The irony is; it was not Labour who opened the floodgates
which have seen a tsunami of claims. It was National.
Labour now faces increasing hostility and blame for “Maorification” (1) of the country. Whereas twelve months ago, a few were lone voices, today things have changed.
A torrent of outrage now emerges as people who once were too
afraid of being labelled a racist to oppose anything Maori, no longer feel that
impediment and openly express their distaste for being force fed Maori through
media sponsored by government and their children being force fed a language
which many regard as being worthless outside a marae.
As Hon Dr Bassett comments on the Public Interest Journalism
Fund (2) established by
Labour:
“Stuff received $300,000 to establish a “cultural competency
course”. To encourage Maori TV, NZME, Pacific Media, News hub and support
partners to take on journalism cadets who are Maori or Pacific, a cool $2.4
million was handed out. NZME that produces the New Zealand Herald got $440,000.
One estimate I’ve seen is that 40% of the total beneficence will go to Maori
projects.”
The current initiatives by Jacinda’s team to elevate Maori
above all other cultures which contribute to the makeup of New Zealand (3), now provide propulsion pushing
the political pendulum away from Labour.
A particular point of conflict focuses on some 200 claims by
Maori to ownership of the foreshore and seabed.
The irony of the land grab however, by my assessment, falls
squarely at the feet of former Prime Minister Rt Hon Sir John Key and his
Attorney General Chris Finlayson.
It was the National government of 2011 which overturned the
protection against Maori land grab which had been provided by Prime Minister
Helen Clark’s Labour government in 2004 when parliament passed the Foreshore
and Seabed Act which deemed the title to be held by the Crown.
Helen Clark made it clear to the then Chief Justice Sian
Elias, following the latter’s speculative commentary about the sanctity of Maori
Customary law, that the ultimate law-making body in New Zealand was its
sovereign parliament.
Helen Clark’s protection was repealed and replaced by
National’s John Key via the Marine and Coastal Area Act 2011.
Another irony to emerge, is that whereas a growing
majority of traditional National party voters begin to resist the current
government tsunami of elevating Maori above “the rest” (4) of New Zealand, the power which has been vested
in Labour to embark on this “crusade”, falls squarely at the feet of the
thousands of traditional Tory voters who abandoned National at the last
election.
The fact that hard core traditional National seats across
the country (including my former electorate where I had a 4,000 majority) went
RED! That was another tsunami.
I suspect the reason behind most National deserting the fold,
was a vote against a pitiful performance by National post John Key and in the
run up to the last General Election. I was one such deserter.
The irony of MMP.
Ostensibly MMP would provide moderation against rule by one Party
alone, under the First Past the Post system.
As the mathematician on my Hobson electorate correctly
calculated when in 1994 I formed the first political party under MMP (and for
several months formed the first coalition since the 1930ies and held the
balance of power), (5)
only in the most unusual circumstances would MMP ever deliver one Party the
power to rule alone under MMP.
The irony is that the system of MMP gifted Jacinda, the
power to rule alone.
Yet another irony is that the MMP system, promoted by Rod
Donald and supported by Hon Jim Anderton, was grasped by former National Prime
Minister Jim Bolger as a policy pledge in 1993 and delivered in time for the
1996 election.
The final irony in this review is that Labour Prime
Ministers Rt Hon David Lange and Rt Hon Helen Clark, both rejected claims that the
Treaty created a, “partnership between Maori and the Crown” and made it clear
the that democratically elected Parliament is the ultimate forum where laws are
made.
This irony is compounded by the opinions of Hon
Richard Prebble and Hon Dr Michael Bassett; two former senior Labour government
Ministers of the Crown; the later also being an esteemed historian academic who
consistently speaks out against the trend to impose Maori Customary law above
Statutory Law.
Yet, here we have an incumbent Labour government which
forces the culture of one ethnic group of many which make up New Zealand, onto other cultures via media
outlets which take government funding to promulgate their policies. (6)
The tragedy for Labour would be if the precedent of
Austria Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (7) who stepped down after pressure triggered by a corruption
scandal in that he used government money to ensure positive coverage in a
tabloid newspaper, might be relevant in Labour’s case, or merely irony.
The tragedy for National would be that they fail to
step up and state their policy on matters raised herein and ironically wonder
why their traditional voter strength has gone to ACT or NZ First.
References:
(1) https://breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/2021/10/hugh-perrett-open-letter-to-government.html(2) https://breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/2021/09/michael-bassett-media-greedies.html
(3) https://www.nzcpr.com/a-step-too-far-bi-cultural-partnership/
(4) Ibid
(5) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Zealand_Conservative_Party
(6) https://breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/2021/09/michael-bassett-media-greedies.html
(7) https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-58856796
10 comments:
Actually, many of us have been speaking up about this for quite a while. Unfortunately, politicians do not read the comments of ordinary Kiwis.
I have never been afraid to be labelled racist. It is a completely meaningless word unless taken in it's true context. It is not racist to require all people to be treated equally.
I totally agree about National being responsible. They did not need to sign up to UNDRIP. They chose to do it. National have lost their way. I would be very surprised if they are the next government or even the next main opposition. It is not a leadership issue. It is policy issues.
Muriel is the person who has drawn peoples attention to these issues not the National Party. As politicians, they must have been pretty naive not to know this separatism was going on. This tells me they were fine with this until people started speaking out in protest. So there is no sincerity there.
Also our "journalists" will probably get on the bandwagon when the protests become more vocal. Where are these peoples integrity?
I also wrote to Stuart Crosby. Ex mayor of Tauranga, now head of local government I believe. What a disappointment he has turned out to be.
We need more important decisions made by referendum. The people must have more say.
Another irony Ross, is that we have a government obsessed with furthering Maori ahead of everyone else in all things, under the misplaced notion that doing so will right a whole raft of supposed past wrongs and make NZ a "fairer" country.
That couldn't be further from the truth, literally. They have re-written The Treaty, re-written NZ history, corrupted NZ common law principles, bought off the media, ensured guaranteed Maori representation on councils, legislated a separate Health Authority with veto, plan to give control of all water to Maori, and continue to encourage endless unsubstantiated grievance claims via the Waitangi Tribunal.
The irony for all to see, except the Maori elite and non-Maori woke academics, media and politicians, is that this will do more to ruin race relations than anything before it.
It's criminal but that's what you get when you "elect" zealots, dreamers and self-serving racists.
The irony is that it is only 19 days to the 181st anniversary of Queen Victoria’s Royal Charter/Letters Patent dated the 16 November 1840 ratified that Sovereignty had been legally and morally obtained by Great Britain over all the Islands of New Zealand. This was recognised and accepted by the rest of the world ever since.
The Treaty of Waitangi was an agreement between “tangata Maori” and Queen Victoria for Britain to gain sovereignty over the Islands of New Zealand.
Queen Victoria’s Royal Charter/Letters Patent was our ‘true’ Founding Document and ‘first’ Constitution that set up our Political and Justice systems under one law for all.
If the Government continues to use the Treaty of Waitangi as our Founding Document and not the Royal Charter/Letters Patent we will never solve our racial and social problems, the Treaty will continue to drive a wedge between the people of New Zealand.
The people of New Zealand have been misled by their Politicians and Governments since the 1975 Treaty of Waitangi Act and the apartheid Waitangi Tribunal it created. Introduced by a sycophantic Labour government.
So when are you going back to lead the New Conservative Party Ross?
Actually Terry,
The matter is being discussed now - has been for a few months - and obstacles well recognized by those inside 'the tent'.
Profile candidates is one issue.
Money is the big issue.
Philosophy easier - sort of along the lines:
Parliament is ultimate authority
Preservation of the democratic process
Every ethnic culture equal before the law
Preservation of private property
Prioritize private sector commercial enterprise and employment provider
Something along those lines - gotta get the words right and others will have their input.
And, too early to run just yet.
Another irony is the fact that any changes that come about that favour Maori will to little to benefit the common Maori who lives next door.
The Maori tribal system does not operate like a democracy (like we used to have) but is a strong hierachial system
As a result, those at the bottom tier of the system get little or no benefit.
They could be likened to "foot soldiers" and are the only ones we see and the only ones blamed for apparent wrongs.
All of the reparations made for apparent wrongs made 175 years have not been of any help apart from select few in the maori community.
Interviewed by the press in August 1962 after addressing the Kaikohe Rotary Club, Dr Paewai the well-known Maori leader and chairman of the Kaikohe and District Advice and Guidance Council suggested that the Maori were their own worst enemies. Problems facing the Maori people were mostly a result of the Welfare State, the segregation caused by the continuance of Maori schools and multitudinous handouts.
He added, that Maori had reached a stage in their development when spoon feeding should cease. The Maori had caught up with the pakeha and should be taught, as the Pakeha had already learned, but one must live by one’s own efforts.
“We must cease these handouts and that is where I am afraid the Maori Education Foundation might fall down,” he said. He added, the Maori are so used to accepting assistance that they are continually looking for it. They must be taught, like the Pakeha has already learned, that he must work for what he gets.
He said he knew of Maori families living in the countryside around Kaikohe who refuse to take advantage of the free dental treatment for their children “because they have to pay bus fares”.
“This is all wrong and has arisen because we have given the Maori cause to expect everything for nothing. I agree with the idea that Maori living standards need raising but there must be other more desirable methods than free handouts and an education foundation”
Dr Paewai said he did not think that the Maori Education Foundation would work as it would be very difficult to administer. “If it is to be for the Maori people only, then we are buying nothing but trouble,” he added. As yet there has been no definite policy or plan outlined for the administration of the foundation.
“Apart from the land problem of the Maori people – and this is a terrific one – there is no Maori problem until we start making one; until we stop making excuses for the Maori; until we start letting him off this and that and giving him the opportunity of taking advantage of the present social standards and system” Dr Paewai concluded.
Often wondered why John Key resigned all of a sudden....perhaps he could see it coming....captain abandoning a sinking ship. Jacinda doing the same with her trip to Europe I think. Perhaps having talks about her UN acceptance.
Ross, it seems you have overlooked the fact, the National Government is to blame for all this.
In 2007, Prime Minister, Hon Helen Clarke asked the Crown Law Office if the Labour Government should sign the Declaration on the Right of Indigenous People. The Crown Law Office advised not to sign it as New Zealand Government did not have a definition of the indigenous people of New Zealand. It also contradicted the Treaty of Waitangi and our Constitution of one flag and one law, irrespective of race colour or creed. The law that has been in our Constitution since Queen Victoria’s Royal Charter/Letters Patent came into force in New Zealand on 3 May 1841.
But on the 19 April 2010, Prime Minister John Key sent the Minister of Maori Affairs, Hon Pita Sharples to New York to sign the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People without a mandate from the people of New Zealand or consulting with the Crown Law Office, who had advised the Labour Government in 2007, not to sign it.
The National Government cannot blame the Labour Party for the Maori Party forcing, “A Partnership with the Crown, Three Waters or He Puapua”. The National Government gave Maori the power to use the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of the Indigenous People to share power with the Government when the Crown Law Office had advised the government not to sign it in 2007 and nothing caused the Crown Law Office to change its mind by 2010, but John Key went ahead and signed it, to get the Maori Party on side!
Hon Pita Sharples then misled/lied to the United Nations, “That Maori hold a distinct and special status as the indigenous people or tangata whenua of New Zealand”.
How can Maori hold a distinct and special status as the indigenous people of New Zealand when the government has no forensic evidence or even a definition of who are the indigenous people of New Zealand? The National Party must admit this lie by Hon Pita Sharples to the United Nations immediately.
How could we ever trust another National Government when they allowed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People to be signed without a mandate from the people or legal advice from the Crown Law Office and then hid our true Founding Document and first Constitution. This allowed the Maori Party, with the help of the United Nations to force the Labour Party to share power when there is no evidence that they are the Indigenous people, or tangata whenua of New Zealand.
Therefore Judith, admit John Key stuffed up and fix it, NOW!
Prepared by Ross Baker. 1/11/21 (Copyright)
Guillaume
Your presentation of Dr Paewai is the attitude I was exposed to growing up as a juvenile in Northland. I have Maori pedigree, as does Winston who went to same school me same time and as does Clem Simich - a few years earlier but same region.
As a penned in https://www.nzcpr.com/a-step-too-far-bi-cultural-partnership/
"From an unstable childhood and failing school cert, I am now a Master’s university graduate with two and half degrees; a 9-year term Member of Parliament and Under Secretary; formerly a commissioned officer in the police – inspector, and who has carried the infamy of Red Squad as a poisoned chalice; currently Honorary Consul for an African state; Trustee and CEO of substantial absentee Russian owned commercial assets in NZ and have my own international business interests.
This odyssey included a crippling 12-month of depression my mid-fifties (not uncommon for males) precipitated by the Scampi Affair.(6)
From the same backyard as me and of Maori Croatian heritage, Hon Clem Simich Llb made it. Police; real estate; parliament and cabinet minister.
From the same school as me and of Maori Scottish heritage, Rt Hon Winston Peters Llb made it from a rural Northland.
It can be done without special treatment of State support and protection."
As with me, neither Winston nor Clem would claim silver spoons lined their pathways to success.
Dr Paewai was right on the mark. Success can be achieved without state welfare but the more state welfare handed out the less inclined are recipients likely to strive.
Some great comments here, & finally, putting the blame where it belongs for he-puapua etc, right at the feet of probably our worst Prime Minister, apart from the current one, John Key, the U.N puppet. I have always considered it, an insult to my many friends & associates of Maori descent, that they are constantly singled out, & basically told that they are inferior beings who cannot manage without government intervention. We must move forward together, or we will not move forward at all..
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