Does the Government not like Māori and Pasifika?

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 am, March 15th, 2025 - 16 comments
Categories: health, Maori Issues, Pacific, racism, simeon brown, you couldn't make this shit up - Tags:

Earlier this week I wrote about Simeon Brown’s announcement that the Government was reversing the last Labour Government’s policy to allow earlier screening for bowel cancer earlier for Māori and Pasifika. He justified the decision in this statement:

Advice from the Ministry of Health clearly states that lowering the age to 58 for all New Zealanders will save even more lives than the previous government’s approach to lower the age to 50 for Māori and Pacific Peoples only.

“Under our approach, we will be able to prevent 218 additional cancers and 176 additional deaths over 25 years in comparison to the settings proposed by the previous government.

“This also aligns with the Government’s policy of ensuring that healthcare is delivered on the basis of need.

“The evidence is clear: by delivering this first step for all New Zealanders, more lives will be saved.

In my previous post I said this:

Brown’s figures will need to be interrogated properly. His statement that rates were similar does not necessarily justify the change. If, for instance, the targeted screening picks up more cases in younger persons then the number of years of life preserved may be different.

Jamie Endsor at the Herald has been able to get the background papers relating to the decision and the analysis is utterly chilling.

From the Herald:

Health officials advised the Government “significantly” more lives could be saved if it lowered the bowel cancer screening age for Māori and Pasifika further than the rest of the population.

However, ministers didn’t go with this recommended option, which was to lower the starting age from 60 to 58 for most New Zealanders, while lowering it to 56 for Māori and Pacific peoples. Instead, they opted to lower the age from 60 to 58 for all New Zealanders.

Let’s boils this right down.

The recommended option would prevent approximately 918 more cases and 678 deaths over 25 years. That compared to the option chosen by ministers that would prevent 771 more cases and 566 deaths.

The recommended option would prevent double the cases and deaths to Māori and Pasifika compared to the chosen option.

But the Government went with the option that meant that more people would die and many of them would be Māori and Pasifika.

Simeon was right that the chosen option would, according to the research, save more lives than the original policy. But there was an option that would save even more lives. As long as the Government was willing to screen Māori and Pasifika earlier than Pakeha, based on the clear evidence of need.

National and Act and NZ First have all made a song and dance about how need and not race should direct policy.

Looks like this may be true but only of you do not consider the needs of Māori and Pasifika.

I can’t believe how angry this makes me feel. In pursuit of Trumpian red neck votes they are willing to sacrifice lives.

Vote them out.

16 comments on “Does the Government not like Māori and Pasifika? ”

  1. Kay 1
    15 March 2025 at 7:39 am

    Of course the government don't like Maori or Pacifika. With very few exceptions, they don't vote for them, so there no votes lost when the policies kill them.

    Reply
    • tc 1.1
      15 March 2025 at 9:24 am

      Not too fond of kids either when you tote up the school lunches, ideological assault on education, service reductions in dental etc etc.

      All out class war folks being delivered with evangelical delight.

      Reply
    • kejo 1.2
      15 March 2025 at 9:52 am

      The inclusiveness of tribal societies is directly opposed to Neoliberal philosophy and so Seymour attacks the Treaty.

      Reply
  2. Ad 2
    15 March 2025 at 8:18 am

    No matter what government is ever in power now, institutions like Te Matatini, Waitangi, Pasifika, Matariki, Te Reo, they are indelible.

    And for companies like mine, we've decided that no matter the government procurement changes, our cultural and employment offerings to Maori and Pasifika will continue.

    New Zealand is going to hunker down for 18 months and ride these fools out.

    Reply
  3. AB 3
    15 March 2025 at 9:54 am

    This government had to go into very dark places to get a majority Labour government out of office – racism, climate change denialism, the lunatic far reaches of Trussonomic 'Singapore on Thames' libertarianism and towards Milei's chainsaw capitalism. And it appears they were well funded to do so. But going that dark comes at a cost in eroding public support.

    Reply
  4. Champaign Socialist 4
    15 March 2025 at 9:57 am

    This direct and specific attack on Maori is just another in a long list of attacks that specifically target the Maori community. Employment, health, education and nutrition are all being used as weapons to economically attack and divide Maori.

    This is going to keep happening – the government probably has a long list of small and cruel actions it can take to damage the Maori community. A list of actions – that can be rolled out with painful regularity – right up to polling day in 2026.

    The main purpose of all of this is to create a culture war issue around race and the Treaty by provoking and radicalizing the left and TPM in particular.

    This is being done on advice from very skilled and well funded individuals from around the world who have been involved in successful political narrative shifts in other countries.

    Reply
    • Drowsy M. Kram 4.1
      15 March 2025 at 10:53 am

      This is going to keep happening… right up to polling day in 2026.

      Race-baiting didn't work in 2020, but it did in 2023, so expect more of the same sad

      The sad business of race-baiting [10 Oct 2023]
      ACT leader David Seymour has denied that his policies are race-baiting.

      Well you would, wouldn't you.

      What is 'race-baiting' and who decides? [4 Oct 2023]
      Seymour, though, says the [Treaty principles] policy only reflects the concern people have about co-governance.

      "Labour is trying to make New Zealand an unequal society on purpose. It believes there are two types of New Zealanders. Tangata Whenua, who are here by right, and Tangata Tiriti who are lucky to be here."

      Trouble is, NZ is already "an unequal society" – see the seven year ethnicity gap in average life expectancy – and some in our CoC govt, and their donors/masters, are determined to keep it that way, with every fibre of their being.

      Nicky Hager: Beware the smooth talker with a forked tongue
      David Seymour and Act know exactly what they’re doing.
      …
      Act billboards say End Division by Race, but it is
      actually more like Defend Division by Wealth.

      'I thought we were friends': Dave Letele reveals falling out with PM Christopher Luxon [17 April 2024]
      But two weeks out from election day, Letele put his name to an open letter from Māori and community leaders calling out "race-baiting for votes".

      The next time he messaged Luxon, to congratulate him on a good joke, the response was much cooler, Letele says.

      "The problem now with Chris, is that I signed that letter," Letele says.

      "He was on the news, and he had made a joke about something, so I texted him later and said, 'Good work'. And his reply was: 'Why did you sign the letter?'

      "I said, 'Let's just catch up and go over it in person.' But it hasn't worked out that way. I thought we were friends. What's the problem? I mean, you should call out racism."

      Reply
      • Tony Veitch 4.1.1
        15 March 2025 at 11:30 am

        And his reply was: 'Why did you sign the letter?'

        A reply Donald Trump would be proud of!

        This CoC are hell-bent on emulating the destructive policies of the Republicans!

        Which, frankly, I find frightening!

        Reply
  5. dv 5
    15 March 2025 at 10:39 am

    Surely earlier detection would also be cheaper too.
    Weird.

    Reply
  6. Champaign Socialist 6
    15 March 2025 at 11:01 am

    Where are Labour and the Greens on this? This should be a time to be forming an alliance to protect the Maori community and TPM – we have to use solidarity or we will loose in 2026. But I'm not hearing anything.

    Reply
  7. roblogic 7
    15 March 2025 at 11:05 am

    Quite disgusting watching Simeon Brown the bank teller and all around little dipshit sacrificing Maori and Pasifika lives in the name of white supremacy "equality"

    Reply
  8. Phillip ure 8
    15 March 2025 at 11:06 am

    They are pandering to their base .the other race haters..(most of act ..far too many in national..)

    As others have pointed out ..it makes no sense on any level…

    So that is what it is… pandering…

    (And those in national who are not racists…they must surely be recoiling in horror. .you'd think..?)

    That this policy will cause pain/suffering/death to Maori/pacific Islanders makes it beyond vile…

    A low point in new Zealand politics..

    And one would hope that the left parties are sharpening their quills…and penning policies that will have the best outcomes for all new Zealanders..

    Fuck this shit…!

    Reply
  9. Incognito 9
    15 March 2025 at 12:33 pm

    It’s bloody obvious that Simeon Brown and the Coalition prioritise saving money over saving lives, i.e., $19 million vs. “$36 million tagged in Budget 2022” [from NZH link in OP] for fewer lives.

    The Coalition is tuning into a Death Squad of tobacco smoke, semi-automatic weapons, and piss-poor early-detection measures for bowel cancers.

    Reply
  10. Patricia Bremner 10
    15 March 2025 at 1:33 pm

    This CoC governs for its racist funders.

    The rest of us are to be grateful for slops and trickle down.

    They aim at small public services so they may redirect the taxes (and kiwi saver) to their profit making ventures.

    They have just invited their "friends" to take part, but they appear to have some trust issues after the ferries debacle and the wharf builds.

    Willis wanting to loosen bank retention funds may also be of concern for them.

    Mice at the rats’ table trying to get a bite of the big cheese.

    Out in 26.

    Reply

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