by National Party leader Judith Collins has used a keynote speech to warn that the Government is heading down a dangerous path on race relations.
She said the Government was planning separate Mori governance in areas beyond the new proposed Mori Health Authority.
The party has been completely opposed to the new health authority, and is now broadening out its opposition to the issue of separate Mori and non-Mori institutions more generally.
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Collins used the speech to outline Nationals one-law-for-all approach to governance, leaning heavily on a document commissioned by Cabinet and produced by Te Puni Kokori called He Puapua, which she said called for a two systems approach to New Zealands governance arrangements.
The ACT party has already called on the Government to reject the recommendations of the report, and asked questions in Parliament about the document.
But Collins taking on the issue will give it more prominence.
She asked: Where then does this end, or does it end? If two separate systems are needed in health does that mean two systems are also required in education, justice and resource management?
Judith Collins used the speech to outline Nationals one-law-for-all approach to governance.
The Labour Government seems to think we do because it has commissioned work on this in the form of a report called He Puapua. I suggest you all have a read of it.
This divisive government document spells out a clear vision for New Zealand in 2040 under a two systems treaty view. It includes two systems for health, two systems of justice.
There would be Mori governance in resource management. Foreshore and seabed to Mori ownership.
In her speech Collins said that rectifying past injustices was important, as was settling treaty claims.
Its right that we look to address these wrongs, and its right that we undertake settlements with iwi and hapu impacted by treaty breaches. We are proud of our track record in settling treaty claims, and our members can be proud of the support you gave us to do that.
But she said that the debate had moved on to a more divisive one about using the treaty to justify new, and separate, governance arrangements.
The debate today has moved to: what is the role of the treaty in our democracy going forward? Did the treaty bring us together as one people, or split us apart as two?
The Labour Government, in developing its proposed health restructure, has said that we have a treaty obligation to have separate systems. They are demanding a model where we have separate health authorities one for Mori and one for everyone else.
She also reiterated a National Party warning that the new authority will be able to veto Government decisions.
Let me say that again, the proposed Mori Health Authority will not only have the ability to commission its own work, but also the ability to veto decisions made by the Government on general health on everyones health.
That is a veto power over $20 billion worth of Government health spending. That is not something that is designed to address inequities, Collins said
So, my message to Labour is this: New Zealand cannot and will not accept the implementation of two systems by stealth, Collins said.
