Monday 20 October 2025
This week’s major public sector strike is essential to demand the strengthening of the country’s public health services, damaged by the Government’s funding cuts and harmful policy changes, and to stand against creeping privatisation, says climate and health advocacy group OraTaiao.
“OraTaiao stands with those striking this week and recognises that this strike is essential in the face of harmful policy decisions, chronic underfunding and a clear, creeping privatisation agenda from this Government,” says OraTaiao Convenor Dr Summer Wright.
“We have a proudly public healthcare system and we must stand together to keep it that way,” says Wright.
“A strong public healthcare sector represents the best of us. It demonstrates how democratic societies can organise themselves to provide for their people and communities. It should be a source of pride and strength for our country. Our healthcare system should not be subjected to chronic underfunding and cruel policy choices that leave health workers exhausted, critical health services weak, and patients and communities more vulnerable to ill-health.”
OraTaiao represents more than 1000 healthcare workers, health researchers, policy makers and other health organisations urging political and other leaders to recognise that climate change and health can and should be addressed together to achieve the greatest benefit to our communities and society.
The group says it has a strong interest in this strike and the strength of the public sector, including but not limited to the public health sector, because addressing health challenges and climate change requires collective, democratic responses.
“A strong public sector supports our country and communities to respond to health and climate challenges that individuals cannot protect themselves from on their own.”
“The goal of any Government should be a healthy population, with a healthcare system that prevents illness as well as treats it, and a public sector that has the capacity and capability to support the country and communities to address climate change. This will give our people security and stability over-time and support communities to thrive.
However, what we are seeing from this Government is underfunding of fundamental public services, like healthcare, gutting other critical parts of the public sector, a policy approach that essentially ignores climate change and actively encouraging more use of fossil fuels while ripping away long-overdue equity measures like the Pae Ora (Healthy Futures) Act 2022 and Te Aka Whai Ora (the Māori Health Authority).”
OraTaiao says the public should be wary of the Government’s creeping privatisation agenda.
“By cutting health funding, and taking away the role of preventative and equitable health measures, the Government will overwhelm an already weakened public healthcare system. By worsening the public healthcare system’s problems, the Government will claim the public sector isn’t efficient or good enough, bolstering its argument for privatisation.”
The health sector most recently sounded the alarm, through the Select Committee, about changes in the now ironically-named Healthy Futures Amendment Bill, through which the Government is proposing to encourage outsourcing of healthcare to the private sector.
“The Government is eroding our proudly public healthcare system. We will stand with our public sector this week, and in the coming weeks and months to strengthen our public health system and stop creeping privatisation.”
ENDS