‘Two systems, by stealth’: Collins

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Opinion

Judith Collins may have thrown down a marker for the next general election with her comments that the Government is planning to stealthily establish more separate Maori organisations in addition to the one already planned for health.

National has already come out against the proposed health reforms and Collins doubled down on that in her speech in Auckland at the weekend with comments about He Puapua, a document commissioned by the Cabinet and prepared by Te Puni Kokiri which she says calls for a “two systems” approach to New Zealand's government arrangements.

She is warning the document spells out a clear vision for New Zealand in 2040 under a two-systems Treaty view with separate systems for health and justice. There would be Maori governance in resource management and the foreshore and seabed.

While accepting that rectifying past injustices and settling Treaty claims is important, she accuses Labour of seeking to introduce the two systems by stealth, adding that National was proud of its track record for settling Treaty claims.

But she said the debate had moved on to a more divisive one about using the Treaty to justify new, and separate, governance arrangements and on the role of the Treaty in our democracy going forward. She repeated previous warnings that the Maori Health Authority would have veto power over $20 billion. She also reiterated a National Party warning that the new authority will be able to veto Government decisions.

“Let me say that again, the proposed Maori Health Authority will not only have the ability to commission its own work, but also the ability to veto decisions made by the Government on general health — on everyone's health,” she said.

Collins obviously sees this as a possible winning plank for 2023, realising that there is genuine concern in the community about a separate Maori health system.

This appears to be a successor to the crude iwi/Kiwi campaign of former National leader Don Brash whose “Orewa Speech” caused an initial surge in support but failed to earn a win for National in 2005.

Collins' move will win her votes in some quarters but it carries risks.

Some critics see this as a desperate bid by her to try to reinforce her leadership in the face of rumoured challenges.

In any case it has sparked life into the political scene and set the stage for an interesting debate during the coming winter months.