Te Pāti Māori are disappointed in the actions of Act leader David Seymour this morning, as he shared a confidential email sent to Māori whānau to his twitter this morning, which included a priority code which sought to ensure access for Māori to receive the vaccine.

“It is a sad day when a supposed leader of this country intentionally sets out to sabotage a positive campaign aimed at saving the lives of the lowest vaccinated peoples in our country.

“Māori are the lowest vaccinated people. That is a fact. Prioritising Māori was never about excluding anyone but ensuring equity and equality of access to our most vulnerable communities” says Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi.

“The Government hasn’t delivered on their so called Māori vaccination plan and so our Māori organisations have had no choice but to take matters into their own hands and get creative about the way they can prioritise Māori while still delivering to all. Waipareira alongside other Māori providers, have been at the forefront of every single lockdown. In Tāmaki Makaurau, Waipareira have been championing testing stations from day one” says co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

“Māori are trying their best to keep ourselves alive and be proactive about contributing to the country’s elimination strategy. An elimination strategy includes all Māori being vaccinated. Why Seymour would actively sabotage a Māori elimination strategy is dangerous. It’s clear Seymour has no agenda to address inequalities in Aotearoa, and is happy to keep Māori in second place.

“It’s a low life move, and divisive politics at its finest, which puts our whānau wellbeing and lives at risk. I’m not often surprised by Seymour and his racist rhetoric but this is a new low for him. It was a cruel move and he ought to be ashamed of himself” says Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.

“In the midst of a pandemic, the likes of Seymour will never allow inequities to be addressed. It proves that it’s impossible under any government framework to protect our whakapapa” says Rawiri Waititi.

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