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[00:01:00] I te ao i te pō, I te ao i te pō, Hau, hau, hau a whio whio, Hau, hau, hau mā takataka, Hau, hau, no te awa o te ora o te atiawa Taranaki wānui. Hau, hau, ki te wanganui a tara e hae. Tai kuku me mai takiwai a mauri e runga ki a horowau e mauri e raro po Ikaroa. E raro tapu wainuku, e raro tapu wairangi, e whai nui atu te moe nga [00:01:30] kopai a te Ikaroa o te Kahui Maui. Ko rangitukutuku te aho, ko piki mai rawe a te Amatau, e whiua e Maui Potiki, ka mau te mahi a Pona Turima. Kaipare rau a Ikaroa ki Rawiti a Amatau hi Raurau, ko ha haa te whenua, te Ikaroa wai, Ki hae kau eke te maru o tuk te hiku te mana, huti kukume ake, ka pakaru mai a tangaroa, ka hora te kai a tamanu i te raa, he kai [00:02:00] a tawhiri matea. Koe nei te waa o te hangatanga o te kahui maunga. Koe matua te mana, matua te toa, matua te tapu, te pononga, koranga kahui maunga. I piki ai ki te upoko o te ika, ki tera wai manga, te whakapuware te waha o te ika. Whakapakarukarupuare te waha o te ika, ka kau mai kupeka ki kua kake Nō reira, e mura te aroha o Te Atiawa. He uria te [00:02:30] kahui maunga, te kahui maui, ki Tuarangi te whakaeke mai. E rongo ma tānea, whakairihia ke ki runga turuturu o Whitiwhakamaua, kia tīna, tīna, hui e, tāi ki e. Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Um, if you're wondering who I am, my name is Nate. Uh, I'm very humbled to come on behalf of the local iwi, Te Atiawa, Taranaki Wanui. very much. And also on behalf of the Parliamentary Service and Office of the Clerk to open this wondrous occasion today to celebrate [00:03:00] heroes of the past and heroes of the now here in the room today. Nō reira mai tērā tohu o te kahu o te raukura, tēnei ka mihi aroha kē kia koutou e kauea mai nei. Um, for your whakatau and opening this morning, I want to speak both in English and te reo Māori. Um, our leader, oh I better not call him a kaumātua, our rangatira of our parliament here, uh, Kura Moeahu and also of our iwi, uh, he says when it comes to whakatau, it's [00:03:30] about connection for people. Thank you. And so we respect and understand that there are many cultures and many languages here in the room today. I share with you both English and Māori today so we can connect with each other here in the room in our kaupapa. I started there with two karakia because I was supposed to close later on but I've got to shoot off to Tākina and do another kaupapa. So I'll give you, I'll give you three karakia. I'll do one at the end of my speech today. [00:04:00] The first one I spoke about actually is what connects us here in the room also. It talks about something that our beautiful capital city is known for, and some of you might have heard me share this kōrero with you before. It's part of a narrative that's, uh, called Te Ara Tupua, like our whanaunga back in Whanganui, which is Te Awa Tupua, and back in Taranaki, which is Te Kawhi Maunga. And so, what my karakia talks about is the beautiful southerly winds of Wellington that welcome you here today. Those [00:04:30] winds that we all breathe in and that we share here today. Te Hau o Te Tonga. But also in that karakia, it talks about something else. It goes, there's a line that goes, Ka tutu aniwaniwanga, au oro ki wahu i te haupi and so on. And what that says is, out comes the rainbow. The clouds clear, the sun comes out, the winds die down, and you can't beat Wellington on a good day either, whānau. And every time I've done that karakia, the sun comes out. So, wow, actually 80 percent [00:05:00] strike. But we welcome you here to Te Hau o Te Tonga, Te Whanganui a Tara. The second karakia I shared with you talks about something else. Uh, the phenomenal works of the Māui brothers. And I know Moana 2's out at the moment, but I was sharing this kōrero before Disney got around to it. But, uh, But anyway, Maui and his brothers went out on a fishing expedition. And this kōrero relates to this whenua here, where the heart of our democracy stands. [00:05:30] And so Maui threw his hook, Pikimairawea, out into Te Moananui a Kiwa, the Great Pacific Ocean, and he heaved out a great big fish known as Te Ikaroa o te Kawi Maui, and more commonly known today as the North Island. The North Island is in the shape of a stingray. And where we stand today, here in Wellington It is called Te te Kahui Maui, the head of the fish, where the intelligent people live today, whānau, here in our city. [00:06:00] And so, when Maui and his brothers heaved this great big fish up, the brothers couldn't wait for their catch, and they started to cut it up. And this is a metaphorical way to say of land formation and seismic activity that was happening when these lands were coming out of the depths of the ocean. And as you go to the central plateau, you will find Te Kahui Maunga, the mountain clan. Ruapehu, Tongarero, Ngaruahoe, Pihanga, and Taranaki also used to reside there in [00:06:30] those times too. And so there was a huge eruption from Taupo Tianui, or Taupo Lake, and it shifted the whole landscape. And this is during the time of Mau and his brothers. Taranaki went to the west, although Tuwharetoa will tell you punched him over to the west. And over there he stands today. And so during this time it was very chaotic. Earthquakes, huge winds, volcanoes erupting. In Taranaki we say that Ranginui sent the ancient [00:07:00] people called Te Hunga o Te Kahui Maunga who came to the sides of Taranaki Maunga and then came here to Wellington, to Pukeatua, more commonly known as Wainui o Matahil. And he summoned, they summoned two tupua, Ngake and Whataitai. And it was Ngake that opened the channel of the harbour that we know today, as it used to be a freshwater lake in those times. Whataitai took the western side of the harbour, and became petrified, and is known as Mirama, or Mirama [00:07:30] these days. Uh, as, the old name of that peninsula is Whataitai, and is in the shape of a manu, or a manu muramura if you ever look at it. The reason why I share this kōrero with you is one, it's the surroundings that you are here today, but also we call it te ara tupua, which means the phenomenal pathways, unexplainable phenomenons. And like you in the room today, you are that phenomenon making impact and change [00:08:00] just like the ancient times, back to the times of Te Kahu i Maui. And so, on behalf of our iwi, and also on Parliamentary Service and Office of the Class, I say, Tēnei ka mihi atu kia koutou, i o koutou pukumahi, hei hāpai te oranga tonu tanga o tātou katoa. For upholding the sustenance and well being of our people and our communities. Thank you. So, no reira, mai era whakaaro pai, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, haramai, [00:08:30] haramai. Now, it's customary for us to do a waiata, and as you can see, I don't have one of my aunties here with me today, but I've got two great people in the room. And I'm sure you'll know this famous waiata by Papa Morvan Simon or Tiana Tipa Simon, Te Aroha. And you'll probably go, oh, Te Aroha again, and you're like, well, do you know the second verse though? And there's a third verse, so, we'll learn that another time. So if I could ask you to etu, or to stand up, and we'll sing that famous waiata. Uh, would anyone like to start [00:09:00] us off? Because every time I do, I go way up in the rafters and we're screaming. I'll take it. I'll start later then. Te aroha, te whakapono, me te rangimari, e tatou tatou e. But I'm going to try [00:09:30] something different. We'll try the second verse. It's really easy. It goes like this. Me honoa. Your turn. Me honoa ki te atua, ki te atua, ka Ka puta ka ora e tatou tatou e, tatou tatou e. Kia ora whanau. Kapai, [00:10:00] you had some harmonies going on. We could go to Matatini in March, I'm sure. But again, e te iwi, thank you very much. As the song says, from love, faith, and peace to all. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou. Kia ora tātou katoa. Ngā mihi. E ngā mana, e ngā waka, e ngā reo, e rau rangatira mā. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa. Ko Joe Rich tako ingoa. Ko He Him [00:10:30] taku tukapi. Ko taku mahi ki Burnett Foundation Aotearoa. Ko te tumu whakarai. Uh, good morning. Uh, warm greetings to you all. I'm Joe Rich. I'm the Chief executive at Burnett Foundation, alwa, uh, and it's my pleasure On behalf of the HIV community organizations, Burnett Foundation, body Positive, positive woman, and toy too, to our, uh, to welcome you to our very first, uh, world Age Day [00:11:00] Parliamentary breakfast. Uh, as Nate has already, um, blessed the food, which should be coming around, uh, at some point, uh, right now, um, you're welcome to graze throughout the speeches, um, there's no specific eating time. Uh, we're here for an important reason, uh, which is to acknowledge, uh, and strengthen the ongoing multi partisan support for New Zealand's HIV response. It's vital that this support remains firmly on the agenda for both our [00:11:30] elected representatives. and our health agencies. Uh, and I want to acknowledge, uh, this morning, uh, Aisha Veral, uh, former Minister of Health who launched the HIV Action Plan, which I'm sure will come up today, uh, and also Minister Matt Ducey, uh, who strengthened the government's commitment to the Action Plan at the Big Gay Out, uh, earlier this year. Uh, together in partnership, communities and government, uh, we can refocus our attention on achieving the national goals. Eliminating [00:12:00] new HIV transmissions and ensuring people living, living with HIV can live healthy lives free from stigma and discrimination. Today's event coincides with World AIDS Day which was on Sunday the 1st of December. It's been observed globally since 1988 and it's a time to reflect on the impact of HIV, honour those that we've lost over the years, uh, and reaffirm our commitment to ending HIV as a public health threat. It's also an opportunity to celebrate our [00:12:30] progress, challenge stigma, and advocate for the rights of people living with and affected by HIV. This year's theme for World AIDS Day, Take the Rights Path, reminds us that the world can end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, but only if human rights are placed at the centre and only if communities are in the lead. The theme also challenges us to ensure that our efforts reach everyone, leaving no gaps in the realisation of these [00:13:00] rights. Achieving this vision requires more than just ambition. It demands action, equity, and collaboration. Here in Aotearoa, we've set our sights even higher, as we like to do. Our vision goes beyond ending AIDS as a public health threat. By 2030, we aim to eliminate local HIV transmissions entirely, and ensure all people living with HIV are treated equally. live healthy lives free from stigma and discrimination. And we're in a really strong position to achieve this. [00:13:30] Compared to many countries, we already have a low prevalence of HIV. We have well established and world leading harm reduction programs, like the needle exchange program. And we have publicly funded access to HIV treatments and prevention tools. But having this strong foundation is not enough. The final stretch will be the most challenging as we head to 2030. Success depends on strengthening the capability of the community led [00:14:00] response, health promotion, services and outreach. Communities have always been at the forefront of the HIV response and by empowering and resourcing us, we can turn this vision into reality. Community led approaches are essential not only for achieving the best whanau, but also for being highly cost effective. Recent analysis has shown that since reversing the trends in HIV numbers since 2016, the reduction has [00:14:30] saved society and the health system 175 million. Now it's not all about numbers, obviously human rights come first, um, but it's fair to say that that significant result would not have been achieved without the communities and the community organisations that drove that change. So together we have a unique opportunity to be world leading in the HIV response and to actually eliminate HIV transmission. Let's seize this opportunity and make it happen. [00:15:00] Huri nōa, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa. So it's now my pleasure to introduce our host this morning, Minister Matt Doocy is the Minister for Mental Health, Minister for ACC, Minister for Tourism and Hospitality, Minister for Youth, Associate Minister of Health, which includes Rainbow Health, uh, and Associate Minister of [00:15:30] Transport. Matt has been an MP for Waimakariri since 2014. He's previously worked in mental health in both New Zealand and the UK, before returning home to work at the Canterbury District Health Board. Hey, um, thanks Joe for that introduction, and also I know it's a significant time for you, and I'll, uh, acknowledge that at the end of my [00:16:00] Uh, Atamarie, Marina, good morning everyone. Lovely to see you all here this morning. Uh, as Joe said, make sure you carry on, uh, eating your breakfast. I must say, when I saw the agenda for this morning, It's not just all about a free breakfast, is it? They've got you actually working very hard. It's action packed. So keep your sustenance up. Could I acknowledge, uh, Nate and Mana Whenua for, [00:16:30] uh, the mihi and, uh, karakia and a very warm welcome. Uh, and also also the honorable Dr. Aisha Al, uh, to acknowledge Aesa and the former, uh, labor government for the very important work, uh, with the HIV community and also my parliamentary colleagues when I look round the room. Uh, fair to say, uh, all political par uh, parties in the 54th Parliament are represented here [00:17:00] today, and I think that is important. As Joe said, that you, we do have that bipartisan approach. So thank you for inviting me here to mark World AIDS Day. It is a real pleasure to be part of this inaugural event. I'd like to start by acknowledging the amazing work done by the Burnett Foundation Aotearoa and many others of you in this room to support those living with HIV and AIDS. Not only from a clinical point of But [00:17:30] also the impressive work done to reduce the stigma that still exists around the virus. Science has made incredible strides over recent years, meaning people living with HIV now have good clinical outcomes and live long and healthy lives if linked into care. Since the 80s, New Zealand has taken bold steps to reduce the transmission of HIV. We were one of the first countries to introduce the needle exchange programme in [00:18:00] Sex work was decriminalised in 2003 and the decriminalisation of sex between men in 1986. But that does not mean that HIV and AIDS does not still require attention. We've seen a sustained reduction in the number of AIDS diagnosis and AIDS deaths. This is a fantastic achievement that is the result of the incredible dedication of many people and organisations such as the Burnett Foundation [00:18:30] Aotearoa. Positive Woman, Body Positive, Toi Tū Te Ao, the New Zealand Sex Workers Collective, and needle exchange services across the country. Their efforts have been instrumental in a 56 percent reduction in the number of people being, uh, people diagnosed with HIV that was locally acquired in New Zealand since 2016. By making testing more accessible and providing information and support, [00:19:00] to the at risk communities that have made a significant contribution to society and the demands on the healthcare system. But there is always more to be done, which is why the government remains committed to the HIV Action Plan published this year, with the core goal of eliminating HIV transmission by 2030, as well as ensuring that all people living with HIV have healthy lives, free from stigma and discrimination. [00:19:30] I want to be clear, I've made my expectations clear to Health New Zealand that the allocated 18 million over four years from Budget 2022 will not be reprioritised as part of Health New Zealand's cost saving programme. I'm pleased to have assurance that the important work, I'm pleased to have assurance that the important work to improve [00:20:00] HIV testing and contract tracing will progress. To ensure that we are making progress on the actions and the National HIV Action Plan, the Ministry of Health has recently published the HIV Monitoring Plan. The Monitoring Plan sets out 52 indicators that will be used to monitor our progress towards achieving the goals and targets of the HIV Action Plan. The first monitoring report is expected to be published mid [00:20:30] next year. Initial implementation of the HIV Action Plan has focused on funding community based HIV service providers, including a new Kaupapa Māori HIV service, to scale up innovative testing for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, and provide more workforce training to conduct testing. These providers have delivered approximately 4, 000 HIV tests in the six months from January to June [00:21:00] of this year. They've also been able to operate weekly nurse led clinics, testing at sex on site venues, university clinics, outreach services, and promote testing via a range of digital platforms. Work is ongoing to connect haura māori providers, refugee, migrant, and asylum seeker groups, needle exchange services, and sex workers to support these communities to be able to deliver future HIV testing. [00:21:30] Workforce training has also been provided to community-based organizations and the delivery of HIV and STI testing. This innovative testing is resulting in more Maori, Pacifica and Asian people getting tested. Around 50% of those tested had not been tested in the previous 12 months. Because of our firm commitment to the HIV action plan, community-based providers have been able to deliver the following initiatives, for example. In the [00:22:00] main centres there's been new engagement with African communities that better enables family groups to receive relevant information about support, treatment and prevention of HIV. There's been training for refugee migrant communities and point of care testing alongside wider information about sexual health and prevention services. There've been new bespoke translated resources for sex workers from non English speaking high prevalence countries To ensure they are aware of [00:22:30] the risks of STI and HIV, and know what to do if they have been exposed. As part of the implementation of the HIV Action Plan, Health New Zealand is also looking at ways of building the capability and capacity of the sexual health workforce, to reduce the spread of transmission of HIV and STIs, increase access, and maintain a focus on equity. Decreasing stigma and discrimination experienced by [00:23:00] people living with HIV in healthcare settings, as well as from society as a whole, is another key focus in the action plan. Health New Zealand is making progress on the development of an anti stigma and discrimination campaign informed by a working group involving people with lived experience of HIV. The Hauora Māori Services Group in Health New Zealand is supporting Māori health organisations to deliver community led social marketing to Māori [00:23:30] to increase the uptake of HIV combination prevention. Health New Zealand recently appointed a clinical advisor to provide specialist clinical advice and leadership to support sexually transmitted and blood borne infections and other sexual health work. The response to HIV in New Zealand has long been based on a health promotion approach and programs targeting specific communities. And that could simply not have been done without the amazing [00:24:00] work from the Burnett Foundation and everyone in this room. And I'd like to say personally a big thank you. There is a phenomenal amount of work done in this area and across the sexual health sector as a whole. We are very fortunate to have incredibly skilled, knowledgeable, and committed people working in this area, many of whom are here today. I'd like to take the opportunity to acknowledge the leadership and commitment from Jo Rich to sexual health [00:24:30] and rights for gay and bisexual men. As a retiring CEO of the Burnett Foundation, Jo's work over the past 13 years Hard to believe when he only looks about 18 at the moment. And the ongoing work of the foundation has made a significant contribution to the elimination of AIDS in New Zealand. This includes developing key strategic relationships with other agencies, health, government, and community sectors. Raising awareness of [00:25:00] sexually transmitted infections and promoting effective care. Preventative behavior supporting the covert and inbox response and leading the rebrand of New Zealand AIDS Foundation to Burnett Foundation and widening the scope of the new strategic plan to support rainbow and Takata Pui communities. This change honors the co founder of Bruce Burnett while addressing the over evolving needs of the community served your efforts [00:25:30] combined with commitment to improving the health. of all New Zealanders are appreciated. I'd also like to take this time to acknowledge my good friend and colleague Nikki Kaye, who we unfortunately lost to cancer recently. As many in the room will know, Nikki was an absolute champion of the needs of our rainbow community. She was a proud supporter and an ally of the rainbow community. [00:26:00] Uh, someone who leaves a powerful legacy An absolute, uh, role model of reaching across the political divide, uh, and supporting a bipartisan approach. Again, I thank you for inviting me here today to be part of this special event. I hope the rest of the morning goes well. Ngā mihi, kia ora koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora. Ngā[00:26:30] mihi, uh, thank you, Minister Doocy, and, uh, thank you on behalf of my community for the government's support. Uh, commitments, um, particularly in this tough economic environment. Um, it's now my pleasure, uh, to introduce, uh, the Honourable Dr. Ayesha Vero. Uh, Ayesha is the Labour spokesperson on health, uh, former infectious diseases clinician, uh, and former Minister of Health, uh, who was involved in, [00:27:00] uh, championing the HIV Action Plan, uh, which was launched just last year. Tēnā koutou katoa Um, and thank you for that warm introduction and it's such a pleasure to be here. Have you ever had that lovely feeling where you're at a family event or a wedding and you see all the different people from different parts of your life together in one [00:27:30] room and it's amazing. It's, um, both, uh, lovely, heartwarming, uh, and a little bit surprising, slightly unsettling. And that's the feeling I'm having right now. So, I espied, uh, Sarah Howam, right from my university days, when we were both involved in progressive, um, causes. Now at the Drug Foundation, of course, playing an important part in HIV prevention. Peter Saxton from the AIDS Epidemiology, uh, group. Who, um, uh, I, I did, um, [00:28:00] summer research with and got in, that was my first step into infectious diseases and, um, met Peter there. Is your colleague Sue here today, Peter? Um, Sue and I did contact tracing and, uh, tuberculosis in Indonesia together. Um, my, uh, former, um, Bosses from the infectious diseases world, both Paul Huggin, where we work together in Singapore, and Nigel Raymond from, uh, Wellington Hospital. Uh, many of you are familiar from the, uh, patient, uh, organizations like Body, [00:28:30] Body Positive that, uh, I first had contact with in, in those, uh, roles as well. Uh, so good morning to you, to you all. Um, I also want to, uh, acknowledge all my parliamentary colleagues. It's great to get together, uh, from, with colleagues from all sides of the House to, uh, support a cause that we can all really get behind. And um, uh, coming to the most recent part of my work in, um, Parliament, that brings me to you, Joe, and the work [00:29:00] we did together, um, while, uh, over the last, um, Uh, in the last term of government. A fair amount about the AIDS, um, uh, action, HIV action plan. But also, um, we had to respond to a monkey pox outbreak. Uh, where I wasn't allowed to say the name of the vaccine in public. Or even say that it existed. And you and I worked really closely on that to make sure that the response to. Uh, response to that, uh, public health crisis for MSM was, um, [00:29:30] appropriate to, uh, to the community's needs. I really want to acknowledge the long contribution you have made to, uh, HIV and other, um, health needs of, um, uh, of the queer community. And thank you very much for your work and wish you all the best for the, for the future. Minister, thank you for your, um, earlier remarks and for your commitment to this plan. That's wonderful news for HIV [00:30:00] in, in New Zealand. Uh, HIV is a disease that we can, um, uh, eliminate the public health impact of it and address the stigma that impacts people with it. Uh, but it takes leadership and it takes time and it takes resources. And through your commitment, you have ensured that that is an opportunity that continues for all the people in this room. So I want to turn to speaking to all of you, from all your different, different backgrounds, some of which I've, [00:30:30] I've just um, canvassed. This is a special opportunity, right? You have an opportunity to keep going. I know times are tough in the health system, but you have an opportunity to keep making a difference on, on this front. And those opportunities are rare at the moment. So, I know that so often in HIV, uh, we see that leadership comes from the community. Uh, and I know that the officials in Health New Zealand recognize that. So, uh, [00:31:00] keep doing the amazing work that you're doing. Uh, keep, um, uh, keep bringing the reality of the lived experience of people with HIV in the communities that you serve. that support people with HIV, uh, to everyone's attention because that is the way, uh, that we will work, um, get, get to that better future that we envisage with the HIV, uh, HIV action plan. So, it's rare that we have, um, moments of, uh, uh, bi partisan, [00:31:30] um, support for, for things in this house, which makes me think that maybe we're going a wedding of a different kind, um, uh, this, this morning, but I think that is something really special, and I just hope that everyone, uh, takes that away today, that, that, um, moments like this don't, don't come up often, and you have the opportunity to really, uh, take what you've got and make a success of the, um, of the, um, of the action, uh, plan. And. I [00:32:00] really want to, um, but in saying so, I know there are other, um, other priorities that we'll also have on our mind. Priorities around, uh, blood donation, for instance, uh, prioritise, uh, priorities around making sure that all parts of the rainbow community get, get their health needs, uh, health needs met. So those are front of mind for us. So good luck for the rest of your, um, uh, your day, and I hope you have, uh, fruitful discussions today. We will be toiling away in Health Select Committee at our annual review [00:32:30] hearing, so I'm afraid we can't join with you for the rest of, rest of your meeting, but thank you very much for your continued mahi, and all the best for the years ahead. Nga mihi, thank you Aisha, and thank you again for your continued leadership, uh, and support of the HIV response. Um, it's now my pleasure to introduce, um, our next speakers, uh, Clive Aspen and Amohia [00:33:00] Bolton. Dr. Clive Aspen grew up in Hauraki, where he whakapapa is to Ngati Maru, Ngati Whanaunga, and Ngati Tamatera. He has lived throughout the duration of the AIDS pandemic and has experienced firsthand the ravages of the pandemic on communities around the world, especially in France. Uh, the UK, Australia, and Aotearoa, uh, countries where he's lived and worked. He's been engaged in the struggle against HIV, uh, as an HIV prevention community [00:33:30] worker, a researcher, and a board member of the New Zealand AIDS Foundation, uh, where he served as the first Māori chair. Clive is an associate professor at Te Hiringa Waka, Victoria University, where he teaches Māori health related courses and conducts research into rangatahi suicide as well as HIV prevention and the role of Te in policy development. Joining Clive is Dr. Amohia Bolton, Ngāti Ranginui, Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti [00:34:00] Mutunga, Te Āti Awa o Te Waka a Maui, is a policy, a former policy analyst and private secretary to the Minister of Māori Affairs. Dr. Bolton, a Kaupapa Māori health services researcher, leads the only tribally owned and mandated health research centre in New Zealand, uh, which is about to celebrate its 20th anniversary. And we are, along with her team, she works towards the vision of transforming Māori lives through excellent research.[00:34:30] Please welcome, uh, Clive and Amohia. Tēnā koutou. Ko tēnei te mihi atu nei ki a koutou, kua tāi māi nei ki tēnei hui.[00:35:00] kō Waihou, Peaukō, Ngā Awa, ko Ngāti Maru, Ngāti Whānanga, Ngāti Tama, tēnā [00:35:30] ngā iwi. Ngō reira he mile tīno poto tēnei ki a koutou i te rangi nei tēnā koutou tēnā koutou tēnā a tātou katoa. Good morning, everybody. So Minister Verrall. I think my family's a little bit different from yours. I look around the room and I see wonderful people like Dame Catherine, Dame Catherine Healy.[00:36:00] My friend over here, Marama Pala, who's been a staunch advocate for HIV and people living with HIV for many years. And my friend over here, my new friend, Benjamin Doyle. These are people who have been stalwarts of our community. Thank you. And it's sobering to stand here this morning and realize that it's taken 36 years to get to this point. [00:36:30] We've been living with HIV in this country for over 40 years, but it's taken 36 years for us to meet here in this place of significance and importance to commemorate the lives of people that we have lost. I walked into this room this morning and I was stunned To see this slide on the screen, because this was the screen that I prepared for my talk, not [00:37:00] to be the screen that was greeting us when we all walked in. So now that it's been here, while you've been here, you've had time to study this. And many of the people in this room will recognize the names of some of the friends that we have lost. And some of their names stand out. People like Tom O'Donoghue. who was a great stalwart of the gay community, the first openly HIV positive man in this country. I've been [00:37:30] coming to AIDS, World AIDS Day memorials, uh, for longer than I can remember. And the purpose of World AIDS Day memorials was to remember those who have gone before. So this is an opportunity for us to pause and reflect on the fact That we are standing on the shoulders of giants. And here we have some of them named here. This is only, this is the list of people I have known who have passed away [00:38:00] from HIV. From AIDS related illnesses. And many of you here today will know many, many, many more. So, I want to take you through my experiences of living in the midst of a pandemic. of a pandemic that is claimed close to 35 million people around the world. And I understand there are approximately the same number of people today [00:38:30] living with HIV. So it's a great honor to be able to stand here and recall the names of friends and family members we've lost. And I invite you during the course of my brief Talk to reflect on the names of people that you have lost to this pandemic. So [00:39:00] as we all know, the pandemic has moved into a new phase in recent times with access to amazing treatments, uh, to keep people alive and ensure the same length of life as everybody else. And as I said, it's important to recognize that we do stand on the shoulders of giants who've gone before us. The image you see before you is one of Tauria, Tauria. He is just one of many we've [00:39:30] lost to this pandemic in this country. He was a pioneer and an activist within his own community. I believe he was affiliated to Tuhoe. As an out HIV positive man who also identified as Takatapui. He did a huge amount. more than we can imagine to raise awareness of HIV among Maori in general, but also the people from the iwi from [00:40:00] which he came. Uh, most cities around the world, and I've lived in quite a few, have memorials out in public places to commemorate people who have died from HIV related illnesses. I don't believe we have one here in New Zealand, but if you are fortunate to go up Cuba Street, you can go and see one that's been created. in a bar that's called S& M, which is quite appropriate. And on the wall, you will see many of the members of our community [00:40:30] who have died during the course of the HIV pandemic. Uh, S, by the way, stands for Scotty, and M stands for Mel. So, the bar is named after two stalwarts of the gay community of Wellington, Scotty and Mel. So, some of you will recognise the photo of Rex Perenara.[00:41:00] Rex, many years ago, recognised that Maori were vulnerable to HIV. And he also recognised that we were being underserved within the community and within the resource allocations. He was instrumental in setting up Te Ropu Tautoko Trust. And despite the [00:41:30] vulnerability of Maori to HIV, the government of the day failed to provide HIV, funding for HIV prevention. And that important function was left to the AIDS Foundation. Te Ropu Tautoko Trust was funded to provide care and support. For people living with HIV, that in itself was important. But throughout the course of the pandemic, at all the international conferences I've been to, the overriding message was that we must spend money on [00:42:00] prevention. If we're going to get on top of this pandemic, the money needs to be spent on prevention. And unfortunately, there was no funding for prevention, uh, given to Te Roku Taitoko Trust. And in my view, that was a contributing factor. to the disparities that we're now starting to see within Maori. And I believe the found the, the, the data from your group, Peter, is now starting to reflect the fact that Maori have higher rates of HIV, [00:42:30] and we know also that Maori women are more late l more likely to be diagnosed late for HIV. And if you get a late diagnosis for HIV, you don't enjoy the same long life as everybody else. Turopu Taitoko Trust was also instrumental in organising the first International Indigenous Peoples Conference to develop strategies to deal with the challenges to the health and well being of Indigenous people.[00:43:00] This meeting was held in Auckland way back in 1996 and it was a forerunner to other International Indigenous Peoples Conferences such as this. which are held on a regular basis now before the international AIDS conferences. Many of you will recognize the people in this photo, at least one of the people. And I had the great pleasure of being Georgina's teacher when she [00:43:30] was a fourth form pupil at Papatoetoe High School. And I followed her career with significant interest for the rest of her life. Uh, and it was always good to run into her. The other day I was on a bus. Uh, from the airport to the city, to Hataita, where I live. And the bus driver was talking about Georgina with the passenger sitting in the front seat. So I couldn't help going up afterwards and saying, I used to be Georgina's school teacher. And he looked at me and said, No, you look too young. [00:44:00] Um, but I wouldn't tell Georgina that. Um, you probably don't recognize the man on the right. Uh, that, that is Bunny Thompson, a friend of mine, who was an important, uh, data collector. He worked as a research assistant for the first national survey of men who have sex with men conducted by the AIDS Foundation, and, and Bunny was instrumental in ensuring that we got a significant number of Maori respondents, uh, to that survey.[00:44:30] You'll probably also recognize many of the people in this photo. Uh, this was taken to celebrate Carmen's 70th birthday, I believe, in Sydney. And some of you will know that for decades, in fact, some of you have probably got whānau members, you will know that many Māori have left this country to escape the discrimination, the stigma, the marginalisation that people continue to experience for being Māori but also for being HIV [00:45:00] positive or for being members of the gay community. They seek, they thought, uh, they, that they went to places like Sydney, Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York to escape the stigma that they experienced here. And I know this for a fact, because for my PhD research, I spoke to many of the people who had left our country during the course of the AIDS pandemic. And they all told me to a person that they had gone to. [00:45:30] escape the discrimination they experienced in this country. But sadly, they were going to live in places that we now know became epicenters of the HIV pandemic. And sadly, many of our family members never returned. And there is a Urupa in Sydney that some of you will be familiar with in Rockwood Cemetery. There's a whole section devoted to Maori who die in Australia. And in New South Wales in [00:46:00] particular. And there is a significant number of our, uh, our family members who have been buried there and have never come home. I want to recognize the amazing work of my friend, Marama Pala, so I was a bit surprised to see her here this morning, but it's wonderful to see you, Marama. Marama has been a staunch activist of people living with HIV, both here in New Zealand but internationally, and it's tremendous to see you still carrying on the fight. Uh, my sister, because it's people [00:46:30] like you who make a difference. Another person I want to acknowledge here this morning is Millie Stewart from Toitū to Ao. It's the leadership that we get and experience from, from our, um, from Māori living with HIV that's going to get us through this pandemic and get us, uh, help us to deal with all the challenges that we confront today as a result of the pandemic. Uh, this is an example of what Maori, what indigenous people can do when they're resourced, when they're [00:47:00] given the resources they need to develop programs and initiatives to combat and confront this virus. This is an image taken at an international AIDS conference that shows the Toronto Charter, with which some of you will be familiar, but this provides an action plan about how indigenous communities can overcome HIV. And finally, I want to draw your attention to this wonderful man, Te Aotearangi McGarvey. He was an activist who served for a short time as a board [00:47:30] member of the AIDS Foundation and his message to delegates at the first national HIV hui is as true today as it was then. And just, um, for your interest, this is, these are the documents that came from that hui. This was the report. This was leading up to the report. And this was the first, and as I understand, only, National government initiative to deal with Maori and HIV and this was, uh, this hui took place in [00:48:00] 1994 and this is a report from the hui. If you want to see a copy of this, come and see me afterwards. But I just want to read you what, um, what Te Ata Rangi said at that hui. If we do not take responsibility and start the dialogue between family members and hapu and iwi, At every marae occasion, the impact of this new disease is going to be 10 times worse. Don't live in ignorance because it has a cost. The cost is the impact on our whakapapa. [00:48:30] We want to be able to protect our whakapapa. It's about survival and about continuation. And while he uttered those words in 1994, he might just as well have been here today to utter them in our presence. Thank you for listening. Kia ora mai tātou katoa.[00:49:00] Good morning to you all. [00:49:30] So it's a very hard job to follow, Clive. Um, in this space, you'll know, um, Clive's contribution and commitment to both HIV and AIDS research is outstanding, and he's been a ferocious advocate for and champion of reducing inequities in health outcomes, particularly for Māori and HIV. Keeping with the, um, theme of the wedding breakfast, um, think of me, if you will, as the partner to [00:50:00] the person that came to the wedding. So, this is a very new space for me. Um, I am neither, uh, an infectious disease clinician, nor an HIV researcher, nor do I have lived experience of HIV. However, what I do have and what I do bring are my skills and knowledge and expertise in health services research. So that is the whānau that come with me to this wedding breakfast and the skills and the knowledge and experience we bring to help, [00:50:30] um, in this important cause of eliminating HIV for Māori and for all of us in this country today. I just want to acknowledge quickly, um the host of this amazing event, uh, who I've recently met, um, Positive Women Inc., Body Positive Inc., the Burnout Burnett Foundation, and the reason that I'm standing here representing Māori women, um, Millie from Toitūteao. So thank you Millie for this morning. Right. [00:51:00] Um, I've talked a little bit about this. So, the centre that I run is the only health, uh, Iwi owned health research services organisation in Aotearoa. So we have almost 20 years experience of working in health services, where we are asked by community members to undertake work which is important to them. And I think that's part of the reason I'm here today, as I'll get into that. So,[00:51:30] One of the things I learnt quite quickly in these sort of spaces is that people want to know what you're going to talk about, so you can kind of zone out after reading the slide if you wish, because here are my take home messages. First, if we are to create an Aotearoa where both HIV transmission and stigma are eliminated for Māori. and for us all, then for Māori, the ones who have to design and lead [00:52:00] the services and the solutions must be Māori. We understand the needs of our communities. Tackling, secondly, tackling HIV transmission and stigma requires a collective effort, and I would, I would argue, a whānau centred approach. And then linking those points together beyond the fact that Māori need to, uh, design and lead their own solutions. Māori must also be given the autonomy to implement the strategies, the policies, [00:52:30] and the services that work for us, rather than simply be passive recipients of care or considered as just another vulnerable population group. So let's see if I can get to these three points in the few minutes I have left. So, back in 2020, cast your minds back, our world was turned upside down as we battled, uh, the COVID pandemic. Fortunately, we didn't experience here in New Zealand, in Aotearoa, the devastation that many [00:53:00] countries did, and that was because of a deliberate strategy of going hard and going early. In our Māori communities, they knew the havoc that could be wrought upon Māori from the introduction of a new disease. We have these oral histories that tell us so. So we went even harder and we went even earlier. We've learned much from the lessons of COVID. Our centre was involved in at least three different studies which documented both the iwi and the Māori [00:53:30] response. And this quote is a fairly typical summation of what happened in those communities across the country. So we have already seen the speed at which our Māori leadership can move and mobilise when the lives of its people, our people, are threatened. We've seen how our health experts can provide timely and relevant advice to the Crown on how it can protect tangata whenua. And we've seen how, if given the funding and the autonomy to do [00:54:00] so, our Māori provider sector can reach rapidly into the homes and the communities of the very marginalised, of the disenfranchised, and the otherwise ignored, providing essential support and services so our whānau stay safe. We've just completed the fieldwork component and we're writing up the results now of a study which is looking to understand the barriers that exist today to Māori being, being able to access pre exposure [00:54:30] prophylaxis, Māori men. Participants in this study talked at length about the need to design services which meet the needs of those who use the service. And can I say this is nothing new, if you've worked in primary healthcare, in mental health, in addiction services, or any other sector where Māori are a significant proportion of the consumer group. So as one participant noted, interventions are rarely designed by those who actually need or use the intervention, or the service, [00:55:00] or the treatment. And as a result, those services often end up being the places where Māori don't want to be. So if we can't even get our Māori in the door, how are we on earth expected? to eliminate HIV AIDS from this country. Ensuring the consumer group, uh, the consumer voice is privileged is critical to an intervention's success. And in the case of Māori, we have ample evidence which shows that when services are designed by us and led by us, where we have the [00:55:30] autonomy and the funding and the resources to work for Māori, the likelihood of reaching the so called hard to reach whānau, communities, and collectives increases exponentially. Our providers don't just know our communities, they are of our communities. I'm trying to conclude, uh, now. You might not know this, but, what I want to conclude with is, um, a potentially controversial [00:56:00] statement by saying that HIV AIDS is not a gay men's disease. It is not a disease of homosexuals, nor of queer people, although the rainbow community has undoubtedly borne the brunt of the harm, and the anguish, and the stigma, and the shame that this disease perpetrates. Why do I say this? I say it perhaps, um, to wake you all up? No. After your big feed? No. Not to belittle, uh, the harm and the anguish that has been wrought, but [00:56:30] rather to remind us that HIV AIDS is indiscriminate. It affects men, it affects women, it affects non binary, transgender, straight, queer, young, old. It affects us all. It's a disease that infects individuals, but it affects whānau. It affects our communities, and it affects our collectives. We know it's true that the harm of, that [00:57:00] is, uh, held by one person, it Spreads throughout our community, spreads throughout us all. The solutions, therefore, have to come from our collective, from the community, and from our whānau. If we want to reduce transmission rates and work towards the elimination of the virus, then we must truly work together to meet this objective. I count myself very privileged to work with some amazing young people who will be the future of the solutions. The solutions to the [00:57:30] past that Clive has eloquently outlined for us. So I want to finish with the words of a young, uh, man in our team who put together this image for World AIDS Day. Because if we've learnt nothing, we need to learn from our rangatahi. They are our leaders of the future. The mangopare, or the hammerhead shark, is a repeating image in this design, representing tenacity, resilience, determination. The three differently styled and coloured mangopare [00:58:00] reflect the unique journey of whānau living with AIDS. Each whānau carry their own purākau, their own story, their own unique story of courage and struggle. The variations in the Māngopare design celebrate the diversity of the individual experience. They honour the distinct circumstances in each whānau while recognising shared strength and shared perseverance. Aligned in a tukutuku panel inspired pattern, the Māngopare collectively represent the [00:58:30] power and the unity and the collaboration of whānau who live with AIDS. Just as tukutuku weaves threads into a cohesive whole, together we can create greater collective impact. Together, the Mangopare embody the bravery of whānau living with AIDS and serve as a reminder that through shared determination, resilience and support, we can navigate even the most turbulent of waters. Nō reira e ngā pūkenga, [00:59:00] e ngā mātanga, kai a koutou te mahi, me mahi tahi tātou. Toitū te mana, toitū te tiriti, toitū te ao. Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.
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