New Zealand to Abolish Maori Health Authority

Facts

• New Zealand's government on Tuesday passed legislation to abolish the Maori Health Authority — set up in 2022 — by the end of June this year.¹
• According to Health Minister Shane Reti, the Authority's functions will be absorbed into the country's national health system. Reti stated that the news: 'doesn't mean an end to our focus on Maori health.'²
• The Maori Health Authority — also called the Te Aka Whai Ora — was reportedly created to improve healthcare access for the Maori people, who make up 17% of New Zealand's population.³
• The move to dismantle the Authority was suggested by the Waitangi Tribunal, a permanent commission created in the 1970s to hear claims brought by Maori.⁴
• Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has vowed to undo previous governments' policies, particularly those that promote the official use of the Maori language, insisting that it's essential to give all citizens equal rights.²
• In response to government reforms to indigenous policies, Maori tribes and other groups have launched nationwide protests, taken legal recourse, and filed a complaint over the Maori Health Authority's dismantling with the Waitangi Tribunal.³

Sources: ¹JURIST, ²Al Jazeera, ³Reuters and ⁴US News & World Report.

Narratives

• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by NZ Herald. This initiative undermines the rights of New Zealand's Maori population. Both political and social opposition in the form of petitions and protests have been largely ignored by Luxon's government. Repealing the Maori Health Authority is a highly unpopular move, which could backfire and destroy the country's social fabric.
• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by US News & World Report. The end of the Maori Health Authority doesn't mean the end of all initiatives to improve Maori health outcomes. Additionally, the national health system absorbing the Authority does not mean all the current expertise about Maori health will be lost. Government officials have made clear their commitment to continuing the mission of improving the health of all New Zealanders.