Hone Harawira's Weekly column – 16 March 2007

Not enough consultation done to fluoridate everyone

A few months ago, the Far North District Council did a phone survey asking 600 citizens of Kaitaia and Kaikohe if they wanted fluoride in their water.

Fifty five per cent supported it, 45% didn't support it, and so we're getting it.

How's that for consultation?

There's nearly 10,000 people in Kaitaia and Kaikohe, three per cent say we should have it, so we all gonna get it. Man, and I thought only Maori got treated that badly.

So who's complaining? Well plenty of people actually.

There are huge concerns from tangata whenua who haven't been consulted at all, even though the Local Government Act requires council to consult them.

And I'm getting calls from heaps of other groups concerned about the health of their communities. Seems they've been ignored as well, contrary to the New Zealand Bill of Rights giving people the right to refuse to undergo any medical treatment.

And on top of all that, health regulations say that everyone is supposed to have the right to informed consent. You know how it goes. You go to the doctor, he prescribes some medicine, and then (if you can afford it), you decide whether you going to take it or not.

Well council must be above all of that because if their fluoridation plan goes ahead, you don't get a choice. You like it or you leave town.

Seems to me that council should start thinking about who they're supposed to represent, because it sure ain't all the people I hear complaining about this fluoridation.

Whether fluoridation is or isn't a problem is not the issue here. The arrogance of council riding roughshod over people's concerns is.

Oh yeah, one other thing. Ever wonder why Kaitaia and Kaikohe get fluoridation but Kerikeri doesn't? I mean what's that all about? Surely it's nothing to do with the fact that there's a lot more rich white folks in Kerikeri than in Kaitaia and Kaikohe.

I mean if it's good for Kaitaia and Kaikohe to do it, then it's got to be good for Kerikeri too. No?

The people of Kaitaia and Kaikohe deserve better than having their health determined by a phone call to three per cent of the population.

So, not being one to dilly dally on issues affecting my whanau, and my iwi, I've decided to get some genuine public opinion on this. I'm calling a "Public Hui on the Fluoridation of Kaitaia and Kaikohe but not Kerikeri" at 6.30pm on Monday 19 March 2007 down at the Kaitaia Community Centre.

I'll be looking for both sides to front on this and I'll be happy to carry the views of our community to council.

Hone Harawira
Tai Tokerau MP
www.tokerau.co.nz

ENDS

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