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Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Wendy Geus: Social justice takes precedence over law in census investigation

Revealing dire need for Seymour's Treaty Principles Bill

David Seymour obliquely referred to the pervasion of a social justice agenda in New Zealand in his first interview of 2025 on The Country, with words to the effect, Government officials (and universities) have gone rogue implementing identity ideology (with private enterprise following suit!)

 

(Washington Examiner reported on the Goldwater Institute's investigation: 'DEI 's obscene price tag' of $1.8 billion dollars with U.S. University students forced to waste 40 million hours fulfilling mandatory DEI initiatives over the past 4 years. Government departments are just as bad, FBI in particular affecting performance outcomes not to forget the LA fire department... but I digress!)

 

Stats NZ has cleared Whanua Ora of a data breach. One government department investigating another, how cosy.

 

They also mentioned, disturbingly: 'The statistician must give effect to the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The statistician must engage with Māori on Māori interests in data and maintain capability and capacity to engage with Māori about the collection of data'.

 

They don't actually. Where is this referenced in the Treaty?

 

There is NO reference in their press release to The Data and Statistics Act 2022, an actual law not some DEI dogma dreamed up by activist public servants, and deeply embedded during

Ardern's government, loyally reported and never questioned, by the media.

 

We elected Luxon to address this.

 

Luxon repeatedly says he would prefer to deal wth issues on a case by case basis.

 

Well I have a case for him to ponder.

 

Does he agree with the latest findings on the Whanau Ora data breach query that Maori had to be consulted due to obligations under the Treaty? And is giving them $100 food vouchers to bribe them to fill in the census acceptable in a democracy, where everyone else did it for free? ($1 million was put aside for the vouchers out of  $5 million for 'consultation' and bribery).

 

I have another question for the PM who strongly opposes the Treaty bill, with his recent comment 'kill the bill' putting him on the back foot with thousands of National voters who support clarification of this issue.

 

(In retrospect)  Would Census staff have had your full approval to overlook the Data and statistics Act 2022 which requires everyone to fill out a census form on census day; with individuals or agencies who don't do this or provide incorrect information being fined $2,000 and $12,000 respectively?

 

There is no mention of 'Treaty obligations' or 'consultation on Maori interests in data collection', 
which has a very discriminatory ring about it.

 

The Former Key National government and Labour before them did not use bribery to get results for the census. Maori filled it in without a $100 food voucher dangled under their nose. Census workers wore out shoe leather finding Maori living in isolated areas, helping with their forms if necessary, to fulfil their responsibility. 


National's last census in 2013 had a higher participation rate than the 2018's (James Shaw's debacle) and the latest 2023 one, where government officials gave permission to workers to bribe Maori with food vouchers to participate.

 

So when did consulting with Maori on every damn thing become set in stone?  Under the tyrannical governance of Jacinda Ardern (and Chris Hipkins).

 

Will PM Luxon given his case by case preference for dealing with tetchy racial issues, question aspects of this inquiry or take his usual cowardly way out saying he can't interfere with the outcome of an official inquiry. (of an activist public service agency seeking to protect its own skin).


Prime Minister Luxon is the Houdini of fast get aways when problems loom. Leaving a lonely minister to front, you can't see him for dust. Actually you can't even see the dust.

 

And a thought for the new minister for economic growth. If she and Luxon addressed the enormous taxpayer funded rort of  'consultation with Maori' due to mythical 'Treaty obligations' there are millions to be saved.

 

Having a public mandate to do this through the Treaty Principles bill and/or a referendum seems pragmatic.

 

The PM seems to have forgotten his campaign cry:

 

NEED NOT RACE


Wendy Geus is a former speechwriter and generalist communications advisor in local government. She now writes for the pure love of it.

 

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