Abortion promise ‘reassuring’
Women’s health nurses have welcomed Simeon Brown’s promise there will be no changes to New Zealand’s recently decriminalised abortion laws under his ministerial watch.
Brown voted against decriminalising abortion in New Zealand in 2020, and in 2022 liked fellow National MP Simon O’Connor’s social media post applauding the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe vs Wade and end national American abortion rights
In 2020, abortion was removed from the Crimes Act in New Zealand. Brown and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon — both devout Christians — have acknowledged their anti-abortion stances, however Luxon has promised to resign if any restriction on abortion access occurred under his leadership.
NZNO women’s health college chair Jill Lamb said while everyone was entitled to their personal views, it was “reassuring” Brown had promised not to implement them.
“He said there’re not going to be any changes, so while he’s got his views — as has Christopher Luxon — they’re not going to change the policy that we have, which is reassuring,” she said.
“Everyone’s entitled to their views but we like how the [abortion] laws are at the moment.”
Simeon Brown — who is already Minister for State-owned enterprises — took over the Government’s health portfolio on Friday after GP Shane Reti was stripped of the role just 14 months in.
“We will not judge Minister Brown just yet. It is early days and we are yet to hear detail of his plans for our nation’s health system,” NZNO — Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku said in her blog.
NZNO president Anne Daniels agreed — but hoped Brown would heed the voices of the people over the Government’s anti-Māori policies and Dunedin Hospital u-turn.
‘You have to question what he did behind closed doors to actually fight these policies. Under his watch, how did these things happen?’
“People have made their voices heard loud and clear. Thirty-five thousand people protested about the Dunedin Hospital new build being put on hold by [Infrastructure Minister] Chris Bishop and Reti, as well as [protests over] te Tiriti o Waitangi,” Daniels told Kaitiaki.
“These are the things that absolutely matter, to bring people out into the streets and let the Government know exactly how they feel — and it’s my hope that Simeon will listen and act appropriately.”
Nuku said nurses had many questions for Brown: “Will he move to deregulate the health workforce? Will he address the issues around pay equity and pay parity? How will he address issues of health justice?”
Nuku also wanted know what he would do to improve “shocking” Māori life expectancy which saw tangata whenua live seven years less than non-Māori.
‘I will deliver’ — Brown
Brown told RNZ’s Paddy Gower his focus was “delivering” on the five health targets set by Reti.
“Now it’s about delivery for all New Zealanders, and making sure we see real progress against the health targets we’ve set as a Government, making sure we’ve got support for the workforce that’s needed — making sure the whole system is focused on the delivering the quality and timely access to health care that New Zealanders need.”
‘Everyone’s entitled to their views but we like how the [abortion] laws are at the moment.’
Cancer, emergency, perioperative and primary health nurses have warned that without more funding and staff, the targets are only putting more pressure on overworked nursing and medical staff.
Since they were set in April 2024, there has been little shift in the five targets — for faster ED waiting times, cancer treatments, specialist appointments and elective surgery — and childhood immunisation rates have worsened.
Brown also told RNZ “key decisions” needed to be made on the Dunedin Hospital rebuild and he would be working closely with Minister for Infrastructure Chris Bishop in “coming weeks and months” on that.
Reti ‘respectful’
Nuku said she wanted to acknowledge Reti’s “respectful” kōrero with NZNO, despite their lack of agreement on many issues facing the nursing workforce.
‘This Government must acknowledge its responsibility to Māori to improve health outcomes and access to health services.’
“We never got from him what we wanted but the kōrero with him was always respectful. Even if we disagree with their politics.”
Daniels said while he had always been “welcoming and gracious”, Reti had let the nursing workforce down over promises to improve primary health sector funding and plan to downgrade Dunedin’s new hospital build. Fast smoke-free legislation repeal and dismantling of Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority, had also been hugely disappointing.
“You have to question what he did behind closed doors to actually fight these policies. Under his watch, how did these things happen?” Daniels said.
“For the main person on the floor or in the community, he didn’t do what he said he was going to do. He made pre-election promises and they have not been realised.”
Reti (Ngātiwai, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāpuhi-nui-tonu) was the first Māori minister of health in 100 years, after Sir Māui Wiremu Pia Naera Pōmare was in the role 1923–26.
Equitable health ‘must be priority’ — NZNO
NZNO chief executive Paul Goulter has said it didn’t matter who the health minister was as long as they supported an equitable health system for all New Zealanders.
“This Government must acknowledge its responsibility to Māori to improve health outcomes and access to health services.”
Goulter called on Brown to prioritise:
- Pay parity: Paying nurses in primary and community health the same as Te Whatu Ora, to stem staff shortages, waiting times and ED pressures.
- Reversing ideological decisions to remove policies that would reduce Māori health inequities.
- End the recruitment freeze at Te Whatu Ora and fund clinically and culturally safe staffing levels in hospitals.
- Improve wages for aged care workers.