| Group 5: Ensure enablers are in place |
| Public sector agencies need to improve the way that they work with iwi and Māori to support the Crown in its relationship with Māori under te Tiriti. |
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Recommendations |
Responsible agency/agencies |
36
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Review how public sector agencies supported the Crown in its relationship with Māori under te Tiriti in the COVID-19 pandemic. This should include:
- a. Identifying good experiences and practices in the use of existing te Tiriti frameworks and partnerships in the COVID-19 response and considering how these can be supported to continue.
- b. Identifying and changing any structures, behaviours and practices that prevented existing te Tiriti relationships, frameworks and partnerships from being used in the COVID-19 response or might prevent them being used in another pandemic.
- c. Using the results of reviews to establish better relationships, protocols and partnerships with iwi and Māori to work towards outcomes for Māori that are equitable, culturally appropriate and consistent with te Tiriti.
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Public sector agencies, in conjunction with Te Puni Kōkiri and Te Arawhiti, and in partnership with appropriate Māori organisations
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Legislation should be reviewed to ensure it is fit for purpose for a future pandemic. |
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Recommendations |
Responsible agency/agencies |
37
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Ensure all relevant legislation is fit for purpose in a pandemic, including:
- a. Ensuring the Health Act 1956 and other relevant health legislation provide sufficient powers for an initial response to a pandemic, including updating the definitions to include the provision for a quickly emerging and unidentified pathogen, modernising language, ensuring the appropriateness of powers for the enforcement and making of orders, and ensuring the legal framework for large-scale, centralised contact tracing is appropriate.
- b. Reviewing the Epidemic Preparedness Act 2006, including the threshold for modification orders.
- c. Developing ‘model’ bespoke pandemic legislation that considers the strengthening of standing legislation (as per Recommendations 37a and 37b) and the provisions provided by the COVID-19 Public Health Response Act 2020 framework, as well as feedback from relevant consultation with stakeholders. This should include consideration of what should be in primary and secondary legislation, and whether the model legislation should be left dormant or enacted as soon as possible.
- d. Any legislative changes arising from policy reviews by individual agencies which identify changes in legislation needed to effectively respond to a future pandemic and/or ensure they can continue to provide services.
- e. Reviewing Aotearoa New Zealand’s fiscal responsibility policies and legislation (within the Public Finance Act 1989) to identify whether further measures are required to protect our fiscal resilience and ability to respond as the need arises to future pandemics (as well as other potential crises with a significant fiscal impact).
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- The central agency function and Ministry of Health with other relevant agencies
- The Treasury on Recommendation 37e
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Core infrastructure should be fit for purpose to support each sector’s pandemic response. |
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Recommendations |
Responsible agency/agencies |
38
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Provide for the management and review of the infrastructure needed to support each sector’s response to, and specific role in a pandemic, such as information communication technology, data systems, payment systems, contracting and operational systems, to ensure they are fit for purpose and ready for deployment.
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All agencies
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