Te Pāti Māori is calling the Government’s first year a catastrophe for Māori, following a year of policies that have done nothing but marginalise tangata-whenua.

Today marks one year since the coalition was sworn into power.

“This year has been an absolute catastrophe for Māori. This Government has fast-tracked us back towards the colonised and assimilated,” said co-leader, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

“This Government is so focussed on taking tangata whenua backwards that it has become horribly clear that they are willing to finish off the colonisation process.

“They disestablished the Māori Health Authority and repealed smokefree laws to keep us dying 7 to 10 years earlier.

“They redirected $3 billion in tax cuts to benefit landlords while pouring funds into mega-prisons, perpetuating cycles of homelessness and incarceration for our people.

“They have withdrawn investment in Te Reo Māori and actively suppressed its use, striking at the heart of our culture and identity.

“They have accelerated the exploitation of our natural resources, prioritising corporate profits over the well-being of our people and environment.

“They’re stripping Te Tiriti protections from the care and management of our tamariki, disenfranchising whānau and enabling the systemic theft of our children.

“And they are progressing to remove Te Tiriti from 28 pieces of legislation, whilst actively trying to erase and redefine it.

“These are only some of the examples that perpetuate the imperial agenda of colonisation.

“This Government’s agenda serves corporate greed - benefiting the 2% who hold 50% of the wealth - while ignoring the voices of tangata whenua and the needs of our nation. We must continue to stand together as we did for the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti.

“We must remain vigilant, continue to mobilise, and work together to ensure this is a one-term Government,” Ngarewa-Packer said.

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