Government has no plans to revisit stand-alone Māori health authority, Doocey says

The Government says it has no intention to revisit a stand-alone Māori health authority in the wake of a critical Waitangi Tribunal report.The tribunal has found the Government had no clear alternative plan for Māori health when it scrapped Te Aka Whai Ora.Associate Minister of Health Matt Doocey said the Government had continued to progress its approach to Māori health, including through Whiria Te Ora / the Māori Health Strategy, since the period the tribunal considered.He said the priority was to build on that progress through better access to healthcare, stronger services and improved health outcomes.The second part of the Hautupua: Te Aka Whai Ora (Māori Health Authority) Priority Report was released on Friday. It examined the Crown's process for developing plans to address Māori health in place of a standalone authority.The tribunal found the Crown had failed to adequately inform Māori about its alternative plans, failed to recognise and respect tino rangatiratanga, and failed to consult with Māori."We see no evidence of meaningful engagement or consultation between the Crown and its Tiriti / Treaty partner," the tribunal said.It found the breaches had caused, and would continue to cause, short and long-term prejudice to Māori and repeated its previous finding that the Crown had shown "reckless disregard for the Crown-Māori relationship".They recommend that a stand-alone Māori health authority be revisited.Te Aka Whai Ora was scrapped as part of the government's 100-day programme.The Pae Ora (Disestablishment of the Māori Health Authority) Amendment Bill was introduced under urgency in February 2024.Then-Health Minister Dr Shane Reti said at the time the government wanted to pursue "a different dream" for Māori health, with greater decision-making and care delivered closer to home and hapū.