“DHBs got up a lot of people’s noses by prioritising Māori and Pasifika for resources in fixing the hospital waiting lists backlog from COVID-19 but the Prime Minister was missing in action this week when there was a real evidence-based rationale for prioritising health resources to Māori and Pasifika,” said Taxpayers' Union research fellow Jim Rose.

“The Prime Minister was wrong to reject a lower age for screening for bowel cancer for Māori and Pasifika. They have a twice as high rate of bowel cancer in their 50s than others.”

“The health budget should go for the biggest bang for the buck. Be it higher rates of smoking, obesity, and sudden infant deaths or low vaccination rates, targeting health interventions at specific communities and demographics can be evidence-based. The Prime Minister is failing this most basic public policy test.”

“Most health inequalities for Māori and Pasifika come from later presentation at the doctors or the emergency room. It is vital that Māori and Pasifika in their 50s go to their doctor about little changes others might otherwise shrug off until their 60s.”

“Reducing health inequalities will be another Jacinda Gap – the gap between what she promises and what she delivers – until she bases her policies on evidence and making hard choices within limited budgets.”

“Māori and Pasifika should be not targeted for more resources because they are Māori and Pasifika. They should be targeted for screening when Māori or Pasifika have a higher risk of particular cancers, which they do in this case.”

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