Ele Ludemann: Stuck in activist mode

In 2008 the Māori Party accepted the National Party’s invitation to join it in government and by doing so its MPs had influence and were able to show its supporters what they had gained.

Led by Tariana Turia (now Dame) and Pita Sharples (now Sir), the party supported the government on confidence and supply but voted against many of the government’s initiatives which included stymying attempts to reform the RMA and National’s policy to disestablish the Māori seats..

But they didn’t only oppose, they also made gains, including getting funding for the establishment of Whānau Ora.

They knew they would achieve more inside the government tent and by acting like responsible MPs, than they could on Opposition and by being stuck in activist mode as today’s co-leaders and other MPs are.

Take this speech in parliament yesterday as an example:

DEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER (Co-Leader—Te Pāti Māori): Tēnā koe e te Pīka. Last week, our co-leader Rawiri Waititi raised a phrase that we are “punch drunk”. It’s a phrase used to describe our fatigue—our fatigue from defending our culture, our fatigue from being unable to act normally, our fatigue from fighting for our rights and our identity, and fatigue from feeling persecuted for being tangata whenua.

It is truly believed that this Government has started one of the biggest attacks that we’ve had as Māori since the 1860s, and, oh, for our people to have the luxury to curl up in a corner and cry. The amount of pain, fear, and harm that we are seeing from our whānau is heartbreaking. But, no, as tangata whenua, we must brave up because we don’t get to have the break, because we must stand strong and give our whānau hope, despite the tsunami of constant assaults, and it’s deliberate. It’s deliberately done, based on a history which is taught to us to grind us down.

Māori-focused solutions designed for generations are ending. The Māori Health Authority is demolished. Māori mokopuna in State detention with solutions like section 7AA—gone. Auahi kāti programmes, demolishing Māori wards, fast-tracking seabed mining.

. . . Whānau mā, I think it’s really important that we are aware of what we’re in. The deliberate fatigue of repealing, policy extractions, and policy demolishes before the big one comes, because the big one is coming, and who is the architect behind this? How is this Government letting a small party like ACT be the tail that wags the dog? How has ACT groomed the Prime Minister and, indeed, National into deliberately exercising ethnocide?

Let me explain what ethnocide is. It is the deliberate, systemic destruction of our culture and us as tangata whenua by using legislative power and political force and influence to make us into one—their one, and our none. We’ll all be one New Zealanders, one people—where have we heard that before?

This Government has lost control. It is very clear, whānau mā, that National is being run by ACT, and they’re allowing them to destroy our culture, one repeal, one piece of legislation, one punch, at a time—very hard and very low, and it’s deeply, deeply dark. This Government is being led by a dark triad, and let me explain what that means. Three personality traits: the Machiavellian, the psychopath, and the narcissist, and I’ll get you to guess which one is which. They’re manipulative, extremely entitled, and they lack empathy, but together, those traits are dangerous for our people because, together, they create some of the cruellest social chaos ever known to indigenous people. . .

Talk of ethnocide and destroying Māori culture will play well to the party’s gallery but it is a very small one if last year’s election results are a guide. The party got only 3:08% of the vote and more Māori voted for each of the three coalition parties – National, New Zealand First and Act than Te Pāti Māori.

They make the mistake separatists and proponents of identity politics too often do – thinking that the people they think they represent speak with one voice.

As National MP for Rangitata James Meager said last week, that is not the case:

. . . I thought I would make a contribution, because one of the themes that comes across from the members opposite is that they believe that they have the single dictate, that they have the one true idea in the world on what it is to be Māori, on what it is to count as a Māori, and what it is to have your view count as being one that is of Māori world view. They are the ones that get to decide; they are the ones that, apparently, hold all the cards. If you don’t look like them, if you don’t talk like them, if you don’t walk like them, if you don’t think like them, then you don’t count.

So here’s a message to the tens of thousands of individuals—of children, of young people, of workers—out there in New Zealand who identify, who whakapapa, Māori, who don’t look like them, who don’t think like them, who don’t share their world view, and who they think don’t count. Well, those people do count, and we share the view that their individual views count. Whether they share the views of Willie Jackson or Te Pāti Māori, their views count. I say to those people who are having their Māori whakapapa questioned by members in this debate tonight: if you do not agree with the members opposite, if you do agree that you have individual thought, that you are allowed to be a free thinker, we will welcome you, because we support people regardless of ethnicity, regardless of race, gender, creed, who can think independently. . .

Staying stuck in activist mode will keep the faith of at least some of the party’s supporters, but it won’t achieve anything in parliament.

It will also put potential coalition partners the Labour and Green Parties in a very difficult position – if their polling shows they couldn’t form a government without Te Pāti Māori, the need to include them will put off a lot of voters who want MPs who act like MPs not activists.

In other news the New Plymouth Councillor Murray Chong’s ute was shot at:

Chong campaigned against the introduction of a Māori ward and yesterday abstained on a vote. . .

Fighting back tears, Chong told a two-thirds full council chamber “don’t shoot the messenger” before saying that he would not be fronting any resistance to a Māori ward next year because he feared for his safety.

“I won’t be saying anything because I believe you’ve won. You’ve won because of the tactics I’ve received over the past five years.

“I’m now scared. I’ve had my life threatened several times in letters. I now can’t walk by myself at night because I’ve been told I will be king-hit and I’ll wake up in a hospital. I’ve had people say they will grab my dog, chop it up into quarters and leave it on my doorstep. I’ve had my daughter hassled.” . .

In response to this, Hobson’s Pledge is invited the TPM co-leaders to release a joint statement condemning what had happened. :

“Today I reached out to Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi to suggest we release a joint statement condemning the harassment and intimidation New Plymouth Councillor Murray Chong is reported to have endured. Unfortunately, I did not get a response. However, what I wrote to them still stands and I share it below.

“I understand the intense dedication many feel to pursuing a political goal but I urge all New Zealanders to commit to non-violent activism.

“Hobson’s Pledge will not take our foot off the pedal when it comes to achieving an equal and unified New Zealand, but we do so with an utter commitment to non-violent advocacy and activism.

“There are important and challenging discussions to be had around the Treaty of Waitangi and race in New Zealand. We cannot shy away from these conversations – they will often be robust – but disagreement must be done without intimidation or violence.”

– Don Brash

Letter to Te Pāti Māori co-leaders:

To Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi,

I am writing to you in light of the news that New Plymouth Councillor Murray Chong’s car was shot at and the sustained harassment he has experienced. This is being linked to his views on Māori Wards.

It is my belief that no matter our political differences we must condemn political violence.

It is evident that many New Zealanders have very strong feelings in relation to matters around the Treaty of Waitangi and this Coalition Government’s approach to race-based policies. Feeling strongly and advocating stridently is one thing, but I fear that if political leaders do not condemn violence and harassment in no uncertain terms, we are likely to see an escalation and more of the kind of behaviour Mr Chong is being subjected to.

I would like to suggest a joint a statement of condemnation to be signed by me and you both as co-leaders of Te Pāti Māori. We can make it clear that we disagree on practically everything else, but on the matter of political rights and commitment to anti-violence we are totally aligned.

Our vast differences of opinion mean that this statement could be a powerful way to cool the temperature of political tensions in New Zealand. We need only look at the terrible scenes in the United Kingdom to know that we do not want to go down that path here.

I will also being reinforcing to Hobson’s Pledge’s supporters that we are an organisation that utterly rejects political violence and believes that peaceful disagreement is at the heart of democracy.

Hobson’s Pledge intends to put out a statement at 5pm today about this and I hope to hear from you beforehand as to whether you will join this call for non-violence.

Yours sincerely,

Don Brash

Nobody is suggesting that TPM had anything to do with the shooting but MPs acting like activists rather than advocates will embolden other radicals who might then resort to intimidation and violence rather than debate.

Ele Ludemann is a North Otago farmer and journalist, who blogs HERE - where this article was sourced.