Gerry Eckhoff: The Justin Tipa Speech - Waitangi Day

The biggest failure in any decent controversy is hearing just one side of the argument. It’s worse when neither side take the opportunity to offer solutions. It’s not what they say that’s important - it’s what they don’t say that is so telling.

Waitangi Day is meant to be a day of celebration, instead it is now a day of position-taking and holding-on. History morphs into some kind of theological creed which in turn relies on no close examination - lest intelligent outcomes should  start to appear. Sensible outcomes however can be found if removed from the grasp of  those unwilling to even try to find solutions.  Speeches at Waitangi or Akaroa recently left no one better off and none any the wiser.  New Zealand continues to allow capture of complex subjects by vested interests. Regretfully, political leadership can be difficult to find in case solutions offered, differ from strongly held party political advantage.  There  was a legitimate expectation that PM Luxon went to Akaroa on Waitangi day to offer up solutions both the Government and Ngai Tahu could buy into.  Speeches  from both sides would indicate that is not so.

It would have assisted us all greatly if a leader such as Justin Tipa – chair of Runanga Ngai Tahu had told us all of his vision under rangatiratanga or unqualified authority over all things Maori (view his speech HERE). He could also have defined just exactly what this ‘unique  constitutional identity’ of Iwi Maori  he speaks of - actually is  and what is being asked for. What is the unequal right he (Tipa) has personally suffered from and under which law has diminished him as a leader?  He could have reflected in his speech  on what has gone right for Maori and not just on those things we all know went wrong. Perhaps Mr Tipa’s speech might have reflected on the appalling atrocities suffered by Ngai Tahu at the hands of a northern tribe  at Akaroa (1832)  prior to the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi. These murderous raids surely impacted on Ngai Tahu  far more than the arrival of Tasman or Cook. Some might suggest that colonization by the UK was a small price to pay  for law and peace to break out in this new land.   Just as England ultimately benefited from Roman conquest and  the imposition of law and peace between the tribes - so too has New Zealand.

It would assist us all if he explained what specific rights regarding freshwater Ngai Tahu believe is their birthright. What would  Ngai Tahu authority over fresh water look like if Iwi were granted entitlements which would be exercised solely by Ngai Tahu as Mr Tipa apparently believes they should. A former Minister (Nanaia Mahuta) tried and failed so how would he see a Maori Authority manifest itself in  the management of this essential resource? Would this example of  tribal authority also be applied to all other mineral resources? These are not unreasonable questions, yet no answer nor indication was forth coming on Waitangi Day at any venue.

It is surely recognized that Ngai Tahu stewardship of their Treaty settlement is a model for all other tribal settlements. To turn 170 million in 1998 into 1.3 billion dollars  today is a remarkable achievement regardless of alleged taxation exemptions for certain investments.  The issue of “sovereignty”  over their own (Maori) land and resources appears to be understood by all except politicians.  It’s called property rights.  Everybody’s  property rights  however have been blithefully ignored by successive governments and should always be applied equally to all citizens - Maori or non Maori. It will of course be a cold day in hell when any Government today tries to remove more  property rights from any Maori owner yet the rest of us continue to be fair game.  Overall sovereignty must always rest with a duly elected government based on one person one vote -  and the authority to make and pass laws upon which we must or should all abide by.

The Prime Minister could have indicated that this Government is prepared to initiate discussion around the separation of and the sanctity of private property, whether it be communal under Maori or individual under all other citizens - but he didn’t. It is a matter of deep regret that Governments pays scant regard to the importance of the right to hold land and property against the Crown or Government as it is referred to today.  Forest and Bird and Fish and Game understand how easy it is to ‘play’ the Government on this issue.  Some clarity around where all past “ full and final”  treaty settlements fit into current demands by Maori would be helpful.

Mr Tipa is entirely correct to mentioned in his speech that our past is both figuratively  and literally part of the ground upon which this country stands. So many of we New Zealanders choose to reflect on the past as well. We can only but wonder at the relevance of the Treaty of Waitangi if the American battle fleet had not sailed into the Coral Sea - May 1942 - to engage the then enemy.  The Coral Sea is not that far from NZ.   Should we not also reflect on “our place to stand” here in NZ,  if our young men and women had not stood at Gallipoli, at al Alamein, at Cassino, the Somme and Passchendaele - and so many other fields in Europe and beyond. The white crosses all over these faraway places have allowed us to take and hold our place; to stand alongside one another in this country.  It is not the Treaty of Waitangi that gives us this right. We, all of us, have earned our place as Mr Tipa correctly identifies and that is a good place upon which to start real dialogue. “Reasonable refinement  rather than radical revision”  - as Mr Tipa  rightly says -  but for us all Mr Tipa -for us all.

Gerry Eckhoff is a former councillor on the Otago Regional Council and MP.