April 2, 2020
The National Iwi Chairs Forum recently activated a Pandemic Response Group (PRG) which is calling for much stronger enforcement of Alert Level 4 lockdown.
‘Stay home, save lives’, is the key message from the New Zealand Government, but not everyone received the memo. Police Commissioner Mike Bush reported that within 24 hrs of being open, a police complaints line had logged over 4,000 complaints about non-adherence to lockdown rules.Iwi Chairs believe it’s time this was dealt with firmly and swiftly.
On Monday, Māori in Te Tai Rāwhiti East Coast called for a military presence to properly enforce the lockdown, but Police Commissioner Mike Bush rejected the request saying the region has sufficient police numbers to cope. ‘NZ Police say they’ve got numbers to handle it, but feedback from iwi tells us a different story, and not just during the pandemic, either’ says PRG Lead, Mike Smith. ‘Māori know their communities inside out. Māori know from years of experience that, especially in remote areas, police are under-resourced and short-staffed.
The call for military support is about keeping whānau safe, and about protecting frontline police during the pandemic, too.’‘Whānau all over the country are making huge sacrifices to keep themselves and communities safe from COVID-19 by adjusting customary practises, PRG Lead, Debbie Ngarewa-Packer says, ‘our people are adapting tangihanga, it’s not easy but we understand that individual actions impact the collective.
The least the government can do is deal with those in our society who obviously have total disregard for the lives of other people.’ ‘I’d like to see a better State Response immediately to those citizens and non-citizens like tourists who are flaunting the lockdown, which aims to protect everyone, and especially our Māori Communities,’ says Ngarewa-Packer. ‘Māori are leading the way in this regard in Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau ā Apanui, Te Tai Tokerau, and our relations in Whanganui are calling for stringent clamp down by the State before community transmission is rife and our DHB and health system becomes overwhelmed.’ ‘Concern for whānau, hapū and wider communities is urgent. Many households are intergenerational, with community transmission recognised as a greater risk.
Iwi have collaborated early and in highly organised ways to make sure everyone in the community has enough food, water and medicine. An example is the collaboration with iwi, NZ Police, local and regional councils, providing safety checks and roadblocks to ensure strict measures are maintained,’ says Smith. But up and down Aotearoa, iwi are reporting stealthy travel under cover of dark, and tourists and recreational activities continuing on as normal. Social media is awash with video footage and reports of New Zealanders flouting lockdown rules despite the Government imposing
strict measures.
This is a main concern in Te Waipounamu, where many communities are in remote areas that lack immediate access to healthcare facilities, and may not have a regular police presence. Whānau and iwi have sent them a clear and repeated message. ‘We want stronger policing and enforcement of the lockdown. Protect our whānau, protect our whakapapa, save lives. The Pandemic Response Group is clear that stronger enforcement needs action now.
The lockdown is for all, not just for some.’The National Iwi Chairs Forum established the Pandemic Response Group to provide a collaborative platform for iwi and Māori groups to escalate critical needs during the pandemic.
CONTACT:
Mike Smith
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer