The Simpson-led health sector review: a failure to uphold te Tiriti o Waitangi

The Health and Disability System Review (the 'Simpson Review') was an opportunity for health sector transformation, particularly in light of the recent damning WAI 2575 Waitangi Tribunal report released during the review process. There appears to have been a concerted effort to engage with the sector, an impressive Māori Expert Advisory Group and an extensive body of available scholarship documenting where improvements could be made. In this viewpoint, the authors, tangata whenua (Indigenous people of the land) and tangata Tiriti (people of te Tiriti) and health scholars and leaders undertook a high-level review of the Simpson Review report and analysed it against key elements of te Tiriti o Waitangi. The Simpson Review was an opportunity to share power, commit to Māori health and embed structural mechanisms, such as the proposed Māori health authority, to uphold te Tiriti o Waitangi. It was also an opportunity to recommit to health equity and eliminate institutional racism. We conclude that the Simpson Review did not take up these opportunities, but instead perpetuated further breaches of te Tiriti.