Te Taura Ora IMPB Warns Pae Ora Bill Worsens Inequities Urges Abandonment
Te Taura Ora o Waiariki, the Iwi Māori Partnership Board (IMPB), will make a formal submission before Parliament’s Select Committee on Tuesday 2 September at 9:50am on the Pae Ora Bill. Deputy Chairperson Jenny Kaka-Scott will present to Subcommittee A, chaired by Sam Uffindell, with members Dr Carlos Cheung, Cameron Luxton, Hūhana Lyndon, and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.
“This Bill undermines the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi by stripping away statutory protections that give Māori genuine influence in health service design and delivery decisions impacting our people,” Jenny Kaka-Scott said.
Te Taura Ora o Waiariki opposes the Healthy Futures (Pae Ora) Amendment Bill because it reduces Māori from being meaningful decision-makers to advisors to the Minister’s advisors, which represents a constitutional regression.
“The Pae Ora Act 2022 is one of the few modern health laws that truly embeds Te Tiriti into governance, service design, and monitoring, and the proposed amendments would weaken those protections nationwide.”
She said that IMPBs must be strengthened to maintain statutory authority to monitor the health sector independently, partner in local service design and delivery, and hold the power to appoint a majority of Hauora Māori Advisory Committee members who are accountable to iwi.
“This ensures real influence over our local health services, rather than tokenistic consultation. Weakening IMPBs also undermines Crown credibility, Tiriti compliance, and accountability in Māori health,” she said.
Kaka-Scott said the Bill also risks dismantling mechanisms that are already delivering positive outcomes for Māori. Te Taura is one of 15 IMPBs operating across Aotearoa, providing a vehicle for rangatiratanga in health. Removing their statutory functions would undermine these proven approaches and weaken local voices in health planning.
“In our Te Arawa rohe, Te Taura Ora o Waiariki has successfully partnered with Rotorua Hospital, local PHOs, Hauora Māori providers, Bay of Plenty Public Health, and community leaders to embed local priorities into Regional Health and Wellbeing Plans. Our partnerships demonstrate how IMPBs improve outcomes on the ground through genuine Te Tiriti-based engagement and co-design.”
These local successes highlight what is at stake, as the Bill’s proposed changes risk undermining the very mechanisms that are improving Māori health outcomes and addressing persistent inequities in Te Arawa.
“Evidence shows that Māori continue to experience shorter life expectancy and higher rates of preventable hospitalisations. By removing mandatory engagement, cultural responsiveness, and independent monitoring, the Bill would reduce culturally safe care, allow inequities to go unreported, and impose one-size-fits-all universalism solutions that fail to meet local Māori needs,” Kaka-Scott said.
Te Taura Ora o Waiariki is calling on Parliament to abandon the Bill or at worst, redraft it to retain and strengthen statutory Te Tiriti protections, IMPB powers, and co-design mechanisms. Until such changes are made, the Pae Ora Act 2022 remains in force, and Te Whatu Ora Health NZ must fully comply with its current statutory requirements.
Media Liaison: Sarah Sparks Email: Sarah.sparks@sparksconsulting.co.nz Mobile: 021318813
IMPBs uniting against Pae Ora amendments in bid to protect Māori voice
Leaders from all 15 iwi Māori partnership boards are in New Plymouth to present a united front against the Government’s proposed changes to the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022.
Speaking to media attending the hui this morning, Tūwharetoa IMPB chair Louisa Wall says the Government’s actions are “appalling”.
“We had a stunning relationship with our first minister, Peeni Henare, and then a stunning relationship with our second minister, Dr Shane Reti,” Ms Wall says.
“This minister hasn’t even met with us, so it’s appalling behaviour for our partners in the system who say they put patients first.”
But, given boards are now incorporated societies or charitable entities, she says they will continue pushing for system changes within their role regardless of any new legislation: “None of that will change, but it’s easier if we have a formal relationship.”
“This move silences our voices and severs a critical connection”
Proposed changes to act
The amendment bill, which will also change the act’s name to Healthy Futures (Pae Ora), takes away current board functions relating to business planning, service design and service monitoring, and replaces them with the single task of collecting the “whānau voice” on healthcare priorities.
This feedback will then be passed to the Hauora Māori Advisory Committee which will inform the new board of Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora.
The amendments are also likely to include the creation of new IMPBs for Tūhoe and the Chatham Islands.
Critical connection severed
In a media release, Hiria Te Paki, chair of hosting Taranaki IMPB, Te Punanga Ora, says the amendments reduce boards from active partners to passive recipients and undermine long-standing partnerships: “Telling us after the fact is not consistent with Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
“This move silences our voices and severs a critical connection between Māori communities and the health system,” says Mr Te Paki.
“Māori are still dying, on average, seven years younger than non-Māori. Diluting our leadership and input will only deepen these inequities.”
Ms Wall, a former Labour Party MP, says the dilution of the IMPB role undermines the health system and shows achieving equity is no longer a priority: “(The Government), I guess, will put (the health system) back to first come, first serve. Whoever knows the system is going to be able to access the services…”
Parliamentary debate kicks off
The amendment bill was presented to Parliament for its first reading by health minister Simeon Brown on 22 July.
In the Hansard report of the debate Mr Brown, when presenting the bill, says the changes bring “greater focus” to the role of IMPBs, while HMAC, which is made up of members appointed by the minister who work part-time and meet monthly, will have “a clear statutory function”.
In response, Labour Party health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall says the changes are ideological and will cause “a terrible loss of Māori voice, and our health system will be worse for it”.
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer stood “in fierce opposition to this ridiculous bill” which she says goes against the advice of healthcare experts.
“I can’t wait to get the opportunity in government in 2026 to repeal this bill fast as we can.”
National MPs defend bill
After National Party MP and health select committee chair Sam Uffindell called Ms Ngarewa-Packer’s speech “the worst I’ve ever heard in the House” his colleague, specialist GP Vanessa Weenink, attacked the previous Labour Government’s reforms as an “omnishambles” that disrupted decision-making and communication: “No one has had either the authority, or, frankly, temerity to make any decisions, and the responsibility for the consequences of that have been opaque as well.”
The bill has been sent to Parliament’s health committee for public submissions and is scheduled to be reported back to the house by 24 November.
The National Iwi Māori Partnership Board Hui Tahi is being held in New Plymouth’s Devon Hotel from 7 –8 August.
Article by: Alan Perrott
Original Source: https://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/article/news/impbs-uniting-against-pae-ora-amendments-bid-protect-maori-voice?check_logged_in=1