Māori lives.’
“This legislation, and its narrative, plays with Māori lives.
“It says it’s okay not to give the attention we need to fix the parts of the health system that are killing Māori,” Nuku told the committee.
‘Tangata whenua are not the enemy and they are not a threat to others in this country.’
“Tangata whenua are not the enemy and they are not a threat to others in this country.
“Here are some facts: Māori die faster and in bigger numbers than non-Māori, Māori don’t live as long as non-Māori, Māori do not earn as much money as non-Māori, Māori are less likely to own their own homes.”
Nuku also told the select committee, which had received more than 300,000 submissions on the Bill, that the Treaty and its principles offered a solution to the nation’s broken health system.
“Te Tiriti provides a foundation to help fix the serious and dire health problems faced by Māori, something I’d like to expand on further.”
Nuku also pointed out to the committee that the Bill was contrary to the Pae Ora Act, which was designed to create more equitable health outcomes. She also said the Bill undermined the importance of culturally safe care and the unique position of Māori nurses to address health inequities.
Rural GPs back Treaty
Taiwhenua Hauora Rural Health Network’s chair Fiona Bolden told the select committee that she had worked as a GP in rural communities for 25 years.
“The current way we do health isn’t working, especially for Māori who are dying at a rate faster than any other people from sicknesses that are preventable.
“I came from the UK where the rate of diabetes was 1300 per million – here it is 10,000 per million.
‘We need the Treaty and Māori to show us how to fix that.’
“We need the Treaty and Māori to show us how to fix that,” said Bolden.
Iwi health groups back Treaty and sharing their services
Three representatives for iwi also presented to the select committee yesterday.
Louisa Wall, chair of Ngāti Tūwharetoa Iwi-Māori Partnership Board, told the committee that her tribe’s health services were open to all peoples who lived within their tribal area, which included Taupō.
In response to a question from committee member Todd Stephenson, of the Act Party, who asked if her iwi would allow non-tribal members to “opt-in” to her tribe’s health services, she said:
“Our mandate and purview is to ensure that our tribal members have access to best practice medical treatment and prevention.
“So others opting in to iwi-led health services over time, we would welcome anybody to use our health services.
‘In fact, our Ariki [Sir Tumu Te Heuheu Tūkino VIII KNZM] has been very clear that we serve all of those who live within the jurisdiction of Ngāti Tūwharetoa iwi.’
“In fact, our Ariki [Sir Tumu Te Heuheu Tūkino VIII KNZM] has been very clear that we serve all of those who live within the jurisdiction of Ngāti Tūwharetoa iwi.”
Helmut Modlik, chief executive of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Toa which provides health services to thousands of people in Porirua, told the committee that Treaties are for “honouring not settling.”
“If you want to see what te Tiriti in practice looks like then come to Porirua.
“There you will find the delivery of a range of health and social services, housing and education that is playing out to bless our whole community,” said Modlik.
Chris Tooley, head of Mataatua iwi-led health service Te Puna Ora based in eastern Bay of Plenty, told the committee that the Bill was another attempt to colonise Māori.
“This Bill has the intent to colonise Māori, to hijack and overthrow the constitutional development of this country.”
The committee resumes hearing submissions on the Bill this Thursday.