The Wai 2624 (Alcohol Healthcare) Claim

The Wai 2624 Claim is a claim brought by David Ratu and is being heard as part of the Wai 2575 Health and Services Outcomes inquiry.  This claim is focused on alcohol and the numerous ways it harms Māori and their communities.   The claim highlights the failures of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2017 which completely omits any reference to the Treaty of Waitangi, and fails to ensure that Māori have a place as of right on District Licencing Committees when deciding whether or not to grant a liquor licence.  This is despite a clear targeting of Māori communities by vendors wanting to sell alcohol in those neighbourhoods.  

This claim has been supported by numerous experts in the industry including Alcohol Healthwatch Executive Director Nicki Jackson. 

The FASD section of this claim is due to be heard by the Waitangi Tribunal in early March as part of Disabilities stage of the Health Inquiry.  It is estimated that FASD may be the single largest disability affecting Māori and that up to 30% of Prisoners in Aotearoa may be suffering FASD, yet the condition is not widely recognised by the Government or the public. 

Numerous clinical FASD Experts as well as Māori with lived experience of the condition will be presenting as witnesses to support this claim.

You can read the Wai 2624 Statement of Claim here.

The whawhai led by David Ratu against the Crown and the alcohol lobby regarding the over-saturation of alcohol stores and marketing in disadvantaged communities was the subject of the Documentary ‘Proof’ by Guyon Espiner, released in 2021. You can see the documentary here. 

You can read a Stuff article about the Wai 2624 claim here. 

You can read the Summary of the brief of evidence of FASD clinical expert Raewyn Mutch here.

You can read the Summary of the brief of evidence of Whaea Deb Cole, who is the caretaker of her mokopuna with FASD, here.

Wai 2624 Principal claimant Raawiri (Dave) Ratu, pictured for a Stuff article when the claim was first filed in 2017.credit: Stuff NZ.

Alcohol Healthwatch Executive Director Nicki Jackson, supporter and witness for the Wai 2624 claim, appears on Newshub to give an interview about alcohol advertising.