Greens co-leader Marama Davidson has been kicked out of Parliament's debating chamber after she accused an MP of asking a question that was "absolutely intended to raise racist opinions among the New Zealand public".
MPs were debating the use of a new equity-based algorithmic waitlist system, which requires a consideration of ethnicity when prioritising non-urgent surgeries.
The new system is currently being rolled out in Auckland and is being used to score patients for care on surgical care waitlists.
The sickest patients and those who've waited longer are still given the highest priority by the new tool, before other factors, such as their ethnicity, geographic isolation, and socioeconomic deprivation levels, are then taken into account.
Opposition parties have slammed the use of ethnicity in the system, and have pledged to scrap it if they are brought to power in October's election.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has broadly defended the tool but has asked the health minister to examine the specifics of how it's being rolled out.
He again faced questions on the new prioritisation system today in Parliament.
The waitlist tool was introduced earlier this year to address healthcare access for Māori and Pasifika, but not all surgeons are happy. (Source: 1News)
ACT MP James McDowall asked a question to the PM about the system: "Is it acceptable to him that my five-year-old half-Chinese daughter could be placed lower on a surgical waitlist than someone else with the same clinical need, time spent on the waitlist, location, and deprivation level due to her ethnicity.
"And if not, why is ethnicity a factor on the surgical waitlist equity adjuster?"
Davidson then raised a point of order during the debate, which Speaker Adrian Rurawhe allowed — before Hipkins could answer the question.
"Back on 12 May 2021… an update to all of us, from the speaker then, who talked about a ruling of people taking care as they expressed themselves to think about the wider consequences when they do," she said.
"The nature of these questions are absolutely intended to raise racist opinions amongst the New Zealand public, and I ask you Mr Speaker-"
Rurawhe interjected: "Order!"
He continued: "I'm going to rule on this. That is a very serious accusation that the member has made. The first part of it, I disagree with in this instance. To carry on, to make an accusation as you did, I'm contemplating sending you out.
"It's a discussion that perhaps this House should have one day, but you cannot make that accusation in this house. You will stand, withdraw, and apologise."
Davidson then left the House shortly after on the directive of the speaker.
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer supported Davidson's stance and later said she believed the tone of questioning in the House would "create disorder".
"Sadly, that's what we're seeing, the opposition parties get relegated to this low-level race-baiting," she said.
"Māori are made to feel bad because we're living seven years less... than non-Māori. We're made to feel like we're the problem because there's systemic racism in Aotearoa."
The party co-leader said she believed that deterred people from getting the support they needed and from advocacy or support for them.
"It's quite heartbreaking to see that tone of politics [though] not surprising."
She said the Government needed to be held to account but not at the "expense" of those at the hands of systemic racism.
"It's quite a victim-shaming approach," Ngarewa-Packer said.
SHARE ME