Some wrongly say Maori are prioritised over others. Yet NZ healthcare has always been needs-based and non-Māori don’t miss out if Māori health is improved. 

Life-threatening emergencies are prioritised in any A&E, with most waiting their turn and hoping to survive the process. 

Generally, Māori have a shorter life span and more serious health issues, often a result of poor housing and inability to afford doctor visits. We should fix that, starting with regular health checks and prevention programmes for serious illnesses like strep throat or rheumatic fever. 

Pākehā were also called for regular health checks to identify health issues early. Sadly that seems to have stopped, and I think it will increase the risk of contracting more expensive and serious health conditions for everyone. 

There’s also a pretence that customary rights will give exclusive rights to the foreshore and seabed. The legislation doesn’t allow for Māori to stop you going to beaches, no matter what you’ve been told. 

This will affect seabed miners and mussel farmers who might need to get resource consent though. Under the terms of the Treaty, they’ll need to consult with Māori first and I’m happy with that as we have a collective interest in having clean water, less pollution and little damage. 

Our wants and needs are the same as that of Māori but maybe not the same as those in extraction industries or under “fast track”. 

We don’t hear screams that landlords or the wealthy are prioritised in tax matters. We don’t see continuous stories to tell us low-wage earners are disadvantaged or missing out because of their poor economic status. 

The wealthiest pay only 9 cents in the $ for tax but the average New Zealander pays around 20 cents. It seems that Māori are a very convenient distraction and scapegoat. 

I think the real goal is to silence voices and have minimal consultation about the rapacious extraction and pillage of the minerals in oceans and on conservation lands. 

Māori are not a threat and should be seen as a handbrake acting in the collective interests of most of us. 

I’m not fooled. 

Mary-Ann de Kort