Rainbow communities condemn the disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora

Statement - 28 February 2024
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As rainbow communities, we stand with Māori leaders across the country to condemn the coalition government’s disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora under urgency and in disregard of the Waitangi Tribunal.

While the government’s 100 day plan signalled that a Bill would be introduced, we expected that such a significant decision would be given due process, allowing those who are most affected by this change to have a say. If there had been a Select Committee process, we would have shared these concerns there.

Te Aka Whai Ora has been an essential means to begin addressing the historical and ongoing impacts of colonisation and health inequities faced by Māori in Aotearoa, and to address the ways that the mainstream health system has been inconsistent with the Crown’s duties to tangata whenua through Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

It has been widely acknowledged through the health system reforms and the debate surrounding this Bill that as a population, Māori face measurably worse health outcomes than others in Aotearoa. Health services and systems are less responsive to Māori, and decisions impacting Māori health are often made without Māori leadership.

Takatāpui and Māori who are LGBTI+ or identify as part of rainbow communities face significant health inequities and poorer experiences of the health system. Studies including Counting Ourselves, Youth19, Identify and Honour Project Aotearoa have described these experiences; takatāpui as a population are worse off compared with other Māori, and with non-Māori rainbow people.

Health inequities for takatāpui are linked with historic and ongoing impacts of colonisation - people whose appearance, relationships, behaviours and bodies defied colonial gender norms were suppressed, criminalised and pathologised as the New Zealand state was formed, and since then. These processes have caused ongoing harm to individuals and whānau relationships, and have suppressed mātauranga related to takatāpui places within Te Ao Māori.

We need targeted, Māori-led work to improve takatāpui health and heal relationships and communities.

In its short time of operation, Te Aka Whai Ora has shown leadership in engaging with takatāpui and rainbow health. It established a role to support takatāpui perspectives to be heard by the agency’s work - the first time such a role has existed within central government or the health system at a national level. The agency has also commissioned rainbow community-led providers to undertake rainbow mental health promotion projects, addressing gaps for takatāpui and wider rainbow communities. It is essential that the leadership shown by Te Aka Whai Ora in uplifting takatāpui voices and mana takatāpui is maintained.

We are concerned that the rushed process to disestablish Te Aka Whai Ora has meant that there has been no chance for scrutiny of the Bill’s detail. It appears the Bill goes much further than simply transferring roles between agencies - for example through removing requirements for any Māori input into the Hauora Māori Strategy, watering down requirements for Māori input and considerations of Māori concepts, and significantly pushing back the timeline for seeking local input into localities planning.

One detail of the Bill is a loss for takatāpui and rainbow communities specifically. The Bill represents the removal of Aotearoa’s only legislative requirement for rainbow inclusion in the health system. The Pae Ora Act introduced a requirement for the Hauora Māori Advisory Committee to hold insights in relation to the needs or aspirations of takatāpui. This was the first time that the kupu ‘takatāpui’ was used in New Zealand law, and represented an acknowledgement that among Māori, takatāpui experience additional inequities and have specific healthcare needs. While the Bill states that “the Hauora Māori Advisory Committee continues to have a valuable role in providing independent advice to ministers with respect to Māori health” this is a role which has lost its requirement to consider takatāpui perspectives or aspirations.

We call on the coalition government to reconsider and reverse these changes, and to reengage with Māori and with the Waitangi Tribunal to identify ways to build a health system that honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi and works towards eliminating health inequities for Māori and for takatāpui.

Signed

Te Ngākau Kahukura 

Q Youth Incorporated

Burnett Foundation Aotearoa

Rainbow Hub Waikato

OutLine Aotearoa

Qtopia

Moana Vā Navigators of Pacific Pride

InsideOUT Kōaro

Mana Tipua

Gender Minorities Aotearoa

RainbowYOUTH

Intersex Aotearoa

Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa 

Auckland Pride

F’INE Pasifika Aotearoa Trust

samesamebutblack

Adhikaar Aotearoa

Toitu te Ao Ltd

Ethnic Rainbow Alliance

Gala Witchcraft

TKH Therapy

Unbreakable Foundation

The Joyful Movement

Pride Whanganui

MaLGRA (Manawatu Lesbian and Gay Rights Association)

Mana Āniwaniwa

Rainbow Auckland

Rainbow Path

Wellington Pride Festival

Trans of Campus - The University of Auckland

Paekakariki Pride Inc

Rainbow Greens of Aotearoa New Zealand

Radiqal Movement

Gender Dynamix

Good Bodies

Village Collective Trust

Rainbow Outdoors Wellington (ROW)

Rainbow Otago Medical Students Association (ROMSA)

Nga Uri o Whiti Te Ra Mai Le Moana Trust

UniQ Waikato

Moira Clunie MNZM (Te Rarawa)

Emmaline Pickering-Martin

Simran Saini

Jono Selu (RSW)

Kathryn Collyns

Grace Nicoll van Leeuwen

Joe Rich

Jennifer Shields

Mason Malcolm

Claire Black

Louise Chan

Odette

Kitty

Phylesha Brown-Acton, MNZM

Sian Torrington

Tabby Besley

Zoe Findlay

Jordan Walker

michelle mascoll

Atlas-Elwyn Coffey

Adrian Johnson

Gabrielle Dumble

Lagi Thompson-Rikys

Cara Meredith (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Waitaha)

Jessie Hume

Milly Stewart Pou Tāhuhu

Dr George Parker (Senior Lecturer, School of Health, Victoria University of Wellington)

Jayne

Rosie Wilson-Burke (Post grad primary care nurse)

Jo Vallance

Ciomarah Afele

Harriet Sims

Edit Horvath

Ashleigh Shaw (she/her)

Ia Morrison-Young (Te Āti Awa)

Red Carley

John Fenaughty

Alex Ker

Jesse Porter (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Kauwhata)

Verity (Kāi Tahu)

Luca Bree

Matthew Berrigan

Sidney Wong (Chairperson of Ethnic Rainbow Alliance)

Steph Sparrow (RSW)

Joey Macdonald

Julia de Bres

Casey Giovinco

Claire Downey

Karleigh-Jayne Jones (disability advocate)

Ellessa Sansom

Grace Allen

Kahurangi Douglas

Kahu Tumai (Waikato Tainui)

Khye Hitchcock (pākehā)

Tommy Hamilton

Dee Morgan

Blaise Clotworthy

Alex Anderson

Victoria Rose Mullan (she/her)

Mickey Power

Ciara Corrigan

Ethan Clerk

Dr Rebecca Nicholls, GP, Clinical lead Transgender health

Rhi Munro

Cynthia Spittal

Dr Mac James

Kay Stodart

Jaz Alexander

Ella Hitchcock (Rainbow Youth Leader, Mental Health Worker)

Frankie Huthnance

Natalia Sexton (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa)

Skye Shaddix

Jack Byrne

Aimee McNaughton

Ani Throp

Kirstie Lovesy (Pakeha/tauiwi)

Trevor Mac Donald

Rimu Bhooi

Keely Blanch

Josh

Mx Andie Morton (Co-Chair Rainbow Auckland)

Amber-Nikita Du Pont

Brooke Hollingshead

Max Nichol

Tracey Fowler

Chloe Wilshaw-Sparkes

Tara Birch

Em Edwards

Quincy Ngātai (Pakihana Ngātai, Ngaiterangi)

Malory Campbell

Camille

Dr Kyle Tan

Joshua McNally (Registered Social Worker)

Zoe Spinks

Jeseka Christieson

Shane Kelly

Mel Meates (Registered Nurse)

Iona

Nicola Paton

Melissa

Arin

Donna Wilson

Vinnie Sykes

John Egan

Hamish Milne

Nicole Nyx Simons

Avery Zavoda

Bethany Miller, MFA

Elspeth Fougere

Arryn Blanch

Lucien Rose

Sebastian Percival

Judi Clements

Gareth Blackler

Rachel Kuysten

Dylan Besley

Madi

Fleur Kelsey (Senior lecturer and Kaihāpai Kahukura School of Midwifery Otago Polytechnic)

Kavita (RN)

Jemima Bullock

Maeve Gresham

Sarah Carter

Caitlin Hickman

Rose Soame, GP, BMBS BMedSci

Roni Alder (Clinical Psychologist)

Jennifer Ivey

Levi Epsom (RSW)

Morgan Tupaea

Jordan Davey-Emms

Bridget Forsyth

liz breslin

Cassidy Wild

Shavorn Aborealis

Lauren Hartridge (CEO, Radiqal Movement)

Walter Hamer (Counselling Psychologist)

Carrie Tier (Ngāi Tahu)

Rosie Leadbitter

Esme Whiskin

Rafael Ortiz

Iris Garstang

Michael Brenndorfer

Alex Bryant

Darjee Sahala (Midwife)

Dylan Henderson

Chy Wilcox

Evangeline Speedy

Sian Evans- Kūwao Space

Finn Hunter

Annaliese cobb

Alex Doggett

Salomé Grace

Paige

Kody Morrell

Mark William Darbyshire, Justice of the Peace

Stacey McDonald

Kezia

Keegan

Katherine Hastelow

Arti Badiani

Alex Bowers-Mason

Elliott Pepper

Hannah Jones

Leah B

Sacha

Edward Ip

Bruine Blanco

Jelly O'Shea

Sherryn Arthur

Ruby

Robyn Vella

Leah

Arlene Oram

Nikki turpie

Ranmalie Jayasinha

Brooke Leckey

Mik Clapson

Amy Sadler

Simon Randell

Ed Hyde (he/him)

David Harvey

Shannon Blanch

Krista Yuen

Jack Hitchcox

Charlie Myer

Manu Erwin (they/them)

Shomudro Das (Trans peer support worker)

Áine Kelly-Costello (Pākehā, disabled, part of Rainbow community)

Ro Hosken

Edvin Chand

Archie Hunter

Ember-Leigh Backhouse

Bianca Beebe, MPH

James Perrett

Rose Tei

Marcus

Doron Semu

Allyssa Verner-Pula

Christine John

Aych McArdle MNZM

Anderson Straker

Jessica Evans

Shayde Young (Relationships Manager, Village Collective)

Isha (Youth Worker/Community Fale, Village Collective)

Pelle Kulsvehagen

Katie McMenamin

Jax

Becca Harvey

Kate Tindall Lum (she/her)

erika

Eliot Forrest (nonbinary rangatahi advocate & Gender Affirming Primary Care Group in Te Whatu Ora)

Johnny Morris

Denise Nassenstein

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About the Rainbow Support Collective

This statement was developed by the Rainbow Support Collective, an alliance of organisations which primarily work to support the human rights, health and wellbeing of rainbow populations in Aotearoa. The collective comprises both national and regional organisations. Together our organisations make up hundreds of dedicated staff and volunteers, who are committed to supporting thousands of takatāpui and rainbow New Zealanders.