Health incidents show treaty process out of control

Tuesday 5th Oct 1999
Richard Prebble
Media Release -- Health

ACT Leader Richard Prebble says recent incidents in the health sector show the Waitangi process is out of control.

"Recently women were banned from health premises in Wanganui because they were deemed to be tapu. Now we have Whakatane Hospital claiming health as a taonga under the Treaty of Waitangi," Mr Prebble said.

During question time in Parliament this afternoon Mr Prebble said an advertisement for a position at Whakatane Hospital stated: 'Pacific Health acknowledges health as a Taonga under Article 2 of the Treaty of Waitangi'.

Mr Prebble said from this it would follow that any Maori would be able to bring a claim to the Waitangi Tribunal for any illness whatever.

"The next thing we'll see a is claim by the family of a Maori person who died on a waiting list.

"And what does this say about health services for non Maori at Whakatane Hospital? If health is a Maori taonga, what about non Maori? And if there's no difference, then why put the statement in the advertisement in the first place?

"There are real health problems facing Maori. This sort of politically correct nonsense does nothing to assist in resolving genuine health problems. Indeed, pretending that health is an Article 2 treaty issue denigrates the treaty while not helping solve any health problems," Mr Prebble said.

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For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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