Pacific health leader hopes 'common sense prevails' in National-led government

Health leaders say communities must continue the fight to improve Pacific health outcomes, despite the incoming government’s moves to avoid ‘race-based funding’.

“It’s not all about government, communities do more”, says University of Auckland associate dean Pacific Sir Collin Tukuitonga.

“Pacific communities contribute a significant amount to our community and society and in response to that they need to be supported in some way.

“I’m not about to roll over and accept that all of the work that we’ve done over the years can simply be dismantled overnight because some politicians want to exercise power over others rather than concern for our society.”

He hopes pre-election ‘hype’ against race-based funding can be modified once the government has been appointed.

“One would hope that common sense would prevail. There’s no way that we’re going to make progress for anyone if it’s a one-size that fits everyone.”

Speaking on Pacific Mornings, Sir Collin says a person’s ethnicity is a key factor in access to services and origins of diseases.

“It’s complex, and to try to dismantle what we know works is just not sensible.”

The ACT Party made a point about trimming wasteful spending, and looking to scrap the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, Women and Disabled People. Sir Collin says cutting funding to public servants could increase recruitment and consultant fees, and encourages communities to push back if they disagree with government decisions.

“Any sensible government must respond to the wishes of its communities, it doesn’t work the other way around. Governments are what we make, and if we don’t accept some of the things that have been proposed then we need to say something about it.”

The prime minister-elect Christopher Luxon has indicated the Ministry for Pacific Peoples will stay, but the incoming government may not have any Pacific MPs once provisional votes are counted.

Le Va runs health and addiction services for Pacific communites, along with violence and suicide prevention initiatives.

Chief executive Denise Kingi-'Ulu'ave says diversity and representation is important.

“I think that it would be a massive mistake of National to abolish the Ministry for Pacific Peoples and that we would see an outcry from our communities because they play a significant role in having that voice for us at the table.’

Kingi-’Ulu’ave says having 12 Pacific MPs in the last government had an ‘undeniable’ impact and helped communities feel a sense of pride in their cultural identity.

In the past year, the provisional suicide rate for Pacific populations has almost halved, dropping from 9.2 per 100,000 people, to 5.1. Kingi-'Ulu'ave hopes the National government will continue to invest in local communities.

“It’s promised to put more resources into community organisations and make sure they’re well-resourced, and also to put funding into the suicide prevention office.

“We have the evidence and the data to be able to address and target particular populations when we need to, so that's made a difference … having their dedicated suicide prevention office which our community called for, I hope they continue with that as well.”