Government legislation to scrap the Māori Health Authority is expected to be introduced to Parliament tomorrow, 1News understands.
It comes just days out from an urgent Waitangi Tribunal inquiry against the move, and could mean a hearing set to take place in Wellington on Thursday will no longer continue.
That's because the Waitangi Tribunal has no jurisdiction to hold inquiries over bills that are before Parliament.
The tribunal could decide to hold a hearing once the legislation is passed.
Lady Tureiti Moxon is a Māori health advocate and chairwoman of the National Urban Māori Authority. (Source: Breakfast)
Late last week, Crown lawyers told the Waitangi Tribunal that the legislation could be introduced as early as Tuesday, sparking huge concern from claimants behind the legal challenge.
They had hoped the inquiry would be completed before the bill was introduced so that the tribunal's recommendations could inform the Government's next steps.
The legal challenge was filed in December over concerns that disestablishing the Māori Health Authority would be a breach of te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Health Minister Dr Shane Reti told 1News last week that the timing for the introduction of the legislation has not been based on a Waitangi Tribunal hearing timeline.
"It simply reflects the 100-day plan concluding by March 8," he said.
"Each of the coalition partners included the disestablishment in its manifesto and this was also extensively campaigned on during the 2023 election."
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