Māori Party : money talks when addressing Māori mental wellbeing

Based on a budget analysis the Māori Party in Auckland are looking for what’s for Māori when it comes to targeted funds for Māori mental health.

“A Māori approach to mental health and the effort is noted. But how is it going to impact Māori suicide prevention if it’s going through the same people that often aren’t Māori and use ill-fitting processes? Suicide affects Māori in the greatest numbers – so we should see targeted resource” – Rangatahi Spokesperson for Tāmaki Makaurau Kirsty Joseph noted.

Ms Joseph along with the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate of the Māori party want to see more innovative approaches funded like local Māori organisations that may not appear as clinical but consider a more holistic approach to wellbeing and do this within a Māori framework. “There is clear evidence that District Health Boards do not deliver for Māori. So why are we giving them more money when they are not good with what they already have? Colonisation has engineered this and we can’t have colonial systems to fix it. Māori rangatahi are our future and we need to ensure we treat them like it”.

Rangi Mclean, Tāmaki Makaurau Hauora Spokesperson states the importance of a Māori approach. “We used to hear a lot that what works for Māori will work few or Aotearoa. But we don’t hear that anymore, we hear universal approaches – we need to switch that up”.

“If we focus on everyone, like we have always done, the disparity is still perpetuated. The solution requires courageous and brave leadership that is willing to disrupt the status quo that keeps perpetuating these oppressive outcomes. We need a different approach. “We need disruption to the framework – we need it to deliver for Māori – in order to deliver for New Zealand. It makes a difference of whose hands the money goes through”.

-Ends

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