The Prime Minister says she can't guarantee Whanau Ora will get the extra funding Labour promised before the 2017 election.
"Election manifesto items for any of the parties, if we want to pursue them, they have to be agreed upon," Jacinda Ardern told Newshub Nation host Lisa Owen.
Labour had promised an extra $20 million over four years for the programme. However, Whanau Ora didn't receive any additional funding in the 2018 Budget because it's currently under review.
"We're undertaking this review so we can demonstrate the value of Whanau Ora," said Ms Ardern.
"The Minister for Whanau Ora, Peeni Henare, is doing a great job of leading that review, but I'm not going to predetermine any budget discussions that we're having."
Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has previously expressed opposition to the programme. A New Zealand First press release from February 2012 accused the Government of wasting millions of dollars of taxpayer money on Whanau Ora "handouts".
"Whanau Ora is just a giant koha fund set up in a separatist system to appease the Māori Party," said Mr Peters.
"We suggest that the money go for better purposes for the benefit of all New Zealanders."
That's at odds with the position expressed by Employment Minister Willie Jackson.
"Whanau Ora is really really important," he told Owen earlier this month.
"The moment you form a coalition government, you establish where you have agreement," said Ms Ardern.
"Each of these issues, we work through, through the strong relationships that we have and the processes we have."
Newshub.
