Source: New Zealand Parliament – Hansard
ORAL QUESTIONS
QUESTIONS TO MINISTERS
Question No. 1—Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities
1. Dr ELIZABETH KEREKERE (Green) to the Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities: What progress, if any, has this Government made towards addressing the issues identified by rainbow communities in the first Counting Ourselves survey 2019, in light of the second survey being launched today?
Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN (Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities): I am aware that recommendation eight of the survey is focused on ethnic communities. I also know that since taking office, the then Office of Ethnic Communities started building relationships across rainbow communities. There has been a focus by the Ministry for Ethnic Communities to continue developing and strengthening those relationships. I also know that the priorities and the strategy of the new Ministry for Ethnic Communities were developed with input from rainbow ethnic communities, and that they are also named as a priority group within the strategy. Furthermore, the ministry has provided funding to rainbow communities through the ethnic communities development fund, and that includes funding to the Wellington Pride Festival and projects by Adhikaar Aotearoa. The ministry continues to build strong relationships and is also part of the cross-agency rainbow network that’s a forum for collaboration across the Public Service to raise the profile of rainbow communities and their inclusion within the broader Public Service. Finally, with regard to the Counting Ourselves survey, I know that the ministry has been working with the agency administering the survey to ensure that the voices of rainbow ethnic communities are included as part of that survey so as to be able to inform future work as well. Just finally, the responsibility to support and address issues faced by our rainbow communities sits across Government, rather than in just one portfolio or one agency. We can see that quite clearly in the work undertaken by my colleagues across the health, justice, and youth portfolios.
Dr Elizabeth Kerekere: What progress, is she aware of, has been made on enabling queer—not queer pathways; clear pathways, aroha mai, for gender affirming healthcare, including gender affirming surgeries, given the unmet need for healthcare is as high as 67 percent?
SPEAKER: In so far as you’re responsible. There’s an element in there that I don’t think you are.
Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN: Thank you, Mr Speaker. As I mentioned, in as far as I’m responsible as the Minister for Diversity, Inclusion and Ethnic Communities, I think I’ve outlined the work that the ministry’s been doing in this space. There is work towards the issue that the member’s raised, but that sits within the delegations of the Associate Minister of Health.
Dr Elizabeth Kerekere: Will she work with her officials to ensure resources are dedicated to health and wellbeing initiatives led by trans and non-binary communities and organisations, such as PATHA, the Professional Association for Transgender Health Aotearoa, to ensure equitable outcomes for rainbow people?
SPEAKER: Again, in so far as the Minister is responsible.
Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN: Yeah, thank you, Mr Speaker. Once again, I am aware that there is work under way across Government that sits within various portfolios. I also know that, from conversations with the Minister for Youth, there is funding towards those communities through the youth portfolio too.
Dr Elizabeth Kerekere: What progress, if she’s aware of it, has been made to better protect trans and non-binary people from discrimination, which two-thirds of them experience?
Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN: I thank the member for the question because we do know that, particularly, young people within rainbow communities are at greater risk of being discriminated against, bullied, and harassed. All of my portfolios stand against that sort of behaviour that we’ve seen quite recently perpetrated on rainbow young people in their spaces as well. As I mentioned, you know, through the Ministry for Ethnic Communities more broadly, there is funding to support the wellbeing of rainbow ethnic communities, and equally through other portfolio-specific funding towards supporting their wellbeing as well.
Dr Elizabeth Kerekere: Does she support making gender identity, gender expression, and sex characteristics prohibited grounds of discrimination under the Human Rights Act, and, if so, why has the Government decided not to progress this work?
Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN: I don’t have responsibility for that. I understand that that falls within the portfolio responsibilities of my colleague Minister Allan.
Dr Elizabeth Kerekere: Does she believe that a new ministry for rainbow issues would help address and pull together the range of concerns raised in the 2019 Counting Ourselves report?
Hon PRIYANCA RADHAKRISHNAN: As I’ve pointed to in previous responses, there is work under way across various portfolios that this Government is responsible for—more broadly, right from banning conversion therapy to being the first Government to provide targeted nation-wide funding for mental health services supporting rainbow young people, reducing wait times for gender-affirming surgery, and lifting the cap on the number of publicly funded surgeries. I think it’s clear from the track record of this Government that there’s a fair bit of work under way across various Government agencies and portfolios, and that’s how it should be.
