Delta has become a Māori pandemic, Waitangi Tribunal hearing told
Monday, 6 December 2021
“Delta has very quickly become a Māori pandemic,” National Hauora Coalition chief executive Simon Royal told a special hearing of the Waitangi Tribunal into the Government’s Covid-19 response which began on Monday.
And it would only get worse, he said, as the Government lifted restrictions.
“The Government needs to address this immediately and understand this isn’t a problem that can be hidden … every way you turn, the statistics keep mounting.”
Royal warned that, unless something transformative happened, the same results would continue to manifest.
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The Coalition is one of around 40 claimants from across New Zealand speaking at the special Tribunal hearing this week, detailing the circumstances that they say have disproportionately exposed Māori to Covid-19, and explore any changes that could improve equity in the Government’s pandemic response.
The hearing began with evidence from representatives for Te Kaunihera Māori o Aotearoa – the New Zealand Māori Council.
In its opening synopsis, the New Zealand Māori Council detailed the difficulties Māori health providers have had in the past 20 months trying to work with the Government to improve health and vaccination outcomes for Māori as Covid-19 threatened the country.
“Aotearoa New Zealand has, so far, escaped the worst impact of that emergency. But the Crown has moved away from its elimination policy. In doing so, it exposed Māori to all of the problems with the health system that this Tribunal has already identified.
“Māori trail the total population’s vaccination rates by over 20 per cent. There are multiple reasons for this, including systemic factors inherent in the way in which the Crown has chosen to proceed with its vaccination programme ….
“It cannot be consistent with Te Tiriti for the Crown to adopt policies that are considered to provide New Zealand with a reasonable level of protection, but which leave Māori exposed to a greater level of harm.”
Speaking on behalf of the council, co-chair George Ngatai said a new Māori Covid-19 council that represented iwi, hapū, whānau, health providers, and all other Māori-led organisations was needed to ensure Māori were heard at the highest level.
“What we are suggesting … [is] the formation of a mana whakahaere, which is a council that will liaise with Government at regular opportunities, and that they actually meet to look at a joint design of Covid response for Māori, for communities that are vulnerable, and for those that are vaxxed and those who choose to be unvaxxed.”
For the National Health Coalition, prior to the hearing, Royal said the Crown’s management of the pandemic had had an unjust and unfair impact on Māori.
“We have been trying to navigate the Crown’s systems and rules that weren’t designed for us, but frankly, the Crown needs to take a fundamentally different approach and begin authentically partnering with Māori.
“Not only is this required of the Crown under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, but practically, the Crown lacks the expertise and infrastructure to reach whānau Māori and work with diverse Māori on its own.”
Dr Rawiri McKree Jansen, as a Coalition clinical director, the lead claimant for Te Ohu Rata o Aotearoa – the Māori Medical Practitioners Association and as co-chair of Te Rōpū Whakakaupapa Urutā – the National Māori Pandemic Group, will also present evidence to the Tribunal on Tuesday.
He has been outspoken about the failings of the response following his resignation from the Government’s expert Immunisation Advisory Group in April.
“At this point in time, Māori are the least vaccinated population, the most vulnerable population and are literally in harm’s way.
“We see that with the Delta outbreak right now in terms of death and case numbers. That is hugely worrying and devastating for Māori communities.”
Māori leaders and health professionals, such as Te Kōhao Health chief executive Lady Tureiti Moxon, Waipareira Trust chief executive John Tamihere, and Muaūpoko Tribal Authority chief executive Di Rump are among the claimants who will be heard in the coming days.
Judge Damian Stone is presiding, supported by Tribunal members Associate Professor Tom Roa, Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith and Tania Simpson.
The hearing continues.