Te Pae Oranga Will Continue To Hold The System Accountable

Te Pae Oranga o Ruahine o Tararua has responded to the passing of the Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Amendment Bill through Parliament last night making clear that the legislation does not change the organisation’s mandate, its resolve, or its obligations as a Tiriti partner of the Crown.

The bill strips several foundational Tiriti-based provisions from the original Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022, including the health sector principles, the direct engagement obligations between Health New Zealand and Iwi-Māori Partnership Boards (IMPBs), and the strategic commissioning functions that give effect to tino rangatiratanga in the health system.

Board Chair Danielle Harris was unequivocal in her response:

“These changes unilaterally dismantle the Tiriti-based architecture of the Pae Ora Act that was developed in partnership with iwi, hapū and whānau, and once again reduce us to passive stakeholders rather than our rightful and guaranteed Tiriti o Waitangi partners. Our IMPB will not accept this. For us, it is business as usual. We will continue to carry out our existing functions as they were guaranteed to us under Te Tiriti, not Crown legislation.”

Te Pae Oranga has been consistent in its opposition to the bill. In its formal submission to the Health Select Committee, the organisation called for the bill to be scrapped entirely, citing the Waitangi Tribunal’s Hautupua Report finding that the Crown had already breached multiple Tiriti principles through the earlier disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora, and warning that this bill deepens those breaches further.

The organisation says today’s vote does not diminish its role. Te Pae Oranga will continue to:

• Monitor health system performance and outcomes for Māori across the Ruahine o Tararua rohe – including Horowhenua, Manawatū, Palmerston North, Tararua and Ōtaki;
• Hold Health New Zealand and the Crown accountable through its evidence, monitoring and commissioning functions, roles that were established under Te Tiriti and remain in full effect regardless of legislative changes;
• Progress findings from its Access and Equity Monitoring reports, which continue to show barriers to primary care access remain significant upstream barriers to achieving hauora Māori outcomes and also show the extent to which government targets continue to mask inequity;
• Engage directly with the Crown as a Tiriti partner;
• Continue working alongside its Primary Health Organisation, primary and community care sector and Palmerston North Hospital partners to continue to deliver outcomes for whānau.

These local relationships, with providers, kaimahi, and community organisations across the rohe, are not contingent on national legislation. They are a reflection of the trust and mahi that has been built over time, and Te Pae Oranga is committed to acknowledging and continuing to grow them.

“Our accountability functions were guaranteed to us under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. No legislation removes that. We were here before this bill, and we will be here after it. Our whānau deserve nothing less.” Board Chair, Danielle Harris.

Te Pae Oranga o Ruahine o Tararua Charitable Trust represents approximately 44,000 Māori across the Mid-Central region and holds the statutory IMPB function.