Whether the media reporting is right that the Prime Minister gave Seymour a telling off, or whether David was right that it was just a nice chat, or whether the media reporting is right that Winston is cross with David for sending the letter, or whether David’s right that Winston is fine and is basically going to send the same letter again, or whether Winston is right when he says that’s not true – I’m as interested as you are in what the truth is.
But regardless of whether David is in trouble, he was right when he called the letter "presumptive, condescending, and wholly misplaced".
I personally think he did us a favour giving the UN a slap-down for piping up on the Regulatory Standards Bill with their letter, which started the chain of correspondence.
In particular, what the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples got wrong is his assertion that the bill fails to uphold indigenous rights guaranteed in the Treaty, including partnership.
There is no partnership guarantee. It’s not in the Treaty. It was a judge's comment in the mid 80's and was subsequently misinterpreted to mean partnership.
He apparently also claims Māori have been excluded form consultation, which is again not true, because we’ve just had a full week of select committee hearings which included submission from Māori.
Both of these facts could’ve been discovered with a simple Google search.
Unfortunately for the UN this makes the case, again, for the thing being scaled back to what it was originally set up for: preventing WWIII.
They should get out of everything else —climate change, indigenous rights, advocating for wealth taxes— because it’s gone way beyond its original remit.
It's too political and it's frankly not very good at any of it. Just look at the fact that it hasn’t stopped climate change.
So thank you to David Seymour for giving the UN a well overdue slap-down.
Even if he wasn’t really supposed to.
Heather du Plessis-Allan is a journalist and commentator who hosts Newstalk ZB's Drive show HERE - where this article was sourced.
17 comments:
You can be 100% sure that the UN official who sent the letter was given a detailed draft by the NZ Human Rights Commission.
Prof Claire Charters, the He Puapua lead author, has a close association with this body - including a secondment there under Paul Hunt.
I couldn’t agree with you more, Heather.
The UN has definitely gotten too big for its britches and needs to be scaled way down.
Well done David Seymour. Only a globalist would take exception to your justifiably scathing letter to the UN. Look at the damage they have done to NZ.
Whatever, it is a great letter. Straight language rare today. Just what the UN deserves. I hope it gets wide international publication. Puts Winston in a spot. Would be great if he simply repeated it. But NZ first still panders extensively to maori.. Perhaps Winston can get input from Jones for a few biblical words and colourful metaphor to give it an independant touch.
Part of the coalition agreement between NZF and National was to advise the UN that they have no legal powers over NZ regarding UNDRIP and indigenous rights . This letter shows action in that regard. David and Winston say no "repertoire" can tell us what to do. Although Rawiri Waititi thinks they can as he stated in parliament yesterday. A humorous moment.
Someone or some group in NZ (quizzings) are feeding this nonsense to the UN, which is why they are getting involved.
This anonymous group needs to be outed. It also would not surprise me if the had govt funding and where somehow associated with TPM
Did Seymour’s letter to the UN address the massive fraud and miscarriage of justice that has that has taken place in regard to UNDRIP?
Key signed us up to UNDRIP saying it wasn't binding and then promptly adhered to it.
Sharples in his statement at the UN, noted that “Maori hold a distinct and special status as the indigenous people or tangata whenua of New Zealand”.
Finlayson, when asked for the government’s definition of the indigenous people of NZ in an OIA request stated, “I do not hold a document that defines the NZ government’s definition of the indigenous people of NZ”.
Sharples, when asked in another OIA request gave the same response as Finlayson, but noted, “the government’s position of support for UNDRIP”.
Maori are not the tangata whenua or the indigenous people of New Zealand; their ancestors arrived in New Zealand by canoe in the 14th century. This was confirmed by Emeritus Professor Ranginui Walker, past Head of Maori Studies at the Auckland University when he stated in the 1986 New Zealand Yearbook, page 18, “The traditions are quite clear on one point, whenever crew disembarked there were already tangata whenua living in New Zealand”.
The Native Lands Act of 1865 defined a Maori as, an “Aboriginal Native” and shall include all half castes and their descendants by “Natives".
The term "aboriginal native" generally refers to someone born in a particular place. It can be used in a broader sense to describe anything that originates from a specific location, whereas "Indigenous peoples” are defined as those who are the original inhabitants of a land, with deep ties to its culture, traditions, and history.
The UN and Waitangi Tribunal have gone well beyond the original intent of their founding.
Perhaps they learn off each other.
Pathetic organisations both.
Either way, both organisations must stay out of all matters relating to NZ governance.
"In particular, what the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples got wrong is his assertion that the bill fails to uphold indigenous rights guaranteed in the Treaty, including partnership."
What the UN Special Rapper got wrong is this BASIC FACT:-
Maori ARE NOT INDIGENOUS to New Zealand.
They are indigenous to Taiwan (DNA links prove this). They are a wandering tribe that travelled down through Melanesia and settled in the Pacific Islands.
They then migrated to New Zealand in their many canoes, and settled here.
They still have a totem in northland that links them to their stated homeland "Hawaiki"
What shows is Māori will go to great lengths to discredit this Government. They will push and push until they will get what they want.
Wily Winston is up in the polls. Strongly suspect his public contradiction of Seymour is self-serving political point scoring. I so wish those two could find it in themselves to work together for the betterment of NZ. Seems “chance would be a fine thing”…
One of the good ones.
UN rapporteur Francesca Albanese calls for global action to end Israel’s ‘genocide’ in Gaza
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zzhZ4t704ZY
This sort of attack on NZ from the UN HRC has been happening since the 1990s when the late Moana Jackson was a judge for hearings where indigenous peoples could have their grievances heard and redress awarded. Claire Charters (He Puapua lead author) has continued this close association Now in its 4th decade.
Actually Doug, " migrating" implies a sense of deliberate purpose, when in reality this particular tranche of Polynesians were blown in the wind by chance to NZ.
For the ignorant UN stirrer, every Maori tribe can tell you where their canoe came to rest and who was on it.
Ipso facto, every micro Maori today has genealogy going back to those early arrivals, who were not indigenous to NZ, so they are neither.
Full stop, no further discussion necessary.
Exactly - and be very afraid.
Doug and Anon@6.04 - we also have the 'sacred' Te Tiriti, which itself identifies Maori as "tangata maori" - which is NOT tangata whenua (or wenua). Maori were indeed blow-ins, just like the Brits. And while I, irrefutably, was born here in NZ, I don't expect special treatment.
I seems UN Special Rapporteur, Barume suffers from both inadequate research and very poor advice. So there appears nothing 'special' about him, other than being ignorant and misguided. He rightfully so needs to pull his head in!
And it might be the only hope after 2026.
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