Upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi

The MHF opposes this Bill. Mandating polls for Māori wards is discriminatory, in breach of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and will result in a less representative local democracy. This Bill will negatively impact Māori wellbeing by suppressing the ability of whānau Māori to express tino rangatiratanga and mana motuhake on their whenua, and it will harm all of Aotearoa by inciting disunity and racist rhetoric against Māori.

The MHF opposes this Bill, as we believe it will negatively impact mental wellbeing outcomes for tamariki, rangatahi and whānau Māori. The provisions in section 7AA are some of the only statutory levers available to hold the child protection system accountable to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, reduce disparities in outcomes for tamariki Māori, and redress generations of harm done to tamariki and whānau Māori by the system. We are not convinced there is sound evidence to demonstrate that poor practice under the Oranga Tamariki Act will be resolved by this Bill, and we are also concerned at the lack of due consultation with affected stakeholders in the lead-up to this legislative change.

The Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand (MHF) stands firmly in support of the preamble and articles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We support the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which affirms the right of indigenous peoples to self-determination and reinforces the guarantee of tino rangatiratangai in Article Two of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. 

The MHF strongly opposes the Bill as it disregards the fundamental rights of Māori to exercise tino rangatiratanga and risks perpetuating historical injustices that continue to affect Māori wellbeing. Respecting and enabling tino rangatiratanga is essential for improving mental health, wellbeing, and social outcomes, not only for Māori, but for all people in Aotearoa. The MHF urges the Justice Committee to abandon the Bill to prevent further harm to Māori communities and to honour the principles of te Tiriti o Waitangi as they currently stand.

The Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand opposes the Regulatory Standards Bill, as we believe it will jeopardise progress to improve public health and mental health and wellbeing outcomes for all New Zealanders, and particularly those who face inequities, such as whānau Māori, Pacific peoples, people living in areas of high socioeconomic deprivation, people with disabilities, and the rainbow community.