Government can afford to pay whanau to care for disabled - Interview with Dr Huhana Hickey

Marae Investigates 10am Sunday TVOne

Human Rights lawyer Dr Huhana Hickey says Government can afford to pay for family members to care for disabled Whānau.

Speaking on TVNZ’s Marae Investigates this morning, Dr Hickey said the Government’s backdown on paying carers is cause for great celebration but she warned the Government shouldn’t be allowed to drag its feet on implementing the policy.

She told interviewer Scotty Morrison “I think the next step is how much we are going to be paid and if the Whānau are not paid a fair wage for what they are doing that’s going to be another problem because the dignity then goes again and then we go back to the demeaning aspects of being low paid or unpaid and on benefits”

Dr Hickey says she believes the policy will cost less than first quoted and she doesn’t believe it will bankrupt the Country. “Well think about it, if we’ve got Whānau on benefits and they can’t afford to have us on benefits they’re not going to be on a benefit if they are being paid to do the job and for the marginal amount of a little bit more they will have the benefit of the dignity of being able to work.”

Dr Hickey suffers from multiple sclerosis and has not been able to have Whānau members paid to care for her. She says the change in policy should have a very positive impact on Māori.

Transcript of interview between Human Rights lawyer Dr Huhana Hickey and interviewer Scotty Morrison regarding the Government’s backdown on paying those who care for disabled family members.

Scotty
Can the Government foot the bill for compensation and pay for family members caring for Whanau?

Dr Hickey
I believe they can. What we are looking at is - Whānau naturally do care for their Whānau members and in the past they have been unpaid or they have been on benefits. So what we are finally able to do is give the dignity to Whānau by actually allowing them to be paid to care for their Whānau member.

Scotty
So what’s been your reaction to all this. Are you happy the Government’s dropped its legal case?

Dr Hickey
Absolutely. Celebrating I can finally have my family care for me instead of having strangers in my whare. I can have my Whānau and that makes a big difference.

Scotty
Does this mean it’s all over, you can move forward?

Dr Hickey
I hope so. I think the next step is how much we are going to be paid and if the Whānau are not paid a fair wage for what they are doing that’s going to be another problem because the dignity then goes again and then we go back to the demeaning aspects of being low paid or unpaid and on benefits, So you’ve got to make it fair and reasonable for all parties concerned.

Scotty
This is something that could have a big impact on Māori. This is something we do quite naturally isn’t to take care of our relativies who have disabilites or are sick.

Dr Hickey
This is right, we do it without thinking and often at a great cost to us and they give up careers they give up their jobs and then they say oh you’re on a benefit, the demeaning aspect...its a shaming thing. Where as this is actually being paid so you don’t have to think about that, you can get on and do what you want to do. We used to be extended whanau, that’s been breaking down. We’re able to now come back and be a whānau as we are meant to be as traditionally we were and as we can be and that’s going to be a lot healthier for us.

Scotty
Do you think the Government will drag its feet on this now?

Dr Hickey
I think they will. They’ve said not until next year sometime but it actually needs to be rolled out soon.

Scotty
If you were going to be one of the advisors in terms of shaping the policy – what would it look like?

Dr Hickey
It would have an ability for Māori to finally be able to dictate to their own terms like the autonomy that we ask for – our ability to govern our own decisions will actually be there. That’s how it should look for us and that includes our Whanau, our hapū our iwi, to come together and make these decisions as a community rather than as individuals because while our voice is really important our voice within the community is even more important.

Scotty
There are probably a few people out there thinking this policy could probably bankrupt the country – what would you say to them?

Dr Hickey
Well think about it, if we’ve got Whānau on benefits and they can’t afford to have us on benefits they’re not going to be on a benefit if they are being paid to do the job and for the marginal amount of a little bit more they will have the benefit of the dignity of being able to work. So Work and Income will be able to say they have more Māori in employment, they’ll be able to say we’ve got more people in jobs and I don’t think it will bankrupt the Country in fact I believe in fact the amounts originally quoted were wrong and we believe it will be a lot less than what they’ve quoted.

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