This has been one of the more misrepresented activities in recent years.
It's hard to know what it is actually about, or whether those taking part even know what it's about.
Is it about the Treaty Principles Bill? Is it about a general attitude towards the Government and their Māori policies? Is it a PR stunt for the Māori Party?
And perhaps most importantly of all - what does it achieve?
The answer, of course, is nothing.
If it is about the bill, it dies after the select committee process and, even if it didn’t, although you are more than justified to protest, a protest doesn’t change the right of a Government to do what they promised they were going to do.
It's called democracy.
Democracy is slightly complicated by MMP, which may or may not produce what you thought it might. But democracy was what led to MMP in the first place because we voted for it.
The two winners out of this so far are the Māori Party, who have got a lot of attention and drummed up good numbers in various parts of the country for their campaign.
They have of course alienated themselves from many, but they don't care, and you were never voting for them anyway.
The other is David Seymour who, whether you agree with him or not, has argued coherently and eloquently.
Not performing so well includes the media who, yet again, have sided too often with the protest. I saw a reporter literally singing as part of her reportage. I saw a reporter dispute official figures from the police for the turn out, as though a dispute is fact.
Jenny Shipley talking of civil war was as astonishing as anything. At least Chris Finlayson, in weighing in, kept his head.
In a country with real and serious problems, a bill destined for the waste bin is not worth the energy this has been given.
Our priorities are all over the place. We have looked shabby, unhinged, violent, and low rent.
We are not living up to expectation, or our potential. This is not the country I grew up in, or indeed love.
It is a wayward place in desperate need of some serious leadership and even more discipline.
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.
And perhaps most importantly of all - what does it achieve?
The answer, of course, is nothing.
If it is about the bill, it dies after the select committee process and, even if it didn’t, although you are more than justified to protest, a protest doesn’t change the right of a Government to do what they promised they were going to do.
It's called democracy.
Democracy is slightly complicated by MMP, which may or may not produce what you thought it might. But democracy was what led to MMP in the first place because we voted for it.
The two winners out of this so far are the Māori Party, who have got a lot of attention and drummed up good numbers in various parts of the country for their campaign.
They have of course alienated themselves from many, but they don't care, and you were never voting for them anyway.
The other is David Seymour who, whether you agree with him or not, has argued coherently and eloquently.
Not performing so well includes the media who, yet again, have sided too often with the protest. I saw a reporter literally singing as part of her reportage. I saw a reporter dispute official figures from the police for the turn out, as though a dispute is fact.
Jenny Shipley talking of civil war was as astonishing as anything. At least Chris Finlayson, in weighing in, kept his head.
In a country with real and serious problems, a bill destined for the waste bin is not worth the energy this has been given.
Our priorities are all over the place. We have looked shabby, unhinged, violent, and low rent.
We are not living up to expectation, or our potential. This is not the country I grew up in, or indeed love.
It is a wayward place in desperate need of some serious leadership and even more discipline.
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.
11 comments:
Mike, I have just made my submission to support David Seymour's bill. We should all be given the chance to give our views on the treaty trough rort and stop the corrupt apartheid system now dividing our Country. I hope you can use your influence to encourage your listeners to make a submission so that we all have a fair go. Kiwialan.
I consider Jenny Shirley’s civil war comment to be inflammatory and downright irresponsible. She is old enough to know better.
It does achieve something.
It shows the rest of New Zealand how angry the racists get when they think their racial privilege maybe diminished.
They are a disgrace
I picked up a copy of the Harvey - sorry, NZ Herald - in order to see the general view points. According to the front page the hikoi is "protesting against Government policies towards Maori, in particular the Treaty Principles Bill introduced by Act leader david Seymour". Just what's wrong about Govt policies towards Maori was not explained. Page 2 - more of the same in more detail, then on Page 13 regular opinion writer Simon Wilson explained that Act's position "is a way of using racism to cause a distraction (referencing an Amercian novelist, Tony Morrison), whilst ignoring contract law and property rights". Finally, the Editor opined that the "Haka was an appropriate reaction, with class and mana", in describing TPM's display in Parliament.
I confess, I'm none the wiser. What's wrong the TOW articles as they stand, and by the way, why can't we discuss them?
Judging by the numbers, ignorance is contagious. This protest is based on nonsense, simply proves why Maori have such low literacy rates (more today given the attendance of school kids), & does nothing for all the Maori victims of Maori crime yesterday, today & tomorrow.
The Hikoi of Hate has achieved one thing very well.
It has shown us just how aggressive, violent and racist the marchers are.
It achieved plenary. On their own, ACT would have never being able to promote the bill that wide. Now everybody knows that ACT propose equal treatment of nz citizens and the Māori activists are against that. No is, no buts.
It has become clear that the hikoi organisers are connected with TPM, both directly and indirectly. So it has been, at least in part, a recruitment drive for that race-based political organisation. So be it, submissions are now open on this issue of what the TOW articles mean, and despite the weight of current rhetorical displays, people will have their say. May democracy win (previous generations considered it worth fighting for).
That the protesters deny their Scottish/English/European, (or whatever ancestry) is a sad indictment, and could be construed as inherent racism. I was taught-“Be grateful for small mercies”, something Māori should heed.
The Maori elite have been riding the victimhood and reparations gravy train, first class, for decades, and this bill will send it into the buffers. Lets all be clear, at the root of this protest is power and money.
It is 3.30pm Wednesday....on Stuff I count 28 articles relating to the protest, all of them ''correct think''. I guess if you are sinking you might as well go all out with your true colours. As a semi-retired former journalist /sub / news ed/ and editor I find it obvious. However, the teeming masses may find it ok. One former Stuff activist ( ''reporter'') said to me a couple of years back he saw no problem with my suggestion of bias as he favoured ''advocacy''. In the UK readers have a variety of ''newspapers'' in print and online to choose from and they know they are biased this way or that. Readers choose their source of ''truth'' . However, in NZ there has always been a somewhat naive belief that our limited news media would be objective, at least on domestic politics. Surely even the devoted followers of Stuff -think and our RNZ, Herald and TV channels can't be blind to the bias, even if they want it and support it. A few ex-media folk I know personally (I am a bit persona non grata for my views) support the bias because they see it as a gloves-off ''war'' by other means for their virtuous causes.
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