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Saturday, December 2, 2023

Breaking Views Update: Week of 26.11.23







Saturday December 2, 2023 

News:
Māori losing out in RMA rejection

An urban planning lecturer says the rights and interest of hapū and iwi will be shoved aside in the latest upheaval of resource management law.

Lena Henry from the University of Auckland says the Act was a significant improvement on the Resource Management Act, especially when it came to giving iwi and hapu the chance to manage interests within their own rohe.

“The repeals and the coalition government in its direction, it’s a real revisionist approach to the management of our resources,” she says......
See full article HERE

Kīngitanga and Ngāti Whātua play friendship card ahead of commemorations
The Kīngitanga and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei have acknowledged the connections each other has in central Auckland and comes as the Kīngitanga prepares to celebrate the 165th anniversary of the movement at Pukekawa, Auckland Domain.

The statement also confirms the events taking place at Pukekawa are a celebration of the Kīngitanga and not a claim for whenua.

“The Kiingitanga is not seeking to usurp the tangata whenua of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei in central Auckland.”....
See full article HERE

Coalition on collision course with UN reporting
One of the authors of the controversial He Puapua report says the new Government is going to have to front up to the United Nations early next year and show its scorecard on human and Indigenouse rights, eliminating racism, and the status of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

One of the items on the coalition’s action list for its first 100-days is to end any work on He Puapua, which was a discussion document on the consequences of the previous National Government’s decision to sign New Zealand up to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Bill Te Huia Hamilton, an advisor to the Iwi Chairs Forum, says even though Labour and now National have tried to bury the report, it won’t go away.....
See full article HERE

Neon pink whare a warm embrace
A full-size neon pink, crocheted wharenui, will go on display at Hamilton’s Waikato Museum from this Friday – completing three years of dedicated mahi by a Māori husband-and-wife team.

Artists Lissy Robinson-Cole and Rudi Robinson, created the wharenui – called Harikoa – from 5000 balls of multi-coloured wool, and inserted aluminium rods and polycarbonate sheets, to support the structure.....
See full article HERE

Propaganda:
The uncertainty around how much it would cost to rebrand government departments

Hapū breaks silence on David Seymour: ‘Don’t claim you are Ngāti Rēhia if you want to tutū with the Treaty

Smokefree cuts a death sentence

Coalition Agreements Between National, ACT And NZ First Signal The Need To Protect All Whānau Māori From Racist Attacks  

This Breaking Views Update monitors race relations in the media on a weekly basis. New material is added regularly. 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 December 1, 2023  

News: 
New govt set to scrap parts of Oranga Tamariki reform 
The new government is set to scrap a law that ensures Māori babies who are removed from unsafe homes remain in the care of their wider whānau.

An advocate has called the move cruel but Children's Minister Karen Chhour insists the changes have done more harm than good.

The law, section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act, was introduced to address the over-representation of Māori children in state care.

As of last year, more than two-thirds of the children in state care are Māori.....
See full article HERE

Iwi to fight 'Crown stupidity' repeal of Oranga Tamariki legislation
Waikato-Tainui will “use every means possible to fight” for its tamariki if the new Government goes ahead with its plan to remove Oranga Tamariki legislation reconnecting Māori children with their whānau.

The new coalition Government announced it will remove Section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 – introduced in 2019 after the controversial uplifts of pēpi Māori brought scandal to the agency – that seeks to ensure its commitment to Treaty of Waitangi obligations and prioritising the whakapapa of children in its care.

But incoming Minister for Children Karen Chhour has defended the repeal, saying it “creates a conflict between protecting the best interests of the child and race-based factors enshrined in 7AA” that could cause harm to children....
See full article HERE

Turia, Mair call for Māori leaders’ national hui to fight new government’s Treaty dumping
Whanganui iwi leaders Dame Tariana Turia and Ken Mair are calling for a national gathering of Māori leadership to articulate issues and find mechanisms to bring a systematic change that doesn’t see Māori remain “slaves within a foreign system that has been imposed upon them”.

The new government plans to review any current laws within New Zealand that have references to the Treaty of Waitangi and do away with Māori names within Crown entities and government departments. Mair says Māori must act and take a stand against this mad neoliberal economic system based on individualism and competitiveness.

“Our people need to stand up,” Mair says. “One of the thoughts yet to be worked through properly is really calling a national hui of all our Māori leadership, all those who believe the environment’s at stake, Whānau are at stake. And so there needs to be a forum where we can articulate the issues and find mechanisms to challenge and attack some of this behaviour that’s presently, obviously, within the new government.....
See full article HERE

Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr defends te reo Māori use
The central bank chief has defended its use of the Māori language in official communications as the new Government looks to roll back the use of the Indigenous language in the public sector.

Last week, the three parties in the new coalition Government signed agreements outline policies to roll back the use of Māori language and require all state agencies to primarily use English for their department names and communications.

Central bank Governor Adrian Orr said at a media conference following the bank’s monetary policy meeting it was proud of its Māori name "Te Putea Matua" and would continue to use it in addition to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ).

"Our embracing of Te Ao Māori has been about how we work together as opposed to what our mandate is and all our actions and activities are firmly anchored to our legal mandate."....
See full article HERE

Tauranga hapū Ngāi Te Ahi and Ngāti Hē: Welcome Bay reserve likely to be returned
Two Tauranga hapū will be able to reconnect with their whenua with reserve land likely to be returned to them.

Ngāi Te Ahi and Ngāti Hē are mana whenua of Te Pāhou Reserve/Hammond St Reserve in Welcome Bay.

The land was purchased by Tauranga City Council in 1982 and since 2000 the hapū have asked for the council to consider returning ownership to them.

Te Pāhou contains an urupā and is a highly significant cultural heritage site with historical, spiritual, and ancestral values.....
See full article HERE

Articles:
David Farrar: Hysterical bullsh*t

Propaganda:
When it comes to the Treaty principles, David Seymour is right about one thing

Te Pāti Māori co-leader says smokefree reversal is 'systemic genocide'

Why Māori and Pacific quotas at medical school are essential

Coalition government has unleashed ‘multi-headed taniwha’

Divisions the plan says Hipkins

John Tamihere: What a new government means for Māori

Sykes optimistic as coalition spews anti-Māori policies

Māori caucus ready for attack – Jackson  

Thursday November 30, 2023  

News: 
Tuatara Terrace? Pīwakawaka Parade? New Whanganui street names policy could be on the way 
New roads in Whanganui could soon be named after native animals or plants.

The change is being recommended by Whanganui District Council officers, who also want to include the naming of parks and reserves and a road naming panel in a new policy.

Current themes for road naming are traditional or appropriate Māori names, historical people or events, a significant geographical or topographical feature and “a personal name for special service”.....
See full article HERE

Te Poutama Māori grants for Humanities
Te Kete Aronui Division of Humanities received three of the six annual Te Poutama Māori Advancing Research Collaboration Grants.

Have received support for projects spanning the use of te reo in tertiary learning, Māori perspectives in multispeces justice and moko kauae traditions.

Te Poutama Māori is the collective representative body of Māori academic staff at the University of Otago. These grants support the development or strengthening of research collaborations specific to Māori researchers and research.....
See full article HERE

Policies a threat to treaty partnership
Waikato-Tainui executive chair Tukoroirangi Morgan says the present Government as the most racist in this county’s history – and Māori won’t lie down and take it.

“At the heart of it is nationhood. This is an attack on the constitutional fabric of the treaty that guarantees us rights as a meaningful partner, as a real and authentic partner in the political process and also the life of this country,” Mr Morgan says.....
See full article HERE

The cost of de-Māorifying public sector names
On Newshub’s count, there are 27 organisations that fit the Coalition Agreement's promise to "Ensure all public service departments have their primary name in English, except those specifically related to Māori".

Most of these organisations have spent thousands of taxpayer dollars in recent times (and many public servants’ work hours) adding Te Reo Māori to their names or making their name completely Te Reo Māori.

Heres a list of the recent rebranded organisations and their associated cost if available. It’s not known whether changing them back or removing Te Reo Māori will cost the same, more, or less.......
See full article HERE

Articles:
Bruce Moon: Historypunk

Murray Reid: Complaint to News Hub

Coalition Deals – Dr Muriel Newman.

Propaganda:
A young, browner future for NZ

So it's Māori signage that's been ruining our roads and our health

Boris Sokratov: The impact of the politics on the future of Māori will have long-lasting effects

Māori experts on the new Government and possibility of a referendum

We’re done with being asked to justify our ‘privilege’

Māori atheism on the rise: the legacy of colonisation is driving a decline in traditional Christian beliefs

Māori will die to fund tax cuts  

Wednesday November 29, 2023 

News: 
Foreshore and seabed - Govt set to overturn Court of Appeal judgment 
One of the early battlegrounds of the new Coalition Government is set to focus on the foreshore and seabed law.

The three parties of government have agreed to legislate against a recent Court of Appeal judgment on customary title to the foreshore and seabed.

Essentially, the Court of Appeal judgment issued on October 18 changed the law passed by Parliament and will make it easier for iwi and hapu to have customary title recognised by the courts.

As a result of the coalition agreement, the Government will pass a law overturning that part of the judgment and return the criteria for customary title to the tougher one passed by Parliament.....
See full article HERE

Winston Peters makes false claim Government bribed media just after becoming Deputy PM
The Coalition Government takes force from Monday and has promised to cut the use of Māori across the public service. But it was National and ACT that passed the 2016 law urging the public service to use Te Reo in the first place.

Aotearoa's native tongue was weaved throughout the ceremony, but with a new administration comes a change of direction - and a backward step in terms of te reo Māori.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Te Reo is fantastic and "we want to encourage people to use more Te Reo".....
See full article HERE

Double Cabinet session as Luxon sets cracking pace
Cabinet will meet both tomorrow and Wednesday to firm up the coalition’s 100 day plan of action.

Ministers were sworn in at government House this morning, with Tama Pōtaka from National and Shane Jones from NZ First taking the oath in te reo Māori.

New Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says items like removing te reo names from state sector agencies and introducing ACT’s Treaty of Waitangi Principles Bill will probably have to wait for next year.

“Our number one job is to fix the economy......
See full article HERE

Waikato councils get coalition curveball over Māori wards
At least nine Waikato Councils will face uncertainty over the future of Māori seats as changes brought by the new coalition government become clear.

Under the coalition deal electors would again be able to force a referendum on proposed or established Māori seats at councils, with those already established without them up for review.

But there’s deep concern from local Māori leaders and councillors at the switch back.

The move is a return to pre-2021 rules under which a referendum on a council decision to introduce Māori wards or constituencies was required if 5% of voters demanded one.

That had been scrapped by Labour which saw referenda as an “insurmountable barrier” to improving Māori representation in local government.....
See full article HERE

Tough three years ahead for Māori and the coalition government, Tuku Morgan
Waikato-whānui leader and Chair of Te Arataura Tuku Morgan says its going to be a tough three years ahead for Māori as they bare the brunt of coalition government policies that dial back the clock on 50 years of hard fought for gains.

As part of the coalition agreement the parties will remove co-governance from the delivery of public services.

Morgan says removing co-governance arrangements is a smokescreen for a much bigger agenda.

“It is there to erode every smidgeon of progress of successful initiatives that goes to the heart of developing a much more resiliant Māori population.” says Morgan.

He says that while Māori will find the next three years tough so too will the coalition-government. After speaking with Iwi leaders around the motu and Māori across a number of private and business sectors, he’s confident there will be a united push back on any attempts to roll over the top of Māori......
See full article HERE

ACEM congratulates Christopher Luxon and NZ Coalition on the formation of new government
While ACEM looks forward to further dialogue on health-related matters with Minister Reti, it is disappointed at the decision to disestablish Te Aka Whai Ora/the Māori Health Authority, as initially specified by the Nationals’ 100-Day Action Plan, and now adopted by the new Coalition.

The College strongly supports equitable health outcomes and access to culturally safe and responsive health spaces for Māori staff and patients, and believes the Authority’s disestablishment will not support achieving those goals, and hamper the health sector’s efforts to meet Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligations. ACEM will continue to advocate for safe, equitable and effective healthcare on behalf of Māori staff and patients.....
See full article HERE

Charter schools back on the books by 2025 and David Seymour will keep the name kura hourua
Kura hourua will retain its Māori name in spite of the coalition government seeking to remove te reo from public service agencies.

“We haven’t made a decision on the name but I think kura hourua is a wonderful name.”

“It represents the Crown and the operator of the kura and the two hulls of the waka.” said Seymour.....
See full article HERE

Applications open for new 12.8 million fund supporting iwi and hapū freshwater aspirations
Te Mātāpuna o Te Wai is presented by Te Pou Taiao. The funding package was secured from the Ministry for the Environment as part of the Essential Freshwater Fund to support a range of initiatives in relation to Te Mana o te Wai.

The Grant will be delivered with support from Te Wai Māori Trust and Poipoia Ltd, who are responsible for administering, managing and distributing funds....
See full article HERE

Propaganda:
No doubt now that anti-Māori sentiment powered the election result  

Tuesday November 28, 2023 

News: 
Some Kiwis don’t understand Māori agency names - Luxon 
Speaking to Breakfast, the incoming prime minister said having English first on government agencies will "make sure" people “understand” what agencies are and what they do.

Luxon said the agreement between his coalition to change government agency names to English first is just a "small part" of the overall arrangement.

"All of our public services have added a huge amount of bureaucracy over the last six years and actually haven’t been delivering improved outcomes for New Zealanders.....
See full article HERE

Shane Jones slams 'marginal, cultural-driven distractions'
Jones said efforts should be spent on fixing roads rather than on "marginal, cultural-driven distractions".

He said Waka Kotahi will be called the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) under the incoming government.

Asked if the agency shouldn't be left to focus on repairing roads rather than having to change its name, Jones said: "I can tell you what, NZTA is sadly saddled down with all sorts of obligations to deal with hapū and urupā and a host of other marginal issues.

"I speak the language, all of my children speak the language, but we don't turn it into a religion. We don't turn it into an obligation for every Pākehā CEO or member of the bureaucracy to learn a pepeha, learn a karakia when day-to-day, when they're not in their bureaucratic jobs, that's not how they live.

"I want people to go to work and deliver robust outcomes," Jones added....
See full article HERE

Professor Margaret Mutu | Spokesperson for the National Iwi Chair
Spokesperson for the National Iwi Chairs, Professor Margaret Mutu, says “the new government’s proposals discriminate against whānau Māori and violate Te Tiriti o Waitangi.” “They’re behaving as though they have all the rights and obligations under Tiriti, and the work plan disregards the Rangatiratanga of the Tiriti partner.”.....
See full article HERE

No details yet on removal of te reo Māori from government agencies
Details on exactly which public service agencies will have te reo names removed, how it will be done and to what extent is yet to be formalised by the new coalition government.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says the new government is encouraging more people to use te reo, but the coalition agreement signed between National and NZ First requires public service departments and crown entities to communicate primarily in te reo Pākehā. All those specifically related to Māori are unaffected.....
See full article HERE

Winston Peters defines ‘woke virtue signalling’, invokes Dame Whina Cooper in Treaty approach
Peters was asked if he thought race relations in New Zealand would strengthen, given policies agreed to under the new coalition Government around removing references to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and Act’s policy for a referendum on the issue in its first stages - something new Prime Minister Christopher Luxon himself has called divisive.

“They’ll be based on thing called equality,” he said, before referencing Cooper and her Land March in 1975 that he said he was involved in.

“She said in 1990 that we signed the Treaty so that we could have a country where everybody was equal. That’s always going to be the Treaty.”....
See full article HERE

New government wants to erase Māori – Waititi
“This government wants to remove all trace of us as Māori,” Waititi told Te Ao News. “Our language, our place as tangata whenua, our efforts to improve Māori health and include cultural considerations within Oranga Tamariki. It also wants to wipe out what our ancestors envisaged through the Treaty of Waitangi.”...
See full article HERE

Iwi and council join forces as government signals cuts to co-governance
South Taranaki's iwi and council have drawn up a new partnership agreement just as the new coalition government plans to take an axe to co-governance.....
See full article HERE

Articles:
JC: Let’s Get This Maori Thing Straight

David Farrar: Luxon is absolutely right

Is there going to be a referendum? The Treaty Principles Bill explained

Propaganda:
Māori leader puts pathway to intergenerational healing on map at UN summit

Why redefining the Treaty principles would undermine real political equality in NZ

Tukoroirangi Morgan: We will mobilise against ‘racist’ policies of incoming Government  

Monday November 27, 2023 

News: 
Colonisation good for Māori says newly appointed Treaty Negotiations Minister 
The member of parliament who says colonisation was good for Māori because it brought literacy, freedom and democracy is the newly elected Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations.

Paul Goldsmith the National list member MP for Epsom made the declaration in an opinion piece in 2019. He doubled-down on the comment in an interview with Newshub in 2021

In an extensive one-on-one interview with Newshub in 2021, Paul Goldsmith said, “The reality is, that New Zealand was isolated from the rest of the world for centuries which happened in the 19th century which was always going to be traumatic experience.

“With it came all sorts of wonderful things such as literacy the freedoms and democracy that have come through so there’s good and bad.

When pressed again about whether colonisation was good for Māori he stated, “I think on balance it has been yes.”....
See full article HERE

Councillor defends his right to address meeting
The South Wairarapa District Council [SWDC] mayor was unsuccessful in limiting a councillor’s comments at a meeting last week.

The issue arose when Councillor Alistair Plimmer asked to read a statement during the discussion about a Māori ward, and Mayor Martin Connelly initially objected, citing standing order procedures.

After a discussion, Councillor Martin Bosley proposed a motion to set aside the standing orders, which would pave the way for Plimmer to read his full statement.

That motion was passed unanimously by the council, and Plimmer then read the statement.

Plimmer said after the meeting he thought the attempt to stop him speaking was “appalling”.

“That right to speak was unanimously voted on by the other councillors.”....
See full article HERE

Articles:
Whose Treaty is it anyway? National-led government takes two-stage approach to changing Treaty politics

Roger Childs: Tereofication

Propaganda:
Tihei: Rangatahi use ancient pūrākau to strengthen leadership skills

Photography project shares stories of kaumātua experiences of language and culture 

Sunday November 26, 2023  

News: 
Incoming government to change branding to English and repeal Treaty clauses 
The incoming government says it will make departments use English branding and scale back the ability of the courts to consider Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The coalition agreements between National, ACT and NZ First included about a dozen promises related to Crown-Māori relations. These policies were widespread, but generally promised reform of the New Zealand legal system and public service, impacting everything from the courts, to government branding, to the provision of health and social services.....
See full article HERE

Justin Tipa elected new Ngāi Tahu chair
Justin Tipa is the newly elected kaiwhakahaere (chair) of Te Rūnanga Ngāi Tahu.

His appointment follows Friday’s election at a tribal hui at Arahura Marae near Hokitika, the iwi said.

Tipa, who has represented Te Rūnanga o Moeraki on the tribal council for the past two years, replaces Lisa Tumahai who stepped down after seven years in the role.....
See full article HERE

David Seymour says ACT's Bill on Treaty of Waitangi will 'increase mana'
Despite not getting a referendum over the line, the ACT Party reached a deal with National and NZ First to get a Bill on the principles on the Treaty of Waitangi to the first reading.

That would "allow people to have a say about our Treaty principles", Seymour added.

Hang on a minute, debating the principles of the Treaty actually increases the mana of the Treaty because we're finally talking about it democratically."....
See full article HERE

Less te reo and fewer Treaty clauses under new government
The incoming government says it will make departments use English branding and scale back the ability of the courts to consider Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The coalition agreements between National, ACT and NZ First included about a dozen promises related to Crown-Māori relations. These policies were widespread, but generally promised reform of the New Zealand legal system and public service, impacting everything from the courts, to government branding, to the provision of health and social services....
See full article HERE

Articles:
Bruce Moon: Constant Dripping Wears away a Stone - the Claire Charters Example

Propaganda:
Multiculturalism in a time of war  

This Breaking Views Update monitors race relations in the media on a weekly basis. New material is added regularly. If you would like to send Letters to the Editor in response to any of these articles, most media addresses can be found HERE

5 comments:

Robert Arthur said...

re 26th. Quite the most cheering reading of this column for years.

Anonymous said...

Good on luxon for stating the obvious.. A guy from wales who has lived in nz a few years told me that i was not a nzer. He said I was actually someone who was living in someone else's country, meaning that nz is the maori's country. That's what he has been taught. Nothing about how we never had race separation here in the past, that the settlers built the cities and roads ot that the settlers saved the maori from extinction. Oh no. None of the real history matters or is being taught to new arrivals, clearly.




Robert Arthur said...

How incredibly trite and common the initial Wanganui street names will seem. In most cases no specific connection with the area. When the namers get into their stride it will be multi syllable obscure metaphoric names with few sufficently brave to criticise and incur cancellation.
U.p. Mprgan is quick to brand the new govt as racist yet failed to trumpet the blatantly race based aspect of policies of the previous .
I resume the costs of coversion to te reo comprised largely consultants, iwi advisers etc noe of which will be ncessary for reversion to plain non metaphoric English so the cost will be small. Most of the hours of staff time involved was presumably just absorbed without separate account. Compared with the enormous savings of time and confudion in the wider commubity (including maori) teh reversion cots will be nothing.

robert Arthur said...

Re 1st. Maori will severely oppose removal of the requirement for Oranga Tamariki to place maori children in maori "care". The reason is that other placings often lead to excellen toutcomes and the resultant statistics reflect on te ao/tikanga. My concernis is for non maori care givers who succeed but who later will likely be ostacised if the cared for child is later seduced into maoridom and brainwashed in the current anti colonist mantra.

And I always did seriously doubt the judgement of Adrian Orr. What embracing te reo has to do with his job is beyond me. Maori had not progressed to having money so there is no heritage aspect. Possibly he considers his salary excessive for just his stipualted job (which could be likely done by AI)

robert Arthur said...

re 2nd. The Kingitanga vs Ngati Whatua and background worth a read. I am not sure what Te Matatini was or is but the general goings on and photos should interest John Oliver if not the local msm. I wonder if anyone has ever steered him to a typical maori challenge (although, being in the USA, the physiques may not bemuse as they do me).