Te Pāti Māori Co-Leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer have likened the Government’s new Traffic Light system to a real life ‘Squid Games’ resulting in Māori deaths.

“On every single COVID indicator, Māori are significantly behind every other ethnicity. On every single indicator, Māori are likely to take the biggest hits from a Delta outbreak; vaccinated or not” says co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

“The fact that the Government has been absolutely resistant to setting Maori targets right from the outset is a problem. The fact they have ignored all Maori health expert advice right from the outset is a problem. The fact that they have ignored Iwi and Māori providers all along is a problem. The fact that they haven’t updated their Māori COVID Response strategy in over a year is a problem. The fact that the Government refuses to have a Maori vaccination target is a problem” says Ngarewa-Packer.

“The current mono-cultural strategies are harmful to Māori and we require frameworks that reflect our world view. The new direction requires the Government getting out of the road, because they are now the biggest barrier in the way of our unvaccinated people. The more they tell our people to get vaccinated, the more they don’t want to.

“The Government even ignored the advice of the Iwi Chairs Forum, who are apparently their most trusted advisory group on behalf of Māori, who have outright rejected the Traffic light system. The have said that it runs counter to the approaches they have been working on over the course of the pandemic. The Iwi Chairs believe the strategy is wrong and goes against Te Tiriti principles, and we absolutely agree” says Ngarewa-Packer.

“The government is side-stepping their accountability to Tangata Whenua by not setting Māori targets and not producing a Māori strategy. Even worse, they are side-stepping accountability to the six of seven Māori electorates they were elected to represent” says co-leader Rawiri Waititi.

“The Government needs to start taking responsibility for their part to play in our high unvaccinated rates among Māori. Instead, they have begun a below the belt smear campaign aimed at discrediting Māori leadership and blaming Māori. I’m mostly disappointed because our Māori MPs in Labour are now being used to front this smear campaign.

“They talk big in the House about all the money they are throwing at Māori, but it’s not going to Maori. They lie. It’s going to DHB’s to deliver to Māori. DHB’s that have been failing our people” says Rawiri Waititi.

“This morning, Minister Henare announced $120 million for Māori vaccination. We would expect for this money to “side step” the DHB’s and go directly to Māori providers, as it occurred in the first drop. Failure for this to occur will really solidify Labour’s position as a By Pākeha for Māori political party.

“The PM says no one will be left behind. What she means, is no one will be left behind, except for Māori. Let the Squid Games begin” says Rawiri Waititi.

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