‘We’re in a crisis’: Dr Shane Reti takes the reins

Dr Shane Reti (Ngāti Wai, Ngāti Maniapoto), has been a rural GP, a Mormon, a drummer, worked at Harvard University, and is now the first New Zealand-trained Māori doctor to become Health Minister. Days into the job, he tells health reporter Rachel Thomas

You spent 17 years as a GP, in Northland?

I did. I studied dermatology in Wales. I was what’s called a GPwSI: GP with a special interest. My special interest was my postgraduate training in dermatology. And I did my diploma in obstetrics and delivered dozens of babies.

I understand you like a bit of guitar when you’re outside the Beehive.

My creative place is music and my guitar. I’m a drummer by trade but I took up bass and rhythm guitar a long time ago.

Do you play gigs?

I have been invited into public domain with folks like Justice Joe Williams, who plays a good guitar, and senior public servants, where they need percussion. Nowadays, I don't take a kit ‘round with me, I take a cajón and you can be pretty full with that.

And you've got three adult children. Anyone in health or politics?

I have two who are at the health interface. The other is in the digital space.

Do you still consider yourself Mormon?

I come from an LDS background. In reality, I would probably be viewed as inactive. But do I smoke? Nope. Do I drink? Nope. Just my personal choices. I have a faith.

You are the second ever Māori health minister. How do you feel about that?

It was pointed out to me by iwi leaders actually. I am absolutely honoured and privileged... And if, in some small way, I am able to make the shifts for Māori and for others that Peter Buck and others did, then the privilege will be mine. [Ed’s note: Dr Peter Buck, also known as Te Rangi Hīroa, was Medical Officer to Māori in 1905 then an MP in the Northern Māori electorate. His medical colleague, Sir Māui Pōmare was the first Māori health minister in 1923 but trained in the US, making Reti the first NZ-trained Māori doctor to hold the position.]

Has Labour left you with a health crisis?

It is the same crisis that it was before we were privileged to be government. And I say that with deep respect to all the health workers who are doing their darndest, working their hardest. This is no description of them. It's a description of whether they'd had the policies and support to do what they wanttodo.Yes,itisacrisis.AmIinaposition to lift up the hood fully, and see what that crisis looks like? No. I haven't had time through the briefing stage just yet.

As a GP, are you on board with the reversal of Labour’s tobacco policy?

We're deeply committed to reducing smoking rates. The concerns that the prime minister expressed have been around ram raids, crime as a consequence of the retail reduction, the black market and concerns for exactly how the smokefree generation might roll out. There could be confusion in that. From our perspective, vaping, as the prime tool at this point, has reduced adult smoking rates. [I’m pleased] with all the hard work that's gone into the sector around that. Of course [there is a] piece of work to be done on underage vaping – what are the tools that can at least maintain that [smoking reduction] trend, if not do even better.

Cancer medicines: National campaigned on 13 more, with $280m ring-fenced for Pharmac. Is that still happening?

If you look in our fiscal plan, and ... all three partners have signed into the fiscal plan... Your answer lies there. [The fiscal plan states $70m will be allocated to cancer drugs each year for four years, totalling $280m. National has said this will be paid for by resurrecting the $5 fee for prescription items for most people.]

You've promised certain health targets. Will this give us faster access to health care?

What we're looking to do is to improve five health targets. So first specialist assessments, surgical waitlists, faster cancer treatment [within] 31 days, ED wait times and immunisation at two years-old.

What we're doing now is just baselining. Those are the five things that matter to us. So what is our starting point? Here's where we started. Here's where we need to do better.

On the axing of Te Aka Whai Ora, will we see the good work that agency is doing absorbed into the likes of the Ministry of Health or Te Whatu Ora?

Yes. Already had those discussions. As we disestablish the Māori Health Authority and that part of a dream concludes, two things. First of all, that needs to be done with great dignity and respect for what has been done. And secondly, the gains need to be encapsulated and brought forward to very clear points that they've given to officials.

Are we still likely to see a rural medical school with the coalition?

What we've said is that we should appropriately get a cost benefit analysis of any big programme. We think that's a good idea. We’ll be asking for that. [National’s 100-day plan includes signing an MOU with Waikato University to progress plans for the school].