A massive petition demanding urgent government action to repair New Zealand’s “broken” health system was delivered to Parliament, stretching an estimated 276 metres across the grounds and carrying 90,000 signatures.
Led by Patient Voice Aotearoa’s Malcolm Mulholland, the “Buller Declaration” calls out the system’s failures, particularly for Māori, rural, and low-income communities, and urges major investment in training and retaining medical staff.
Supported by health unions and professional colleges, the petition was received by MPs from the Greens, Labour, and ACT, though Health Minister Simeon Brown did not attend, acknowledging later that the system faces “significant” challenges.
Mulholland told state-funded media the petition reflects a nationwide crisis, not just a regional issue, and hopes it will become a lasting reminder—possibly housed at Te Papa—of the need to prioritise New Zealanders’ healthcare.
#LIVE
Several hundred whānau walked through Kirikiriroa a few days ago in the nationwide Hīkoi for Our Health, carrying the 276m Buller Declaration now the world’s longest petition with 95,000+ signatures calling for urgent action on Aotearoa’s failing health system. pic.twitter.com/sxFJSopvHd— Te Kōhao Health (@KohaoTe) November 17, 2025
It’s not just Māori, low socioeconomic areas, everyone is affected by the crap healthcare system.
But who, after the past 5 years, trusts the healthcare system anyway.
You are right but then people still vote for the culprits. It never ceases to amaze me how slow New Zealanders are to change, Maybe its our isolation, maybe we are too tribal or maybe too complacent. The reality is, if people were to stop voting for them, they would have to change their behaviour.
The entire “health” system in NZ is a disgrace however to think that Maori are somehow disadvantaged to the average Kiwi is laughable at best and quite frankly delusional. If Maori would stop this division and racism maybe we could come together and get some results. Divide and conquer.
I sooo subscribe to your comment!
Unfortunately, they are just jealous people. They want what we have by just sitting on the couch and thinking about it.
What a farce, what about the gene editing bill pushed through Parliament. This is another point less petition, they don’t care never did only a divide and conqer technique centuries old. The only change can come from the roots to many medical policies that effect the health system from the top down. Too many willing to follow systems that don’t work and except pharmas funding. The whole medical system turning out legal drug pushers, under staffed and under funded. 15 minute appointments seen by a Nurse or paramedic before seeing a doctor with no responsibility if diagnoses is wrong. The whole system is rotten. If you have the money you could have surgery tomorrow or wait on a waiting list for years for the same surgeon. Why don’t we deserve better treatment?
They can waste time with the Gene Tech Bill no one asked for, Digital ID’s, no one asked for, squander our money on a regime half a world away in Kiev, no one asked for but ask them to fix the things people want fixed like healthcare, which is leagues behind Australia and its indifference and crickets. Not even turning up to receive the petition, which I would say politically, was a “very” bad move.
The other half of the problem is us. We can’t keep voting for the likes of National and Labour, who in large part responsible, for bringing us to this point and still expect things to change.
The MIC (Medical Industrial Complex) lost its credibility with the COVID scam. How many good staff members did that scam cost them? How will they regain public trust? It’ll take a long time to repair that damage, and even longer if the scum-sucking politicians don’t acknowledge the damage their “leadership” has caused, get off the globalists (wrong) track and get back to serving the interests of their nation.
Perhaps people should not eat toxic foods, which is 95% of the grocery store.
Maybe start by coming clean about what was perpetrated upon the people of NZ as safe proven effective
No wonder Ed did a runner
Let me guess, it was placed at Te Papa. They currently held a Protest presentation for kids. I bet all the kids signed it.