One quiet voice

This is what happens when you put human rights to a popular vote. How dare you?

It was an end-of-the-day panel discussion on health equity but, ultimately, there was no discussion.

Thousands of GPs in the packed auditorium at the WONCA* conference were left speechless, many in tears.

The session started with WONCA president-elect Viviana Martinez-Bianchi, an Argentine-born family physician from the US, charting her journey as an immigrant and the possibilities for primary care in connecting communities.

Next up, New Zealand general practice academic and Māori health researcher David Tipene-Leach shared the story underlying the development of cultural safety in Aotearoa, from its beginnings in the controversy around the teachings of nurse educator Irihapeti Ramsden, through the development of cultural sensitivity and then cultural competency, before arriving back at cultural safety.

Dr Tipene-Leach gently urged all present to look to the cultural safety paradigm, which involves reflecting on one’s own practice and addressing one’s own bias, to become a better health practitioner.

And that left speaker Brad Murphy, who chose not to take to the podium but to stay seated “with friends”.

From where I sat in the dark auditorium, Dr Murphy was not unlike your average white-haired, maybe 60-ish, European Australian.

Then he introduced himself as a proud Kamilaroi man and a rural doctor.

Thereafter came a softly spoken outpouring of grief over what Dr Murphy called the elephant in the room – the fact Australia as a nation had voted against a constitutional change to give indigenous Australians a “Voice” in Parliament and what this meant for the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Talking on his own behalf only, he shared his story as an Aboriginal man, from joining the Navy at 15 to entering medical school at 35; of a grandmother who had hidden her true identity to protect her family from racism and had thus lost their family connections.

To be honest, I am not overly familiar with the process that led to the referendum or how it played out with over 60 per cent voting against the change. Dr Murphy explains some of those who voted “yes” were not voting for the referendum but for progress and equity, and some voting “no” were expressing distrust in the Government. The reasons were likely manifold.

There was much more in Dr Murphy’s address, about the wounds created by the referendum, the healing needed, and his own search for his identity. But the phrase that stuck with me as the lights came up was, “This is what happens when you put human rights to a popular vote. How dare you?”

By our publication date, New Zealand should be close to knowing the make-up of the next Government. After all the coalition talks and horse trading, I would hope any thoughts of a referendum on Te Tiriti o Waitangi will be laid to rest.

Can anyone truly believe any good would come of such an outing?

In some areas, we really do not need to compete with our neighbours across the Tasman.