The aim of the petition is two-fold.
First, advance a separatist Maori agenda.
Second, deny and devalue the role of the British Crown and Pakeha settlers in developing this nation.
Oh, and you can probably add a third. Junking the first article of the Treaty of Waitangi. The one that says that the Crown is in charge. The English version reads:
cede to Her Majesty the Queen of England absolutely and without reservation all the rights and powers of Sovereignty.
The Māori version is slightly different – but only slightly. That is translated as:
give absolutely to the Queen of England for ever the complete government [kawanatanga] over their land.
Pretty clear. As clear as New Zealand being the country’s name. The one that the entire world knows us by. The one chosen by a Dutch cartographer in 1646, anglicised by the Brits, and implicitly accepted by the Māori signatories to the Treaty in 1840.
We are New Zealanders. Not Aotea-roans.
So how bizarre that in 2022 – attempts are underway to rename our nation, junk our history and denigrate our heritage. All in the name of … ah, there’s the question.
All in the name of separatism. A separatism that denies the role of the British government and generations of Pakeha settlers in developing this nation, making it First World, and then creating one of the best trading nations on this planet.
And how deeply ironic that the most amazing gift that those early Brits gave to Māori – a written language – is the vehicle for that separatism.
This latest attempt to divide, deny and denigrate.
Michael Laws is a former MP and Mayor and is now deputy chairman of the Otago Regional Council. He has hosted both radio and TV shows for Radio Pacific, Radio Live and SKY Television. This article was originally published by ThePlatform.kiwi and is published here with kind permission.
The Māori version is slightly different – but only slightly. That is translated as:
give absolutely to the Queen of England for ever the complete government [kawanatanga] over their land.
Pretty clear. As clear as New Zealand being the country’s name. The one that the entire world knows us by. The one chosen by a Dutch cartographer in 1646, anglicised by the Brits, and implicitly accepted by the Māori signatories to the Treaty in 1840.
We are New Zealanders. Not Aotea-roans.
So how bizarre that in 2022 – attempts are underway to rename our nation, junk our history and denigrate our heritage. All in the name of … ah, there’s the question.
All in the name of separatism. A separatism that denies the role of the British government and generations of Pakeha settlers in developing this nation, making it First World, and then creating one of the best trading nations on this planet.
And how deeply ironic that the most amazing gift that those early Brits gave to Māori – a written language – is the vehicle for that separatism.
This latest attempt to divide, deny and denigrate.
Michael Laws is a former MP and Mayor and is now deputy chairman of the Otago Regional Council. He has hosted both radio and TV shows for Radio Pacific, Radio Live and SKY Television. This article was originally published by ThePlatform.kiwi and is published here with kind permission.
8 comments:
Yes if they want to cancel hundreds of years of history and re-start a new tribal based country where white people are not wanted, then give us the option to get, by giving our british passports back. After watching the fun and patriotism at the queen's jubilee, i.would l would far rather live there anyway.
Imagine air nz changed to "aotearoa air" and all the other nightmares this would cause.
The last time I saw the queen was on a dune buggy on 90 mile beach but the reality is she's at the Chelsea Flower Show picking colourful petals, just like you Lawes in a completely different time & place - unrealistic about the composition of yesterday.
Absolutely dead right. It is not surprising that these greedy arrogant racists want the country and everything in it along with a new name. What is surprising however is the corruption by the media to further this horrific agenda and the willingness of the gullible public to not only believe anything, but to actually believe this will do them some good.
Right on Mr Michael
100% agree we are all New Zealanders and do not need this country given more reason to become racially divided. Those who wish to use Aoteoroa fine but history has given us this name for all to use and accepted with pride internationally …
Time this business of trying to split NZ into us & them stopped. When the Mosque tragedy happened it became ‘we are one’ remember this !
The question is … how do we stop all this apartheid nonsense taking over our homeland . Because everything we do and say will be branded either racism or hate speech
Time for a referendum.
The flag change didn't work. And neither will the name change.
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