The Climate, Māori and Workers are under attack more than at any time in recent history. How much damage will another term of the coalition do?

Background

Historical injustices still affect Māori. The Treaty of Waitangi, signed in 1840, promised them equal rights but was violated within five years, with the onset of the land wars. When the war ended some twenty years later, almost all their land was gone, tens of thousands of lives and livelihoods lost.

Māori were excluded from most government programs, such as housing, until after the Second World War. Historical injustices left Māori less educated, in poor health, stuck with low-paying jobs and almost no wealth. And nearly two hundred years later, they still are.

Health

The Māori Health Authority was one of the first casualties of the coalition. Māori death rates compared to non-Māori were almost 3 times higher for respiratory diseases and even worse for diabetes. More than 2/3rds higher for cancer and heart diseases. The decision, taken without any consultation with Māori, was criticised in the New Zealand Medical Journal as “will likely contribute to Māori community disenchantment and further entrenchment of long-standing shameful health and social outcomes”. The reversal of Smokefree legislation was another missed opportunity to improve Māori health and that of all New Zealanders. In a cruel twist, the tobacco companies were given $200 million of taxpayers’ money!

Rollback of Māori-focused Policies in Public Services

Diversity policies were removed from the Public Sector by Minister Judith Collins in another attack on Māori progress and on efforts to address inequities. A shameful act that aims to consign them to a permanent underclass in New Zealand society. Many progressive private-sector organisations, such as Downer, ANZ, and Ports of Auckland, continue their D&I initiatives because they see clear benefits in unlocking additional talent pools and motivating minorities. The government issued directives to public service agencies to prioritise English and reduce the use of Te Reo Māori in official communications unless specifically relevant.

Education

New Zealand started teaching its history in schools only a few years ago. This government is retreating from teaching about colonisation and its impacts, which is crucial to improving race relations and reconciliation. Even the Education Minister, Erica Stanford, is getting in on the act by removing Māori words from parts of the curriculum.

Media

Significant funding cuts and a directive to Māori Television to focus on “broader audiences” threaten the viability of a crucial institution for the revitalisation and normalisation of Māori perspectives, which are seen as essential to a healthy Māori public sphere.

Treaty and Governance

The Treaty Principles bill proposed by the ACT Party attempted to unilaterally reinterpret the nation’s founding document. This would have overwritten more than 40 years of established legal Treaty interpretation and the work of the Waitangi Tribunal. While this was voted down, it may rear its ugly head again if the coalition gets another term. The government ceased work on implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

The government scrapped the requirement for local mandatory Māori wards, leading half of local councils to discontinue Māori wards.

Marine and Coastal Area Amendment Bill: This legislation introduced a tougher legal test for Māori to claim customary marine title. It applied retrospectively to July 2024, effectively overturning court rulings that had favoured Māori claimants over roughly 280km of coastline.

Criminal Justice

The government ended legal aid funding for cultural reports, preventing judges from considering a defendant’s background during sentencing. Māori, who make up over 50% of the prison population, were the primary users of these reports.

Collision Path

The effect of these policies is seen as a coordinated attempt to marginalise Māori interests and reverse decades of hard-fought progress toward partnership and equity.

Former Prime Minister John Key, speaking to a National Party Conference, warned them to “take the heat out of” attacks on race relations. This seems to have fallen on deaf ears and could have disastrous consequences.