We're told by the organiser Eru Kapa-Kingi that the Treaty Principles Bill, which is about to receive its first and last debate in Parliament today, is a minor part of the hikoi. That's surprising, given the large number of placards that are being lugged across the country denigrating the bill.
That's presumably why the bill's architect and ACT leader David Seymour's offer to meet Kapa-Kingi was rejected.
Kapa-Kingi says any meeting would be pointless, saying the protesters were not at Seymour's beck and call or with anyone else who doesn't have the necessary expertise to lead or facilitate conversation around the Treaty of Waitangi
The protest organiser says it's being pushed by the likes of David Seymour - and the many ignorant people behind him, who have a lot to say about the Treaty, but don't know a lot about it.
Kapa-Kingi told NewstalkZB this week that he expects a crowd of a million when they arrive at Parliament - yeah right!
The numbers were certainly building though, as it crossed the Auckland Harbour Bridge yesterday - bringing peak hour traffic to a standstill on a day that thousands of students had to get to their end-of-year exams in the city, to name just one of the multitude of engagements that had to be postponed or cancelled.
They lost the argument for many right there, whatever that argument is.
Trying to find out from those trudging along the Auckland waterfront under the snarled up Harbour Bridge what exactly what their gripe is was met with a frowning, blank stare, or a cold shoulder.
One chap, sporting a moko kanohi and also heavily tattooed arms and legs, looked approachable and paused, responding to a kia ora as I posed the question that many have been asking: What specifically are you protesting about and what is it that you want?
Kia ora may have given him a false impression, because he asked whether I spoke Māori and when I replied in the negative, he showed he had a good understanding of English telling me to f... off, before heading off to Wellington.
Still, it was safer asking him the question than posing it to the King Cobras, the patch-wearing gang members who were there showing their solidarity.
If you listen to the Māori Party co leader Rawiri Waititi, gang members do have a gripe, and no doubt they will also turn up in large numbers to show solidarity.
Waititi said the recent police raids on the Mongies was terrorism motivated by a racist agenda, but was typical of the state's predatory behaviour. The Māori MP seems to have lost sight of the fact that 28 arrests were made, two possible murders were avoided, and a haul of methamphetamine, cash, weapons and property were seized.
Waititi was also upset the raids happened where children and women were. Police Minister Mark Mitchell rightly said it wasn’t the police officers who 'choose to keep weapons and drugs in the houses'.
This hīkoi is very much the work of the Māori Party, with Eru Kapi-Kingi being the son of Te Tai Tokerau's new MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi who was just two places behind his mum on the party list.
Just to show how politically savvy he is, the Labour leader Chris Hipkins plans to join the hīkoi when it reached Wellington next Tuesday!
Barry Soper is a New Zealand political journalist, and has been featured regularly on radio and television since the 1970s. Currently, Soper's main role is political editor at Newstalk ZB, a radio network in New Zealand.
9 comments:
The hikoi has been illogical from the start, but logic has never been part of the Maori grievance industry, other than they want money and anyone who suggests they should work for it is racist and divisive. However, they won't lose the argument (if their rants can be called that) because whatever ridiculous things they say, there will be TVNZ, RNZ, Stuff and all the rest of the MSM promoting them.
Instead of all the posturing, Te Pâti Maori and other proponents of Maori sovereignty, need to tell New Zealand what that means for them. What exactly is the desired outcome for them? I suspect the answer is a return to pre-1840, but why on earth would any sane person want that.
The hikoi is a snapshot of what life would be like should we ever enter a co-governance arrangement with Maori.
Endless bleating about the past combined with endless entitlement about the future, with gangs acting as "neutral" referees and enforcers.
Anyone voting for the Left will be voting for this.
And we wonder why NZ's productivity is so low: only part of the "working" population is actually working, the rest is doing its best to stop work or walking (riding vehicles ?), not working.
Nice article Barry because it's what we want to hear. But hang on a minute. This movement is running on emotion and the young generation have been steeped in this shit and believe it fervently. It's not going away until we get a real leader. Also we need to cancel the Maori seats and Maori wards and set ourselves up as the bi-cultural country we thought we were before Chris Fnlayson and JA brought it to boiling point. David Seymour for PM. MC
Exactly correct DeeM. Mind you, serious as all this nonsense this, it is difficult to take seriously someone with inky scribbles on their face, a silly hat and crudely carved bone and stone objects around the neck. These are pantomime maoris, capering clowns who by bully-boy words and tactics tries to convince the country they should be given more than equal rights and power at our expense. Yeah, right!
Talking of Hipkins joining the protest. If the Wellington Covid protest had happened under a National Government, Labour would have joined the protest and the media would have called the
protestors heroes.
Completely bizarre that this rag-tag collection of part Maori claim to know more about the Treaty than attendees at Waitangi in 1840, or indeed those participating in the Kohimarama Conference of 1860 which "...was the most important Māori-Crown gathering since 1840, and met under the backdrop of war in Taranaki and the growth of the Kīngitanga, the Māori King Movement. Full of drama, debate and deliberation, the hui ended with a unanimous resolution, the Kohimarama Covenant, which recognised both the Crown’s sovereignty and confirmed Māori rangatiratanga."
It is increasingly obvious that there’s an element within Maori culture that can’t be reasoned with. They are not interested in peaceful debate, or useful discussion. They pretend there are still grievances whilst practicing intimidation at the same time. Conflict is something they seek and enjoy (otherwise they would hold no particular status or relevance). They have to be stared down, or we won’t have a decent, democratic society which we call home.
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