His response? Cry ‘racism’.
Journalist Liam Rātana writes:
“Being criticised for receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest-free loans from a charitable trust to sponsor your own political aspirations? Racist. An inquiry being launched into Manurewa Marae and the potential misuse of census data by Te Pāti Māori? Racist. Giving other potential Whānau Ora commissioning agencies a chance to pitch for funding? Racist. Te Pāti Māori being told to file a financial statement, as required under law and already done by every other political party? Racist.”
“Charities must be politically neutral,” Rātana states. This is why Waipareira’s financial support for Te Pāti Māori—including hosting campaign events—raises red flags.
Government contracts with Tamihere-affiliated entities have been temporarily suspended due to concerns about improper data use.
The Public Service Commission has now referred the matter to the Privacy Commissioner.
Rātana argues that Tamihere’s strategy of framing all criticism as racism is dangerous. “What I do reject is the idea that every single time a Māori organisation is questioned, it’s racist,” he writes.
Tamihere’s actions, according to Rātana, “blur the necessary boundary between charitable work and political engagement, which is a risk not just for Waipareira but for the integrity of kaupapa Māori governance as a whole.”
Read more over at The NZ Herald
The Centrist is a new online news platform that strives to provide a balance to the public debate - where this article was sourced.
4 comments:
Remakarbly, in addition to Elizabeth ERata, seems there is at least one other with a maori surname who dares criticise maori actions.
Having read the article yesterday I gathered that Liam basically sees NZ (or as he put it Aotearoa) as a racist country and so at the same time he was agreeing with Mr. T he was admonishing him that not everything in our apparently 'systemically racist' country full of racists can be called 'racist'......it was an odd read.
@Robert Arthur - Rata has previously stated she's not Maori.
“Charities must be politically neutral,” Rātana states. This is why Waipareira’s financial support for Te Pāti Māori—including hosting campaign events—raises red flags.
No!
If there is evidence of wrongdoing there should be no red flags, there should be accountability, consequences and if there is proof of criminal acts, prosecutions.
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