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Saturday, November 7, 2020

Breaking Views Update: Week of 01.11.20







Saturday November 7, 2020 

News:
Council Commits To Rebuild And Partnership With Increased Māori Representation

Nelson City Council gave a unanimous vote of support to a refreshed governance structure that focuses on Covid-19 rebuild, addressing housing affordability, and strengthening community engagement.

The changes allow for increased Māori participation in Council decision-making by taking forward a proposal to appoint Māori representatives to both the Urban Development and Strategic Development and Properties subcommittees.

Council continues to support reform of the Local Electoral Act 2001 to make it the requirements to establish a Māori Ward the same as a general ward but until this occurs Mayor Reese says it is important to increase Māori representation in decision making through other means......
See full article HERE

Hope in sight for Maori wards
Three Whakatane women who led the charge for Maori wards in the district are ecstatic legislation change has been signalled.

Toni Boynton, Mawera Karetai, and Danae Lee say they are stunned and excited to hear that Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta has made removing the poll provisions on Maori wards one of her top priorities......
See full article HERE

Pou whenua to recognise the fallen and the survivors of 28th Māori Battalion
A pou whenua is to be unveiled on the Picton foreshore, in recognition of the 28th Māori Battalion.

The pou is part of a Te Tau Ihu – the top of the south - project to have something in each of the major centres, including Nelson, Blenheim, Motueka and Golden Bay to recognise the Battalion’s D company......
See full article HERE

Auckland Iwi Becomes Proud Owner Of School Properties
Te Kawerau ā Maki and the Accident Compensation Corporation have become proud owners of four schools in Auckland as part of the tribe’s Treaty Settlement.

The deal involves the purchase and lease back of Campbells Bay Primary, Waterview Primary, Henderson Primary and Matipo Primary School, under the terms of Te Kawerau’s historic Treaty of Waitangi settlement agreement.

The properties are held by a joint venture partnership called Te Kawerau Iwi Schools LP and leased back to the Ministry of Education to provide continued education services.

ACC contributed funding to the partnership which is to be repaid over the next 30 years.......
See full article HERE

Haka part of new Manurewa history
A Manurewa Local Board member is encouraging schools to pick up a new digital resource to teach the area's rich Māori history.

Local teacher Te Ariki Tuiono worked with mana whenua iwi Ngāti Te Ata on Te Manurewa o Tamapahore podcasts and books.

Melissa Atama says it includes haka and waiata that will bring the whole community closer.......
See full article HERE

Māori Party gains second waka in stunning return to Parliament
In a stunning comeback from political death, the Māori Party has gained a second seat in Parliament.

The final results of the 2020 election have revealed that party co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, who stood in the Te Taihauāuru seat running from Porirua to Tirau, will come into Parliament on the party’s list.

She will join Waiariki Māori Party MP Rawiri Waititi, who has kept his seat after a tight provisional result that saw him 415 votes ahead of then-incumbent, Labour’s Tāmati Coffey.

Waititi increased his winning margin in the electorate, covering the Bay of Plenty and South Waikato, which rose to 836 in the final result......
See full article HERE

Articles:
Repealing democratic rights – by Dr Muriel Newman.

The destruction of democracy 

This Breaking Views Update monitors race relations in the media on a weekly basis. A summary of new material being added is emailed out during the week - to subscribe (or unsubscribe) to the mailout, please use the form at the top of the Breaking Views sidebar. If you would like to send Letters to the Editor in response to any of these articles, most media addresses can be found HERE

Friday November 6, 2020

News:
Ruapehu Council looks to boost Maori voice
Ruapehu Mayor Don Cameron says his council will have Māori representation one way or another.

Ruapehu District Council has decided to introduce Māori Wards in time for the 2022 local body elections, after a review into how it could improve Māori participation in decision making.

He's proud of the leadership taken by council, but the decision may still be subject to referendum. 

"No matter what happens Māori representation will be looked at. If it's not the wards there will be other ways, standing committees. We are really determined to have proper Māori representation on our council," he says......
See full article HERE

Decisions on Maori representation - council
During our next elections in 2022, Far North electors will not only be asked to pick their preferred candidates, they will also be polled on whether we should have Maori wards in our district. My (Mayor John Carter) own view is that we should.

Around half of our Far North residents identify as Maori, as do several of our Councillors.

Despite that, Maori do not feel well represented by the Council and believe key principles of the Treaty of Waitangi are not applied.

I have trust and faith that our people can decide this issue based on clear and unbiased explanations. It is now up to the Council to ensure all of our people are well-informed about the decision they will be asked to make.....
See full article HERE

Waikato study busts myth Māori don't take diabetes medicine - they're just not given it in the first place
Māori aren't being prescribed diabetes medication at the same rate as non-Māori a new study has found, busting a longstanding myth they choose not to take it.

Researchers at the University of Waikato looked at data collected at a number of GP clinics in the region on metformin, a common medication for treating type 2 diabetes......
See full article HERE

Veteran nurse who complained of racism: 'It exists, it's rampant'
The woman who blew the whistle on a New Plymouth nurse for making comments online about her Māori colleagues, including that they 'sit on their fat asses all day', were thieves, and lazy is urging others to be brave and speak out.

As a result, a key finding of the tribunal, which was recorded in the official report, was that the nurse tarnished the mana of not only other nurses, but also mana whenua.

Neilson-Hornblow wanted to challenge New Zealanders to learn about te ao Māori.

"I'd like to challenge every citizen to learn the declaration of independence, to learn Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and to learn about Māori heritage in Aotearoa," she said.......
See full article HERE

Māori Party Oppose Attorney Generals Intervention In Seabed Mining Case
The Māori Party oppose Attorney General David Parker’s intervention in Ngāti Ruanui’s seabed mining legal battle in the Supreme Court, which agrees with mining company Trans-Tasman Resources’ interpretation of the EEZ Act.

“It is unacceptable that Government is intervening in a legal case to support an international mining company against tangata whenua,” said Māori Party’s Rawiri Waititi.

“The Attorney General’s views on Te Tiriti rights and environmental law are outrageous. Labour talk a big game on the environment and Te Tiriti rights, but this is just another example of them failing to deliver........
See full article HERE

Council recommends accepting gifting of land next to pā site
New Plymouth district councillors have recommended they accept the gift of a 3315-square metre parcel of land next to a historic pā site.

Whakawhitiwhiti Pā Historic Reserve, near Oranga and Wallath streets in Whalers Gate, contains one of the best preserved pā in New Plymouth.

The reserve is of historic and cultural significance to Te Atiawa and Taranaki Iwi and to Ngāti Te Whiti and Nga Mahanga-a-Tairi hapū.....
See full article HERE

Rating Relief on Māori Freehold Land
Māori Land is land which is subject to the Te Ture Whenua Act 1993. It is also land that is registered at the Māori Land Court. Not all Māori Land has a certificate of title which means that is cannot be searched at the Land Transfer Office. If it does have a title, it will have a memorial registered on it stating that it is Māori Land. If the status has been changed recently by the Māori Land Court, the change may not have been registered on the title. It is worth checking with the Māori Land Court and also the Māori Land Online GIS database if it is important to know the status......
See full article HERE

Propaganda:
Good and bad news from referendums for Māori as final results loom

Value of te reo Māori for all 'is what will save it' - Justice Joe Williams 

Thursday November 5, 2020

News:
Maori seat veto set to go
Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta is promising legislation soon to remove an anomaly that has held back widespread Māori representation. 

Councils which create Māori seats or wards can have the decision overturned by a binding referendum which can be forced by a petition of 5 percent of voters.

Calls for change in the last Government were stymied by New Zealand First, but the way is now clear for reform. 

"It’s one of the priorities on my list as is progressing the legislation through the house to remove rates arrears off Māori land which is considered unrecoverable. I've got a few areas I would like to focus on in the local government portfolio. They are all ready to go once Government is formed," she says.....
See full article HERE

Training colleges turning out racist teachers - Cormack
A leading Māori educator says teacher training colleges need to change what they are doing to stop turning out racist teachers.

Since finishing his term as president of the Principals Federation, Whetu Cormack has been coaching and mentoring school leaders to make their school environments to be culturally safe and supportive of te reo Māori and tikanga.

He says too many recently graduated teachers don’t know how to address special education needs or be culturally responsive and competent with Māori and Pasifika learners.......
See full article HERE


Wednesday November 4, 2020

News:
Whangārei District Council votes to introduce Māori wards
Whangārei District Council today voted by a majority to bring in Māori wards for the 2022 and 2025 local government elections. 

WDC councillors voted 8-6 to bring in Māori wards - after a 90 minute debate.

WDC must now publicly advertise the decision, along with notifying its registered electors they have the right to demand a citizen-initiated poll on this. The $90,000 poll has to go ahead if five percent or 3080 electors demand it...... 
See full article HERE

'Unfair outcomes' for Māori seeking Covid income support
Documents show Māori are about half as likely as Pākehā to get Covid income support from Work and Income.

The Covid Income Relief Payment - which starts at $450 a week - is about twice the jobseeker support benefit, and Māori are much less likely to get it.

The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) information between 8 June and 28 August shows applications by those who identify as Māori were unsuccessful at nearly twice the rate compared to New Zealand Europeans......
See full article HERE

Māori names given to three new Japanese-built ships
Māori names have been given to three new Japanese built ships.

The first of them, Kowhai, has just completed her maiden voyage arriving in Mount Maunganui.

The shipping company's New Zealand representative, Bruce Nisbett from Oceanic Navigation, said the ships were called Kowhai, Whero and Kakariki to represent the gold, red and green kiwifruit exported from here.......
See full article HERE

Author Olivia Pierson labels Nanaia Mahuta's moko 'ugly, uncivilised', Mighty Ape pulls books
Mighty Ape NZ confirmed to the world on Twitter that they had made Olivia Pierson's books unavailable, after her comments on social media.

Twitter users described Mighty Ape's move as "drawing the line" and as "awesome leadership.".....
See full article HERE

Propaganda:
Sustainable Finance: The Māori model

Tuesday November 3, 2020

News:
Ngāi Tahu takes Crown to court for ‘rangatiratanga’ of its waterways
South Island iwi Ngāi Tahu is taking the Crown to court docket, searching for “rangatiratanga” over all freshwater in its takiwā (space). 

The case would search to determine “shared authority” with the Crown over coverage and observe.

Te Rūnanga o Ngā Tahu kaiwhakehaere (chairwoman) Lisa Tumahai mentioned the case towards the Crown, lodged within the Excessive Courtroom in Christchurch on Monday, got here after generations of being excluded from kaitiakitanga (guardianship) of waterways...... 
See full article HERE

Far North councillor Moko Tepania urges electors to demand poll over Māori wards
A Far North District councillor is challenging his council's decision on Māori wards and calling on locals to demand a poll on the controversial topic – before February next year.

Moko Tepania (Te Rarawa/Ngati Kahu ki Whangaroa) says if the poll was held before February 21, the wards could be in place for the next local government elections in 2022.

The Far North District Council (FNDC) last week voted to hold a poll on Māori wards, but not until the 2022 local government elections. An initial motion, seconded by Tepania, asked the council to bring in Māori wards.......
See full article HERE

Veteran Northland politician calls for law change on Māori seats
Local government veteran Dover Samuels is calling for a law change to remove an almost 'insurmountable barrier' to Māori representation at the country's council tables.

Samuels, who has been involved in Northland local government since......(NZ Herald paywall)
See full article HERE

Scientific names should reflect indigenous roots, professors say
Two Auckland academics are calling for indigenous names to be included in the scientific naming of plants and animals.

AUT professor Len Gillman and University of Auckland’s Dr Shane Wright have proposed a change to the code for scientific names to better reflect those used by indigenous groups for centuries.......
See full article HERE

NZ Maori Council Applauds More Maori In Cabinet – History Made With Nanaia Mahuta
The New Zealand Maori Council has welcomed the make-up of the new Cabinet and Government and has urged Ministers to get to work. Matthew Tukaki, Executive Director of the New Zealand Maori Council also said that while he was disappointed not to see Kelvin Davis take on the Deputy Prime Ministership the reality is “about the need to focus on the key priority areas that impact Maori.”.....
See full article HERE

Record number of Māori in Cabinet: 'We should be proud of that' – PM Jacinda Ardern
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said her Cabinet is one with both merit and talent which also happens to be incredibly diverse.

The five new Māori ministers means Māori make up 25 per cent of Cabinet.

"I think as a country we should be proud of that," Ardern said.

Davis said the five Māori ministers around the Cabinet table is likely the highest proportion in New Zealand's history.

"Māoridom has been wanting representation for 160 years – this Government has the interest of Māoridom at his heart.".....
See full article HERE

New Christchurch Hospital Hagley gifted name
A new name has been gifted for Christchurch Hospital Hagley which will now be called Waipapa.

Ngai Tuahuriri (local iwi) and the Ūpoko Dr Maire Tau has named the building.

It means surface water and denotes the many springs that were in the area........
See full article HERE

Propaganda:
More must be done so younger Māori see themselves represented by Auckland leadership

Monday November 2, 2020

News:
Gisborne District Council taking first step on anti-racism journey
At the full council meeting on Thursday, Councillor Shannon Dowsing questioned the decision to include bilingual headings rather than create a bilingual version.

“It seems that if we’re going to make (anti-racism) a genuine objective then we should have a te reo version of this document as well as an English version,” he said.

The council committed to undertaking anti-racism work in August, agreeing to put in place plans, resources and actions to deliver on its commitment to tangata whenua in Tairawhiti...... 
See full article HERE

Only 10% of Kiwis want to change our country's name
The latest poll from Research New Zealand set out to gauge support for New Zealand changing its name to 'Aotearoa' or 'Aotearoa New Zealand', but only 10% of people agreed New Zealand should change its name, while a fifth of Kiwi respondents (20%) agreed New Zealand should become a republic.....
See full article HERE

Youngest councillor seizes Palmerston North deputy mayoralty
She fronted the case to establish Māori wards for election to the city council, a campaign ultimately defeated in a binding poll demanded by voters.

She was disappointed by the outcome, but said she would do it all again.

“I think Palmy is still coming to terms with how to give tangata whenua a voice in its decision-making.”......
See full article HERE

New Green MPs: 'There are expectations of us'
Kerekere noted she will have to swear allegiance to the Queen, despite wanting to subvert the role of the monarchy in Aotearoa.

Swearing allegiance to the Queen was also a sore point for fellow MPs Teanau Tuiono and Ricardo Menéndez March.

Tuiono said that it was outdated and was surprised it hadn't already been changed.

"I think we should be pledging allegiance to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, it would be good to sort that out at some time, because I find it inaccurate," he said......
See full article HERE

National kapa haka events funded
The national body for kapa haka has received funding to run a series of performances across the country next year.

However, Te Matatini has now received funding from the Ministry of Culture and Heritage to run 12 ngāhau, or non-competitive kapa haka events across the country.

Chairman Selwyn Parata said they were grateful for the funding which would uplift the spirits of Māori......
See full article HERE

Māori Council calls for police to address discrimination in cannabis arrests
The New Zealand Māori Council has called on the police to use their powers of discretion to stop sending Māori to prison for low-level drug offences now the cannabis referendum looks unlikely to pass.

"I'm sick and tired of seeing our people being nothing more than quotas to get the arrest numbers up.".....
See full article HERE

Propaganda:
Our Māori babies were failed by the State - who will make it right?

This Breaking Views Update monitors race relations in the media on a weekly basis. A summary of new material being added is emailed out during the week - to subscribe (or unsubscribe) to the mailout, please use the form at the top of the Breaking Views sidebar. If you would like to send Letters to the Editor in response to any of these articles, most media addresses can be found HERE 
 

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