Te Pati Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi says "National and ACT want to see Māori die 7-10 years early" — a suggestion that has been deemed "appallingly reckless".
Waititi made the claim in an interview with Q+A's Jack Tame, where he criticised the opposition parties' promise to dissolve the Māori Health Authority if elected.
It comes after an independent report this week which found the newly-formed agency had severely missed its year one targets.
According to the review, Te Aka Whai Ora underspent by tens of millions, failed to recruit enough staff, and has been struggling to plan ahead.
Waititi said commissioning the report was the "stupidest thing that ever happened".
"After nine months, you're going to do a report on Te Aka Whai? I tell you, that was the stupidest thing that ever happened and they should throw that report straight out into the bin.
"How many times has the Ministry of Health failed?"
He continued: "The system has been failing us for 183 years, and they expect the Māori Health Authority to make a big difference to clean up 183 years."
Last year, Te Pati Māori's co-leaders pointed to the opposition to the Māori Health Authority as one of the reasons why it struggled to see itself in government with National or ACT.
The party absolutely ruled out working with what it called the "coalition of colonisers" this year.
When asked if the short-term failures by the agency were giving National and ACT the reasons needed to scrap the reforms, Waititi said: "That's the problem.
"That's the problem with those types of parties, National and ACT, who want to see Maori die seven to 10 years early."
He continued: "It's in their actions — not wanting to change the current system that has failed Maori for 183 years. It's continuously doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results.
"That's what the National Party wants to do. That's what the ACT Party want to do. And, in their actions, is actually saying we want to keep Māori where they are.
Experts believe there have already been "green shoots".
"Get our country back on track? On what track? On the same track that it was when they were in government six years ago."
National's health spokesperson Dr Shane Reti criticised Waititi's comments, calling them "appalling reckless" and pointing to the party's health policies on providing more cancer drugs.
"This is an appallingly reckless claim, National will deliver better health outcomes for all New Zealanders including Māori," he said in a statement.
"National has already announced many health policies including funding 13 new cancer treatments, which will have life-extending or lifesaving benefits for everyone, but especially Māori who are overrepresented in cancer statistics."
Meanwhile, ACT leader David Seymour said he was "tired of Mr Waititi's theatrics".
He said Te Pati Māori's co-leader was better off "explaining what he will do for Māori instead of divisively and dishonestly misrepresenting other parties’ motivations".
"We represent a growing number of Māori who want a better tomorrow from devolved social services that ACT supports, and are tired of Mr Waititi’s theatrics," Seymour said.
"New Zealand faces serious challenges and needs honest healthy debate on what policies will overcome them. ACT opposes the Māori Health Authority because division doesn’t work. Mr Waititi would be better off explaining what he will do for Māori instead of divisively and dishonestly misrepresenting other parties’ motivations."
Last month, Reti said the report into the Māori Health Authority was "damning".
“Since the creation of the Māori Health Authority over a year ago, the report found no overarching plan for activities, timeframes, resources, accountability or performance."
He continued: “Almost every page contains a damning indictment of flawed processes, faulty management and failure to deliver – and not one Māori health outcome has improved and further delays are predicted," he said.
“National will deliver health based on need first. We will dissolve the Māori Health Authority and have a strong Māori health directorate inside the Ministry of Health.
"More bureaucracy is not the answer to New Zealanders falling health outcomes."
Q+A with Jack Tame is Public Interest Journalism funded by NZ On Air
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