A sop to the hikoi crowd? Govt finds $20m for work at Rātana Pā and Waitangi (where MPs eagerly trek each year)
The headline written by a Beehive scribbler alerted your Point of Order team to the prospect of a geographical shift in the lower North Island, raising questions about the pace of this shift and the political implications.
How profound might those implications be?
The headline said:
The text in the media statement beneath that disturbing prediction was reassuring.
It was released by Transport Minister Simeon Brown, who wanted us to brace for the benefits that will flow from the new 110km/h speed limit on the Kāpiti Expressway Road of National Significance (RoNS) coming into effect on 13 November, more than two weeks earlier than expected.
“Boosting economic growth and productivity is a priority for the Government. The new 110km/h speed limit will help to reduce travel times, increase efficiency, and get people and freight where they want to go quickly and safely,” he enthused.
The new speed limit of 110km/h on the Kāpiti Expressway will apply to 24.5km of the state highway, from north of the Poplar Avenue at Raumati interchange to south of the Ōtaki northern interchange.
But PoO’s attention was drawn, too, to the timing of another press statement.
A day before the latest hikoi headed for the capital from up north somewhere (we have lost count of the number launched during our careers as political journalists), Regional Development Minister Shane Jones and Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka announced something that looked suspiciously like a sop.
Neither of them will be supporting the Treaty Principles Bill beyond its first reading, if they stick to their respective party positions on the matter.
But they will be aware of the hostility being expressed against the coalition government simply for its acceding to a process that will enable the people of this country to express their opinions to a select committee on the Treaty principles which David Seymour and the ACT Party are promoting.
What to do?
The Government will provide $20.3 million in funding to improve two sites “that have a special place in the hearts of New Zealanders”, Jones and Potaka said.
No, not even hundreds of millions of funding would mute the opponents of the bill – but it might mollify some just a tad.
The funding through the Regional Infrastructure Fund (RIF) will be used to make structural upgrades at Rātana Pā near Whanganui and the Waitangi Treaty Grounds in Northland.
“These are both nationally significant places, not just for Māori, but for many other Kiwis,” Jones says.
It so happens those sites are like flames to MP moths. Our politicians dutifully (some would say cravenly) troop there each year to try to win the hearts and minds of Māori voters.
Rātana Pā will receive a grant of $10.1m towards infrastructure upgrades including improvements to two of its key buildings – Te Manuao and Orakeinui.
“Each year thousands of people gather at Rātana Pā to celebrate the birthday of Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana, a prophet and founder of the Rātana Church and religious movement. This is an extremely important day, not just for Rātana members, but marks the beginning of the new political year, where politicians of all stripes give an accounting of their past mahi and over the year to come.”
The facilities have been deteriorating for some time and until now repairs and maintenance have relied on volunteer resources, donations and a small income generated from annual events.
“Without the necessary upgrades, some buildings at Rātana Pā would need to be closed which could leave the community unable to host annual Rātana celebrations or Rātana Church events – events that bring visitors to the region,” Mr Jones says.
And if the celebrations were not held – where would the politicians go?
A total of $10.2m will go towards building repairs and upgrades at Waitangi Treaty Grounds. These will ensure the hosting of the annual Waitangi Day events at the grounds continues to be a successful and safe endeavour.
More than 160,000 people visit the grounds, a significant site for all New Zealanders, each year.
“Both of these upgrades will mean safer conditions for visitors and residents and the preservation of our national history. These sites are an important part of our country’s story and ensuring they are well-maintained means they will continue to be,” Mr Potaka says.
Does safer conditions mean politicians will be able to go to Waitangi safe in the knowledge some stroppy protester will not assault them or throw something offensive at them?
“It is also timely given that just last week, on 8 November, the Rātana movement marked the day when the Holy Spirit is said to have spoken to Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana.”
We can be grateful the funding will not be coming from the Marsden Fund.
The two sites are the latest to receive funding from the RIF. In September the Government provided a $5.8 million grant to improve water infrastructure at Parihaka in Taranaki, a place of passive resistance, peace, and shelter during the New Zealand Land Wars.
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Point of Order is a blog focused on politics and the economy run by veteran newspaper reporters Bob Edlin and Ian Templeton
1 comment:
So the Government has chosen to spend $10.1 million of taxpayers'money on a quasi-religious site at Ratana, having turned down all requests for financial assistance to rebuild Christchurch Cathedral. It sounds like the Holy Spirit has now had a word with Shane Jones as well as Tahupōtiki Wiremu Rātana, something the Bishop of Christchurch was clearly unable to arrange.
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