You've got your two prime examples: Chloe Swarbrick and her outburst on Palestine, and Willie Jackson and his outburst on a potential vote over the Treaty.
The difference is one has an implied threat and the other doesn’t. Swarbrick should never have said what she said, it's inflammatory.
You have a responsibility as an elected member of Parliament to try and be at least a little bit moderate. But the upset is about her comments specifically, not what might come out of them because little, if anything, will come out of them.
You could argue she adds to the fear that Jews may be feeling right now. So yes, it's highly irresponsible and the fact she doesn’t apologise, or get it, makes it worse. But can I ask - what else do you expect?
But with Willie, and might I add that Debbie Ngarewa-Packer of Maori Party and Marama Davidson of the Greens might have suggested something similar, they are talking action.
"Civil disobedience five or ten times worse than the Springbok tour". Now, the trouble with that is that is a straight up-and-down threat.
There is no disguising what that is.
What we are actually talking about here is a vote, a referendum. A question for the people of this country as to how we deal with the Treaty.
The Treaty has been interpreted in a way by the previous Government that many don’t like. You could actually argue their treatment of the Treaty may well lead to the sort of result they fear, if it ever got put to a vote.
But that is the insidious thing, isn't it? It never got put to a vote. Things like He Puapua were secret, so have they dug their own grave.
Could it be different if they had been more inclusive? Either way the threat is against democracy. They don’t like democracy.
These are people to be feared. Not because they may hit the streets, but because they don’t want the rest of us to have a say and they hope before they hit the street they can scare us into submission.
Democracy thrives in sunlight free speech and the exchange of ideas, not anger, bitterness and fear.
But that is what they are selling.
Mike Hosking is a New Zealand television and radio broadcaster. He currently hosts The Mike Hosking Breakfast show on NewstalkZB on weekday mornings - where this article was sourced.
You could argue she adds to the fear that Jews may be feeling right now. So yes, it's highly irresponsible and the fact she doesn’t apologise, or get it, makes it worse. But can I ask - what else do you expect?
But with Willie, and might I add that Debbie Ngarewa-Packer of Maori Party and Marama Davidson of the Greens might have suggested something similar, they are talking action.
"Civil disobedience five or ten times worse than the Springbok tour". Now, the trouble with that is that is a straight up-and-down threat.
There is no disguising what that is.
What we are actually talking about here is a vote, a referendum. A question for the people of this country as to how we deal with the Treaty.
The Treaty has been interpreted in a way by the previous Government that many don’t like. You could actually argue their treatment of the Treaty may well lead to the sort of result they fear, if it ever got put to a vote.
But that is the insidious thing, isn't it? It never got put to a vote. Things like He Puapua were secret, so have they dug their own grave.
Could it be different if they had been more inclusive? Either way the threat is against democracy. They don’t like democracy.
These are people to be feared. Not because they may hit the streets, but because they don’t want the rest of us to have a say and they hope before they hit the street they can scare us into submission.
Democracy thrives in sunlight free speech and the exchange of ideas, not anger, bitterness and fear.
But that is what they are selling.
Mike Hosking is a New Zealand television and radio broadcaster. He currently hosts The Mike Hosking Breakfast show on NewstalkZB on weekday mornings - where this article was sourced.
8 comments:
Thank you - yes we have to keep on calling it out. Free speech for them - and free speech for us.
Cancellation by pro maori as we have known it has likely been considerably weakended by the election (which provided the means to express a contrary view without incurring). So maori are now advancing to their next te ao tikanga stage; blatant violence.
All these ones making big statements "threats" what have any of them ever achieved that made a real difference, if they manage to stir up enough of their same thinking rabble I say bring it on because a lot of worth while people who dont call themselves Maori have had a guts full and I know who will come out the best off.
Personally I think Jackson and his bunch of big mouths are "just like the barbers cat all p----s and wind."
ACT should fix the gun legislation first, then start the debate on treaty principles...
Sorry Mike.
But freedom of speech means that. Freedom of speech.
Not Freedom of speech but..... ie Mikes reaction to Chloe's speech.
As much as Chloe upset lots of people.
She was exercising her freedom of speech.
So as much as we can voice(freedom of speech) our disgust. We can not, in all conscience say she shouldn't be able to say what she said.
The same as Willie the mouth.
Neither were calling for violence. ie the one reason that free speech enthusiast believes crosses the line.
I think Chloe gave us a very clear view of her values, she is part of the Left leaning group that are very focused on the lefts visceral hatred of Jews.
For that I thank free speech and her unguarded stupidity. She may never recover from it.
If you ask me, in the Greens there is a competition to show how Leftist/Fascist they can be and she won.
Jackson also probably increased the chance for the referendum and I believe a significant chunk of the Maori electorate were unimpressed.
Violence is what he threatened, so lets see where it ends up with a referendum.
Before we voted for MMP, we should have read what was written on the tin..."Can of Worms..."(Open at your own risk)
Swarbrick, Jackson and Williams have certainly succeeded in frightening me.
How can people like these become parliamentarians? Te Pati have succeeded in turning the House into a circus with themselves as clowns in painted faces and cowboy hats. The Speaker supports the fun wearing a frill reminiscent of the wings pre-schoolchildren parade in the playground. But the Greens are not funny. Hopefully attracting environmentalists with a pseudo name they use it as a platform to reveal their twisted thinking and antagonistic ideas to try to bully any who disagree with them. Once were elected representatives following protocol and acting with dignity. Now half of them are unelected and making statements fomenting unrest and insecurity. They frighten me.
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