A leading Māori health advocate is heading a bid in the Waitangi Tribunal to stop the abolition of Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority.
The government plans to disestablish the authority in its first 100 days.
Lady Tureiti Moxon and the head of a Māori primary health organisation, Janice Kuka, have made a request for an urgent hearing regarding the government’s plans on 8 December.
A Waitangi Tribunal document published on Thursday said they were making the request on behalf of governors, managers, staff and Māori cared for by Māori-owned primary health organisations.
Judge Damian Stone is considering the request and has given the Crown until the end of Monday to reply.
The Māori health authority was set up last year under health reforms, with the aim of giving Māori a greater say in their own healthcare and ending poorer health statistics.
In their statement of cClaim lodged with the tribunal, Moxon and Kuka said disestablishing the authority would probably prejudicially affect Māori.
Second urgent claim
There would no longer be a Māori body which aimed to create services to achieve the best possible health outcomes for Māori and promote Māori health.
They pointed out historic underfunding by the Crown for Māori health providers and primary health organisations (umbrella groups comprising GP practices and other community health services).
The Crown was supposed to work with Māori to change that but had not, they said.
Abolishing the authority would be inconsistent with the Treaty principles of tino rangatiratanga, partnership and equity, the claim said.
There is another claim for an urgent tribunal hearing regarding the government’s 100-day plans.
Tauranga-based iwi Ngāi Te Rangi is accusing it of breaching the Treaty by failing to protect te reo Māori.
-RNZ