Imagine going onto a marae and as the karanga (call) begins, blasting a trumpet to announce your arrival. Or, as the warrior presents the wero (challenge) you give him a friendly smack on the back, say ‘good on you mate’ and carry on to the front door of the meeting house. Then once inside, proceed to start your oration before the hosts have welcomed you.
We would never do that.
The reason is simple – it not tikanga or protocol. It is also not particularly polite and in fact, would be downright disrespectful.
In recent days however, Parliament’s Assistant Speaker, Maureen Pugh, is under fire from some quarters for not letting guests in the public gallery give speeches. In this case, a treaty settlement had just completed and as has become an accepted convention, a waiata was sung. Those in the gallery then began to give speeches and the Assistant Speaker shut them down. This is entirely appropriate. The public have never – and are never – allowed to speak from the public gallery of parliament. It might be lost on critics, but only members of parliament speak in Parliament. It’s a rather simple concept really.
Now the critics are the usual suspects - the Maori Party and the likes of Willy Jackson in Labour, all ably supported by some in media. These are of course, the same people who talk a big game about the importance of tikanga. But as we can see, only their tikanga matters (which, it can be often observed, seems to change to suit their circumstances). Not the tikanga of Parliament in this instance.
As you would expect, the Assistant Speaker is being accused of racism, lacking cultural sensitivity, and all the usual palaver. The irony of course, is that those accusing her are in fact the very ones lacking any ‘cultural’ sensitivity or awareness. As I say, the culture of parliaments around the globe do not allow the public to speak in their chambers.
The iwi involved themselves have acted graciously. I can appreciate their own emotions that day and desire to speak. So this op-ed is not about them. Their comments afterwards actually showed great humility and I suspect, an acceptance of the protocols in play.
In recent days however, Parliament’s Assistant Speaker, Maureen Pugh, is under fire from some quarters for not letting guests in the public gallery give speeches. In this case, a treaty settlement had just completed and as has become an accepted convention, a waiata was sung. Those in the gallery then began to give speeches and the Assistant Speaker shut them down. This is entirely appropriate. The public have never – and are never – allowed to speak from the public gallery of parliament. It might be lost on critics, but only members of parliament speak in Parliament. It’s a rather simple concept really.
Now the critics are the usual suspects - the Maori Party and the likes of Willy Jackson in Labour, all ably supported by some in media. These are of course, the same people who talk a big game about the importance of tikanga. But as we can see, only their tikanga matters (which, it can be often observed, seems to change to suit their circumstances). Not the tikanga of Parliament in this instance.
As you would expect, the Assistant Speaker is being accused of racism, lacking cultural sensitivity, and all the usual palaver. The irony of course, is that those accusing her are in fact the very ones lacking any ‘cultural’ sensitivity or awareness. As I say, the culture of parliaments around the globe do not allow the public to speak in their chambers.
The iwi involved themselves have acted graciously. I can appreciate their own emotions that day and desire to speak. So this op-ed is not about them. Their comments afterwards actually showed great humility and I suspect, an acceptance of the protocols in play.
If there is one plus-side, it is this: it demonstrates clearly, and for all to see, that the likes of the Maori Party don’t really believe in tikanga or protocol. They only believe in what is good for them and show little respect for others.
Simon O'Connor a former National MP graduated from the University of Auckland with a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Political Studies . Simon blogs at On Point - where this article was sourced.
7 comments:
The tamihere family are worth millions and are currently stirring up race hatred so they can indoctrinate people, presumably to incite violence as per the wifes video. But at the same time they do nothing to help their own people.
IMO the statement:
If there is one plus-side, it is this: it demonstrates clearly, and for all to see, that the likes of the Maori Party don’t really believe in tikanga or protocol. They only believe in what is good for them and show little respect for others.
Sums up the Maori politcal party and their followers entirely. They are their solely for themselves.
Now with their demand for independence let them have it on the priviso that they fully fund said independence of themselves and their followers.
It's time to call out Te Pati Māori after yesterday's antics and their seditious call for a separate Parliament. I have two options.
My first and most preferred option is to remove the Māori seats and the Māori electoral roll. They have long passed their use-by date and are, in fact, now being used to divide New Zealand.
Failing that, and I imagine our current Government hasn't the courage to implement option one, put TPM's proposal of "Should Māori have their own Parliament?" to their people. Have a referendum solely using the Māori roll. The referendum requires at least 95% of the roll to participate to be valid. For the motion to pass, it must have a 75%+ answer of 'Yes.'
All of this has to be paid from taxes from the Māori electorate and iwi corporations. If the 'Yes' vote wins, establishing a separate Parliament and systems must also be paid with Māori taxes.
I suspect one of two things will happen. Firstly, less than 95% of the roll will participate. If that does happen, though, the vast majority will vote 'no'.
Once this process is finished and reaches its natural conclusion, we should return to option one. We need to start moving forward as a country again.
I am in favour of Maori independence.
To be independent means to pay one's own way, so we'll start with that.
Let's schedule a meeting 100 years from now to see what progress has been made towards this goal.
A separate Maori government would need to be self funding from their own version of the IRD - that's so laughable !
And while waiting for Barend's proposal to come to fruition (hell will freeze over first), how about we defund things like Te Puni Kokiri, Maori Broadcasting and all those umpteen Maori consultation gravy trains etc, and see how they manage that for starters? That $70 billion economy can also start paying its fair share of tax, or funding to itself to the extent they can essentially do what they like (as long as they don't interfere with others or use other's resources), i.e. all in their own time on their own dime.
Most New Zealanders are heartily sick of brown supremacist part-Māori—more white than brown by blood quantum if not by appearance—who have turned their Pakeha ancestors into a toilet bowl to identify monoculturally as ‘Māori.’
Even if Te Tiriti o Waitangi provided for special privilege for the Māori of 1840–of course it did not—from the moment someone became more white than brown by blood quantum that would end.
Anyone with half a brain takes the view that 51% of the shares are required for a controlling interest in the company.
These indigenous pretenders, these ancestor-deniers, these Pakeha with a touch of the tar brush need to STFU and get on with it like everyone else has to.
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