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15:38 pm on 27 February 2024

Te Pati Māori is accusing the coalition government of creating a "dictatorship" by introducing legislation that would abolish the Māori Health Authority under urgency.

The coalition government will this afternoon introduce a bill which would disestablish the authority by the end of June.

It comes just days before an urgent Waitangi Tribunal inquiry into the policy was due to start.

Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said the coalition government was abusing urgency.

"You've got parties that are what less than six percent, less than 10 percent, and they've come out with an agenda that's been completely against anyone in Aotearoa, having the right to be consulted, to be engaged, to be part of a select committee, if that's not dictatorship then what is it?"

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is defending the use of urgency to pass the bill, saying the public was well aware of the plan as National campaigned on it.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Shane Reti is refusing to answer questions about how his replacement for Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority, will work - saying he prefers to explain that in Parliament.

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