Tu Kaha 2010: Looking ahead

Copthorne Solway Park Hotel, High Street, Masterton
Tu Kaha 2010: Looking ahead - Te Karu Rarapa o te Ika: Our People, our Strengths; our Way

As I enlisted the help of the internet to look for the conference programme I was struck by the range of entries grouped under the concept of ‘Tu Kaha’.

There was the Tu Kaha Touch club; Tu Kaha mana wahine – a thesis describing the work of Te Whare Rokiroki Maori Women’s Refuge; Tu Kaha the art gallery; Tu Kaha Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or Tu Maia, Tu Kaha, Tu Rangatira – a vision for rangatahi.

It seems to me an absolutely appropriate collection of images to think about in preparing for Tu Kaha 2010.

Tu Kaha is about standing strong; being committed, resolute, determined. It is about embracing the full power and potential of the people; it is about re-energising the workforce; ensuring your workers are fit, healthy, living works of art.

And it is all about collective strength and willpower – or should I say well-power: the opportunity to achieve optimised outcomes in health and wellbeing.

If one had any doubt about this being a collective strategy, we only need to look at the conference committee that organised this hui:
- Riki Nia Nia of Capital and Coast DHB;
- Stephanie Turner and Janeen Cross of Wairarapa DHB;
- Cathy Tawera and Takurua Tawera of Te Hauora Runanga o Wairarapa;
- Rose Smith and Jeremy Tumoana of Hawkes DHB;
- Hone Hurihanganui of Whaiora;
- Kuini Puketapu of Hutt Valley DHB;
- Lauren Tamehana and Rowena Kui of Whanganui DHB;
- and Te Aira Henderson and Shane Ruwhiu of MidCentral DHB.

I wanted to publicly acknowledge the team that have made this hui possible, because it represents to me the challenge and the opportunity of our current health environment.

Whether it be Better, Sooner, more Convenient primary care; or Whanau Ora; a driving expectation of the new times is that providers and provider collectives will work together, in the spirit of collaboration that has health outcomes as its focus.

I was pleased to be invited to speak to you at this session on the future focus: he aronga whakamua e u ai te ha o te ora. As we know, however, he aronga whakamua is intimately linked to he aronga whakamuri.

Our strength is our past, our present and our future, learning from the legacy of those who have put in place a foundation for our future.

I am reminded of a quote by the late Irihapeti Ramsden in 1994:

“Our tipuna had all the building blocks of a powerful future: confidence in themselves, their way of life, their dream and their right to fulfil it”.

In sum this is the essence of Whanau Ora.

Whanau Ora is about transforming social service delivery so that services are focused on the needs of whanau rather than only responding to the specific issue that an individual has presented with at a service.

It is based on the recognition that our whanau are the building blocks of our society and as such, their wellbeing is critical to the flourishing life of their whanau, hapu and iwi.

I am so pleased that Professor Sir Mason Durie is here with us today, because it gives us an opportunity to honour his contribution not only to Whanau Ora, but also to the absolute recognition that the Treaty provides a framework for action, which requires the involvement of both the Government and Māori.

I remind us all about the commitment made in the New Zealand Health and Disability Act 2000 that:

In order to recognise and respect the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, and with a view to improving health outcomes for Maori, Part 3 provides for mechanisms to enable Maori to contribute to decision-making on, and to participate in the delivery of, health and disability services.

As you will recall, the Treaty clause in the Act is clearly motivated about the treaty principles of

- Partnership: Working with iwi, häpu, whänau to develop strategies for health gains;

- Participation: Involving whanau, hapu and iwi at all levels in decision-making, planning, development and delivery;

- Protection: Ensuring tangata whenua have at least the same level of health as non-Mäori, and safeguarding Mäori cultural concepts, values and practices.

Our challenge – whether as health providers, health policy makers, funders, managers, academics, or members of whanau is to ensure that any strategies or projects that we are involved in throughout the health sector, do indeed reflect an investment in the three P’s; partnership, participation and protection.

This Conference, Tu Kaha, is in itself a demonstration that the Government is committed to fulfilling its obligations to support self-determination for whanau, hapu, iwi.

Amongst the providers gathered here today, are those who have been recently announced as successful providers, recognised under Te Ao Auahatanga Hauora Maori.

This is an initiative which is investing up to $20 million on the design, development, promotion and delivery of innovative Whanau Ora driven health services. One of these programmes, very close to home, is the Kia Rite, Kia Ora programme being delivered by Whaiora Whanui Trust in the Wairarapa.

This is a concept about helping whanau to manage chronic condition through education and strengthened lifestyles. The key is in the collaborative effort between the providers, the clients and their whanau, in creating Whanau Wellness Action Plans.

I want to add some further thoughts about how the Treaty clause relates to what we are trying to do with Whanau Ora - or indeed Te Ao Auahatanga Hauora Maori.

There has been some recent debate suggesting the Government is seeking the support of iwi, in particular social service and education realms.

I want to state the case for turning this picture around, to suggest that actually iwi are seeking the support of Government work together with Iwi leadership and whanau innovation.

And I want to acknowledge the inherent leadership in so many of our whanau and our health providers; or expressed by our iwi, hapu, runanga; marae committees.

Here’s a few dates for you which provide a glimpse into various ways in which our people have been leading us forward in so many areas:

- In 1962 the New Zealand Maori Council was created;

- In 1965 our rangatahi came together under the umbrella of the Ngā Manu Kōrero Speech Competition – and have been helping to shape the national debate ever since;

- Te Reo Irirangi Maori O Te Upoko O Te Ika, the longest running Maori Radio Station in Aotearoa has been broadcasting since 1982;

- In that same year, the first Kohanga Reo opened within a week of each other at Wainuiomata and Waiwhetu;

- Three years later, Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Hoani Waititi was established;

- In 1987 the Federation of Maori Authorities was formed;

- And in 2004 of course, we witnessed the dawning of the Maori Television Service.

These are, but a few, of the amazing initiatives that tangata whenua have shown in living out the theme of this conference: our people, our strengths, our ways.

And of course the story of the advent of Maori health providers has to be one of the most exhilarating journeys in the development of this nation.

For what you have been doing is improving our peoples health (the protection principles); contributing to decision-making around health (the partnership principle) and actively contributing to the delivery of services (the participation principle).

What is so significant about Whanau Ora is that we recognise the initiative you have taken with so many of our whanau; and are working to get agencies to follow your lead; in placing families at the centre.

We all know that whanau are the best people to make decisions for themselves and must be empowered to do so.

There is nothing more important than self belief that we can take back control over our own lives.

For too long, the state and providers have replaced the extended whanau.

The key expectation that we are working towards Whanau Ora providers and provider collectives, is to make significant contributions to whanau outcomes, by delivering integrated and coherent services to meet the needs of whanau that are determined by whanau.

It requires Government agencies and NGOs to better coordinate and align their priorities; in order to support whanau in creating their own solutions.

I’m not about to issue any breaking news announcements today, about the first twenty providers who will be selected to advance Whanau Ora.

But I do want to share with you, that there has been a huge level of interest in the process with over 130 proposals received for the first and second waves, representing some 374 providers.

That is an amazing statistic – which conveys the level of work that has gone into preparing proposals. I think the feature which has particularly stood out in my mind is that a spirit of collaboration rather than competition has predominated right throughout.

There have been proposals from Pacific providers, disability providers, national and regional provider collectives- all inspired by the challenge of working together in the best interests of whanau.

Finally, I return to the Treaty. The Treaty clause – at its essence – provides a framework to consider health improvement within wider whanau, hapu and iwi development.

Tu Kaha is a perfect opportunity for us to share the learning we have acquired along the way; to celebrate our progress and to critically examine the approaches we need to nurture ensure our collective wellbeing.

I want to thank you sincerely for all you do in so many ways to achieve best health outcomes for our whanau.

Your leadership, your innovation, your strengths are truly paving the way ahead – he aronga whakamua e u ai te ha o te ora.

It is my absolute commitment to you, that I will do everything within my power, to ensure that Government continues to respect and reflect this leadership, in the way in which we continue to work together.

Tena tatou katoa

ENDS