Wendy Geus: Govt back down on veto roundly ignored by media

Wendy Geus: Dr Reti uncovers explosive Government backdown on Māori health veto & Andrew Little misleads the House and press gallery look the other way

On the Wednesday before Easter Dr Reti sneaked a question to Andrew Little at the end of one of his Government’s patsy questions in the House:

"Is the Māori veto still in place in the health restructure"?

Taken by surprise, Little actually answered the question but went on the attack:

"No and it never was".

At times it seems like I am the only person paying attention.

Graham Adams: Can the Māori Health Authority really boost Māori life expectancy?

The purpose of the new race-based agency is mostly to fulfil the radical co-governance aims outlined in He Puapua.

Patrick Gower asserted recently on Newshub Nation that the burning question David Seymour has to answer in opposing co-governance is:

Why if a Māori child is born, like in the house next door to me, do they live for seven years less than the child born in this [Pakeha] house?

Newshub’s high-profile national correspondent was undoubtedly referring to the claim that the Māori Health Authority will improve poor Māori health statistics, including life expectancy.

It is due to swing into action on July 1, but both Seymour and Christopher Luxon have promised to abolish it if a National-Act government is elected next year.

Pointing at the house to his left, Gower announced his challenge to Seymour with an air of triumph — as if he had gone straight to the heart of the matter with a unique and devastating personal insight.