We should all express a vote of thanks to Metiria Turei for her commentary in the ODT 19th April. In her opinion piece on discrimination against Maori, Ms Turei illustrates wonderfully well just how correct one of the world greatest thinkers - Tom Sowell is with his observation, that “people who have been placed in a privileged position for a period of time, see any withdrawal of privilege as discrimination”.
Barriers to Maori
representation in local government had been dismantled by the previous
Government she breathlessly exclaims and have now been replaced by the old law
which requires a council to hold a binding referendum if Maori wards are to be
implemented. Please remind us all, Ms Turei - which particular barriers do you
refer to that precludes Maori from being
elected to Local Government?
It may well
be of interest to Ms Turei that some Maori men were entitled to vote as early
as 1853, and all Māori men in 1867. Maori men
were entitled to vote as communal landowners, unlike Europeans who needed (at that time )
to hold land as individuals before being eligible to vote. This was 12 years before all men of European heritage were allowed the vote as they were not
landowners. Maori were given four wards as the Crown was very keen to reward the
Māori tribes who fought alongside the Crown in the 1860s New Zealand wars. All
Maori men were entitled to vote as communal
landowners, unlike Europeans who needed (at
that time ) to hold land as individuals before being eligible to vote. Fast
forward to recent events.
In 2021 the then Labour Government
decided to change the law that
specifically required a referendum to allow for the creation of new Maori
wards. Under the Ardern labour
Government, Maori wards could be created as of right by a simple majority decision of councillors, The Labour government - fully supported by
the Greens, publicly notified the proposal that no referendum was to be necessary if councils alone thought it was
appropriate to have Maori wards. So, in
2022 the law was changed to allow councils
to unilaterally create Maori wards . The new National led government wants to
revert back to a referendum process before any new exclusive wards can be
created - which most would see as
democracy in action. It is that process to which Ms Turei strenuously objects.
Ms Turei refers to the old law as racist;
possibly because it treated all races
equally. Her account of why the law was changed
recently is disingenuous. The creation of new Local Government wards has
always been based on population growth in an attempt to balance out the number of
representatives deemed to be needed in a
given area. The growth of Queenstown, Wanaka ,Cromwell for example has been
exponential compared to the towns of Balclutha, Clinton and Milton so it is reasonable
to assume the number of existing representatives, requires to be adjusted from time to time to reflect that reality. In
no way does the ethnicity of council members have any relevance in their
ability to stand and be elected. Dunedin has in recent times had successful mayors
of Indian and Chinese heritage along with Pacific Island councillors who don’t seem to find the barriers that Ms Turia finds lurking in every corridor
of local authorities. Having one vote does not appear to be a problem to any
one with the exception of Ms Turei who
appears to forget that she was elected to parliament under the Green banner and
not the Maori party who exclusively benefit
from designated seats.
There is
also the long standing problem of what is euphemistically called consultation
by councils or indeed by government concerning representation on
councils and most other issues. Consultation is now generally accepted as
simply councils or political party’s displaying their wares ; it’s called window
dressing with no price tag displayed. Sometimes
with the occasional dummy or two on display
as well.
Ms Turei is
entirely correct in her statement that “legislation that intentionally discriminates
a specific group of people based on their ethnicity is racist”. That same principle unequivocally applies
also to any privilege being entrenched, based
on race.
Gerry Eckhoff is a former councillor on the Otago Regional Council and MP.
7 comments:
No one with a brain cell connected to reality should listen let alone believe what Ms Turei has to say about anything.
This person stole from the MSD, period.
People have been jailed for the exact same thing she did, period.
This person is not a fit person for either the role she had nor the role she now fills.
I feel very sorry for the poor students whose lectures she gives that they have to take.
Māori Wards were created at the behest of N Mahuta when a member of the Labour government. The same Mahuta who chose to ignore the 87,000 individuals who made submissions to her bill on 3 Waters. I would want this on my CV.
They, the more recently-defined 'elite', breathe different air.
Thomas Sowell - truly a legend. Metiria Tureri is the antithesis, and not one worthy to read about or follow.
Another great saying of Sowell's: "A society that puts equality — in the sense of equality of outcome — ahead of freedom will end up with neither equality nor freedom. The use of force to achieve equality will destroy freedom, and the force, introduced for good purposes, will end up in the hands of people who use it to promote their own interests.
And to relay what someone told him which also seems apt: "Give a man a fish and he will ask for tartar sauce and French fries! Moreover, some politician who wants his vote will declare all these things to be among his 'basic rights'"
“Racism occurs wherever a group of people with an ethnocentric membership base creates or colonises a system to afford themselves separate, different, or superior rights on the basis of group membership”—Peter Hemmingson
“People tend to emphasise the colour of their skin when the content of their character is singularly lacking”—Peter Hemmingson
Turek didn't tell "porkies" she told lies.
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