Northland Age
  • Northland Age home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Rural
  • Opinion
  • Kaitaia weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northland Age

Racism - or just an excuse?

By Casey Costello
Northland Age·
4 Jul, 2019 02:14 AM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

NAG 04Jul19 - Casey Costello

NAG 04Jul19 - Casey Costello

Casey Costello Hobson's Pledge has taken issue with the Waitangi Tribunal's call for compensation for underfunding Māori health providers as unfairly implying a systemic failure by health professionals, and further excusing Māori from taking responsibility.

The Tribunal's 'Hauora: Report on Stage One of the Health Services and Outcomes Kaupapa Inquiry 2019,' made two key recommendations, that the Crown should consider establishing a Māori primary health authority, which would control and monitor Māori health-related spending and policy, and consider compensation for underfunding of Māori health providers over the last 20 years.

"The tribunal cites health gaps between Māori and everyone else in terms of life expectancy, cancer and heart disease mortality, rheumatic fever rates, asthma hospitalisation, lagging rates of immunisation, sudden death rates and so on, and goes on to say the government is to blame," Ms Costello said.

"If there had been any evidence of Māori being refused treatment or denied support services there may be some sympathy for poor outcomes, but this is not the case.

"The report cites the lower numbers of immunisation. This is a free service that relies on the choice to immunise and the willingness of parents to do so. Any failure to do so is the responsibility of the parents.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The tribunal determined that there had been a lack of funding for Māori health care without recognising that Māori have access to both Māori primary health providers and to every district hospital. Yet again, rather than encouraging and empowering Māori to take responsibility and accountability for our lives, the clear message is that we are somehow incapable of caring for ourselves.

"Besides, to suggest that a treaty made almost 180 years ago, guaranteeing the same political rights to all New Zealanders, also guarantees the same health outcomes to all New Zealanders, irrespective of their life choices, is the height of absurdity."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northland Age

Northland Age

Prisoners gain skills building homes for families in need

Northland Age

Far North news in brief: NRC weed workshops, 64 sika deer culled

Northland Age

Invasive sea spurge found at Spirits Bay, threatening native plants


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northland Age

Prisoners gain skills building homes for families in need
Northland Age

Prisoners gain skills building homes for families in need

Men at Northland Region Corrections Facility built a home for a whānau in Te Tai Tokerau.

16 Jul 07:00 PM
Far North news in brief: NRC weed workshops, 64 sika deer culled
Northland Age

Far North news in brief: NRC weed workshops, 64 sika deer culled

16 Jul 04:00 PM
Invasive sea spurge found at Spirits Bay, threatening native plants
Northland Age

Invasive sea spurge found at Spirits Bay, threatening native plants

16 Jul 04:00 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northland Age e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to The Northland Age
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northland Age
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP