44290 (2025). Debbie Ngarewa-Packer to the Minister of Health

44290 (2025). Debbie Ngarewa-Packer to the Minister of Health: What government policies or targets, if any, are in place to close the life expectancy gap between Māori and non-Māori?

Hon Simeon Brown: As part of our focus on putting patients first and ensuring all New Zealanders, including Māori, have access to timely, quality healthcare, our Government has delivered a range of initiatives to improve health outcomes. These include reintroducing health targets to support faster access to care, strengthening primary care through a number of new initiatives, and funding 66 new medicines - 33 of them cancer treatments - through a $604 million boost to Pharmac.