Turia Tariana: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Urgent Questions 
Turia Tariana: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Urgent Questions 
[Volume:638;Page:8100] 
11.  
TARIANA TURIA (Co-Leader—Maori Party) 
 to the  
Minister of Health 
: Why following the giving of “clear directions” will the Ministry of Health “no longer make direct references to the Treaty of Waitangi or its principles in new policy action plans or contracts” and what is the basis for those directions? 
Hon PETE HODGSON (Minister of Health) 
: 
 The Treaty of Waitangi is specifically recognised in the New Zealand Public Health and Disability Act 2000 and is given effect to by ensuring that Maori are represented on district health boards. It is also recognised in key health strategies including  
He Korowai Oranga 
. However strategies must be operationalised which is why the district health boards are instructed to identify the specific actions that they are taking to improve Maori health and reduce inequalities. 
Tariana Turia 
: Does the Minister recall his response on 20 June 2006 to my question regarding the removal of reference to the Treaty from health specifications that “there have been no instructions and there are no plans to issue instructions.” and what happened between June and December last year to make him change his mind? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: What has happened is that the principles have been placed in some contract documentation—there are a bit over 16000 contracts within the health sector. When a provider is asked what it is doing for Maori the answer sometimes is that it is following Treaty principles. Well that will not do. At the operational level we want to see delivery to Maori not an assertion that principles are being followed. In other words we want to shift from high-level direction only to having runs on the board. The principles themselves—I say to the member—have a rightful place which is in the legislation. They are there this Government put them there they are staying there and they are going nowhere. 
Pita Paraone 
: Tena koe Madam Speaker. Does the Minister agree that among the reasons that the Ministry of Health is moving away from direct reference to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi is that those principles were never included in the Treaty itself and are undefined and ambiguous and that with 21 district health boards that leads to 21 different interpretations of those so-called principles; if not why not? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: In my view the stronger argument is that if the Treaty and the principles surrounding it are to be found in Government documentation they should be found at the statutory level not at a commercial contracting level. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: Kia ora Madam Speaker; kia ora tatou katoa. Is the Minister aware of the recent statement from the chief executive of the Ministry of Education that removing the Treaty of Waitangi from the school curriculum was a blunder and is he prepared to learn from that mistake and admit that removing reference to the Treaty from the top end of the health sector policy line is also a gigantic blunder; if not why not? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: Because there is a significant difference between a school curriculum and a series of commercial contracts. 
Tariana Turia 
: Does the Minister agree with the statement of his predecessor the Hon Annette King that the “omission of any reference to the Treaty would be interpreted by Maori as indicative of a less than whole-hearted commitment to the principle of partnership and as such could be seen to be making a negative contribution to Maori health and well being.”; if not why not? 
Hon PETE HODGSON 
: I do agree with my predecessor which is why in the case of the health system the Treaty is reflected in representation of Maori on all district health boards and by supposition on a number of the district health board committees that service those health boards. That is the partnership that the member speaks of and that is the partnership that I am very comfortable with; it is in place and it is working. That does not mean that a high-level idea such as the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi is well placed in some thousands of commercial contracts. 
Tariana Turia 
: I seek leave to table the Cabinet paper from the Hon Annette King the then Minister of Health entitled  
Treaty of Waitangi in Health Legislation 
 in which she covers the omission of reference to the Treaty. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.