The Crown has opposed a claim filed in the Waitangi Tribunal last week that’s seeking an urgent inquiry into the disestablishment of Te Aka Whai Ora, the Māori Health Authority.

The Government has also admitted the move to disestablish the authority was a political one, no consultation was made with Māori, and currently there are no alternatives in place.

Lady Tureiti Moxon and Janice Kuka filed the latest claim, Wai 3307, on behalf of the Māori-owned primary health organisations and Māori providers with general practitioner clinics, stating the move breached Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Because the Government said it would disestablish the authority within 100 days, the urgent claim was filed, and the Crown and interested parties had until December 18 to respond.

In its response, the Crown argued that such a claim was premature.

“The Crown is well-informed about the poor health outcomes that Māori as a population group experience and it accepts that there is need to address those poor outcomes,” it reads.

“The operation of the Māori Health Authority is not the only way to improve health outcomes for Māori and, in the present administration’s view, there are more effective ways to do so.

“Conducting an urgent inquiry at this stage into the decision to disestablish the Māori Health Authority would be premature as the implications of that decision cannot be properly ascertained and evaluated until the Government puts in place its alternative plans to address poor Māori health outcomes.”

“The intention to promote legislation to disestablish the Maaori Health Authority is not the product of a policy process that officials have undertaken.

“Rather, the decision has been made by the Government at the political level following political parties campaigning on this issue ahead of the recent General Election and as a result of the coalition agreements the National Party has entered into with ACT New Zealand and the New Zealand First Party.”

The Crown also admitted there was no consultation with Māori in the process.

“It is acknowledged that there has not been a consultation process with the Treaty partner leading up to the decision.”

Lady Tureiti Moxon said the move showed the Crown doesn’t consider Māori equals under the Treaty.

“It is a blatant disregard of the principles of Te Tiriti and the work of the Waitangi Tribunal. It is the pinnacle of racism, as it dismisses the Crown’s covenant with Māori,” she said.

“It is yet another breach by the Crown who do not regard Māori as equals or partners under Te Tiriti.”

When asked about the matter on Wednesday afternoon, Health Minister Dr Shane Reti declined to comment.

The Waitangi Tribunal is anticipated to make a decision by the end of the week as to whether an urgent hearing will be held.