By Ashleigh McCaull
National's Health spokesperson Dr Shane Reti is under fire for comments he made comparing Māori life expectancy to the 1840s.
Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
It follows his appearance on The Hui where he said the life expectancy for Māori was 30 years in the 1840s but today it is around 73.4 years.
Today Dr Reti defended himself, saying he was trying to argue how the life span of Māori has increased over time.
"Clearly there have been improvements and I think we need to be careful that we don't diminish the work of many good people who have brought it to this point in time anyway but the most important point is what we have today. How we explain those seven years' difference in life expectancy and across a range of other metrics."
Māori men are likely to die 7.5 years earlier compared with their Pākehā counterparts.
Lady Tureiti Moxon Photo: Supplied
Te Kōhao Health managing director Lady Tureiti Moxon, who is on the incoming Māori Health Authority board, is an advocate for Māori and for Māori solutions to the stark inequities they face.
She said Dr Reti's comparison was damaging because it did not factor in other inequities.
"The issue that I have with making things so simplistic is that times have drastically changed even now and we have a huge gap between those who have access to good health and those who do not.
"The other thing we have a big issue with in our country is that we have a lot more people who are Māori and who are living on the poverty line."
National has committed to scrapping the new Māori Health Authority if it wins next year's election.
Dr Reti backed his party's stance and believed the MHA was the wrong approach to addressing poor health outcomes.
Instead, he wanted a Māori Health Directorate within the Ministry of Health which would target major inequities such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.
He stood by his comparison to 182 years ago, saying it acknowledged gains made but showed there was still work to do.
"It's an argument for respecting the work that's been done, that brings us through to this point but then also focuses on the inequalities we have here today. That's the challenge we need to focus on today.
"It's a response to the argument there have been no health gains to Māori over decades, saying that's not possible. Look at life expectancy."
Labour's Minister of Māori Development Willie Jackson labelled Dr Reti's comments as ridiculous and nonsense.
"He knows having been involved in his local community in terms of health that Māori health has been at a catastrophic level and that there needs to be a special strategy around Māori health. And we've tried everything, they have not appropriated enough resourcing for that kaupapa.
"We're looking to obviously appropriate major funding towards it but also give Māori the opportunity to lead it, so I think Shane is talking nonsense."
The Māori Health Authority will be in place by July and will set policies for Māori health and decide on funding for services.
Lady Moxon believed it could not come quick enough.
"Dying seven years younger is still not good enough for our country and those of us within our society. We should all have equity in terms of access, in terms of being diagnosed and in a timely manner; being given the kinds of operations and interventions that are required when required and we're still not getting that."