Williams ArenaARENA WILLIAMS (Labour—Manurewa): E te Pīka ngā mihi o te tau hou ki a koe. Kei te Whare e tū nei tēnā tātou katoa. I tēnei wā o Waitangi ka huri ōku whakaaro ki ngā tāngata katoa o te motu e noho kotahi ana i te mana i te mauri i te maru o Te Tiriti o Waitangi.[Madam Speaker greetings of the new year to you. To the House that stands here greetings to us all. At this time of Waitangi my thoughts turn to all the people in this country living as one under the authority the spirit and the protection of the Treaty of Waitangi.]Madam Speaker greetings of the new year to you. At this time in the year when we acknowledge the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi my thoughts turn to all of the people of Aotearoa who carry the hopes and aspirations of our tupuna who signed it in 1840. And though we could not come together this year ā-tinana on Waitangi Day we can take time to reflect on what it means for each other and for us all to be a good partner to one another and how we need to work in partnership to improve outcomes for Māori and for all New Zealanders.In this Government's work I see examples of that spirit of partnership in the efforts to understand and rectify injustices. I see for example the new Pae Ora Legislation Committee's work which I'm a member of to establish the new Māori Health Authority. As you heard the Prime Minister say earlier Māori suffer from more avoidable deaths than most New Zealanders. We have lower life expectancy and we do not always receive the same quality of care. Māori die at twice the rate as non-Māori from cardiovascular disease and Māori tamariki have a mortality rate 1½ half times the rate of non-Māori children. Māori are more likely to be diagnosed with and to die from cancer and these inequities cannot continue. Past efforts have failed to fix these inequities and we must change the way we work. It's a privilege to be a part of a committee which is hearing from health leaders around the country from clinicians the doctors and nurses who make the health system work every day. And they are calling for this change because we know that a fairer health system for Māori will be a fairer and more effective health system for all New Zealanders.I see us learning from what this pandemic has been able to teach us about the underlying inequities in that health system that have built up over many generations as we build on our COVID protections and get ready to fight Omicron. Māori and Pacific health and community providers remain an essential part of that plan. I mihi to the kaimahi in South Auckland at Papakura Marae at Manurewa Marae who are out there vaccinating our population; at the airport park and ride and our local pharmacists and GPs like my mum who has vaccinated 98 percent of her patients predominantly Māori and Pacific in the heart of South Auckland. These providers have driven our Māori vaccination rates around the country to 90 percent first dose and are providing care in the community for those who need to isolate. The Government supported their work by directly investing over $250 million including $120 million to fund Māori communities to fast track vaccinations and prepare for Omicron. It has provided the basis for our close partnerships as we design the paediatric and booster roll-outs as well as the care and community programme which so many providers in South Auckland are already providing.I see us investing in education designed and delivered by Māori for Māori learners. We will continue to grow Māori-medium and kaupapa Māori education to meet the needs of ākonga over the long term. We're aiming to see 30 percent of Māori learners participating in Māori-medium education by 2040. To prepare for this we're planning for more Māori-medium providers and to train more teachers who are fluent in te reo and will also reform the legislation underpinning the Māori-medium education programme in New Zealand.I see us protecting our taiao which is our identity and our sustenance. A low-carbon future for Aotearoa is within reach powered by clean energy and underpinned by protecting and restoring the whenua. Climate change is an opportunity for new jobs and higher wages and iwi and Māori are at the table. For a country already earning a premium for our clean green innovative image there's an opportunity to use that natural advantage to create jobs and new industries which Māori are so well positioned to champion.I see us embedding a national holiday into our calendar which is truly unique to Aotearoa. Matariki is a deity it's a star it's an agricultural marker and now it's a public holiday that we can all celebrate. It's a symbol of acknowledgment of the loved ones we have lost in a year but it's also a symbol of rebirth and hope for the future. I am hopeful for the future when I see the strides this Government has made for Māori and for the Māori kids like mine with blue eyes and blonde hair who will see themselves reflected in the doctors and nurses in a new fairer and more equitable public health system. They will see their stories told on a national stage and celebrated by everyone. These are challenges ahead but we have learnt how to fight a virus together and that togetherness that kotahitanga that partnership will stand us in good stead for the future. Tēnā tātou.