In New Zealand, the emergence of Maori retribalization in the 1980s within the wider context of the Maori cultural revival, biculturalism, and the Treaty of Waitangi historical grievance settlements has produced policies and practices in the health sector that classify the Maori section of the population as a discrete ethnic or racial category (
McCreanor and Nairn, 2002, U272). This article argues that the ethnic categorization process can be understood as a political construct in Treaty politics. Those politics are based on a post-1987 interpretation of the Treaty as an ongoing political “partnership” between the incorporated tribes and the government (referred to in the Treaty political discourse as the “Crown”) (
Te Puni Kokiri Ministry of Maori Development, 2001).
According to the Ministry’s interpretation, Maori low health status (Ministry of Health, 2013) is caused by an unequal power relationship between Maori and non-Maori that has its origins in the British colonization of New Zealand dating to the 1840 Treaty (Bishop and Berryman, 2006). The solution to the colonially imposed inequality and the resulting disadvantage is believed to be found in varying degrees of tribal self-determination. This political solution includes the provision of separate health care policies and practices by tribal and other Maori groups, the most recent of which is the policy, a major government health and social initiative resulting from the Maori Party’s 2008–11 coalition agreement with the governing National Party.
The ethnic or “racial” classification of Maori and non-Maori is a pivotal feature of New Zealand’s health system and affects government policy and professional practice within the context of Treaty of Waitangi “partnership” politics. Although ...
Whānau Ora
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Whānau Ora (
Māori for "healthy families") is a major contemporary indigenous health initiative in
New Zealand, driven by
Māori cultural values. Its core goal is to empower communities and extended families (
whānau) to support families within the community context rather than individuals within an institutional context.
History and objectives[edit]
Whānau Ora evolved out of the coalition between the
National and
Māori parties after the
2008 general election[1][2] and became a cornerstone of the coalition agreement between them after the
2011 general election.
[3][4] Te Puni Kōkiri (the Ministry for Māori Development) stated in 2011 that:
Whānau Ora is an inclusive approach to providing services and opportunities to whānau across New Zealand. It empowers whānau as a whole, rather than focusing separately on individual whānau members and their problems.
[5]
Prior to the health initiative,
Whānau Ora was the name of the Māori health awards.
[6]
Criticism[edit]
The programme has been criticised for having hard to define and impossible to measure specific outputs;
[7][8][9] as well as a disproportionate amount of funding being spent in Turia's electorate.
[10] MP
Winston Peters has been a vocal opponent of the program.
[10][11] The longest-established national Māori health organisation, the
Māori Women's Welfare League choose not to participate in Whānau Ora, but some regional leaders are involved. The League operates a
parenting skills course called
Whanau Toko i te Ora, which is unrelated to Whānau Ora.
[12]
Ministerial oversight[edit]
Between April 2010 and September 2014,
Māori Party co-leader
Tariana Turia served as Minister for Whānau Ora.
[13][14][15] Between September 2014 and October 2017, the portfolio for Whānau Ora was occupied by Māori Party co-leader
Te Ururoa Flavell.
[16] Following the
2017 election, the
Labour MP
Peeni Henare assumed the position of Minister for Whānau Ora.
[17]
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The above indicates that NZ does have race based policies on health which I'm sure The Voice would like to copy at a cost to the Australian taxpayer.