But do they really need a dedicated $1 million on top?
In the past, we have seen countless community groups step up in disasters. Schools have opened their halls. Sporting clubs have turned clubrooms into shelters. Churches have fed families for days on end, run on donations, volunteers and goodwill. I do not remember any of them ever being explicitly allocated a million dollars by the government afterwards, or even being singled out in press releases.
That is where this starts to feel less like gratitude and more like politics.
Once again, marae are not just thanked for helping. They are named. They are funded separately. They are elevated above every other community group that also stepped up without asking for anything in return. If the logic is that anyone who opened their doors deserves support, then fine. Apply it across the board. Do not carve out one group for special treatment and pretend it is about fairness.
Click to view
We are constantly told that New Zealand should be one community, pulling together in tough times. That message rings hollow when the chequebook comes out and suddenly it is very clear who sits at the front of the queue.
The extra $1.2 million for mayoral relief funds makes sense. Local councils are dealing with real costs and real clean-up. The separate $1 million allocation to marae, however, raises eyebrows for a reason. It reinforces the idea that some organisations are politically untouchable, regardless of whether they actually need the money.
Before anyone reaches for the usual accusations, this is not an attack on Māori. It is a challenge to government decision-making and consistency. Questioning where public money goes is not racism. It is basic accountability.
As for Chris Luxon, maybe this is just clumsy optics. Maybe it is another example of National trying to prove it is not Labour while quietly copying Labour’s habits. Or maybe, now that Luxon has his free trade deal with India stitched up, he is trying to chase the Māori vote too.
Joking. That is pretty much an impossible task.
What is not impossible is treating all community groups the same. Say thank you to everyone who helped. Support recovery where it is genuinely needed. But stop pretending that explicitly naming and funding one group over all others does not fuel resentment and division. Because it does and from what I have seen on social media, people are noticing.
Matua Kahurangi is just a bloke sharing thoughts on New Zealand and the world beyond. No fluff, just honest takes. He blogs on https://matuakahurangi.com/ where this article was sourced.
That is where this starts to feel less like gratitude and more like politics.
Once again, marae are not just thanked for helping. They are named. They are funded separately. They are elevated above every other community group that also stepped up without asking for anything in return. If the logic is that anyone who opened their doors deserves support, then fine. Apply it across the board. Do not carve out one group for special treatment and pretend it is about fairness.
Click to view
We are constantly told that New Zealand should be one community, pulling together in tough times. That message rings hollow when the chequebook comes out and suddenly it is very clear who sits at the front of the queue.
The extra $1.2 million for mayoral relief funds makes sense. Local councils are dealing with real costs and real clean-up. The separate $1 million allocation to marae, however, raises eyebrows for a reason. It reinforces the idea that some organisations are politically untouchable, regardless of whether they actually need the money.
Before anyone reaches for the usual accusations, this is not an attack on Māori. It is a challenge to government decision-making and consistency. Questioning where public money goes is not racism. It is basic accountability.
As for Chris Luxon, maybe this is just clumsy optics. Maybe it is another example of National trying to prove it is not Labour while quietly copying Labour’s habits. Or maybe, now that Luxon has his free trade deal with India stitched up, he is trying to chase the Māori vote too.
Joking. That is pretty much an impossible task.
What is not impossible is treating all community groups the same. Say thank you to everyone who helped. Support recovery where it is genuinely needed. But stop pretending that explicitly naming and funding one group over all others does not fuel resentment and division. Because it does and from what I have seen on social media, people are noticing.
Matua Kahurangi is just a bloke sharing thoughts on New Zealand and the world beyond. No fluff, just honest takes. He blogs on https://matuakahurangi.com/ where this article was sourced.
11 comments:
And what about the $10 million to a Marae in the BoP. It’s just pork barreling. How many operations would that fund etc,
Indeed. Why should one community group get 'reimbursement' when others who do the same get nothing?
Maybe Civil Defence (or the like) should have a look at how a more co-ordinated national response utilising marae, the salvation army, red cross and/or other community organisations can be used as a collective and fund that thing when it is required to step up rather than the selectivism that occurs now. The other question needing answering is, of the million of the tax payer cash, where does it actually go to etc..........accounting for every cent should be a requirement for all tax dollars given away.
One party of the Coaltion Government is politically dumb while the other two parties are wide eyed understanding that NZ does not want division and racially divisive politics. Bring on the 2026 election and watch the Party Vote move .
This election year New Zealanders simply must push back much harder against the "them" and "us" narrative. Of course people not of Maori descent do more to help in these situations, of course they have terrific businessmen, of course they have contributed more to the country, of course they have contributed more to every road of civilisation. Health, education, social welfare, infrastructure et al. Simply because in the early days they had the know-how and in the latter days they had the greater population numbers.
$1M !!!!
Show me some receipts for those expenses on the maraes.
Show me any sort of auditable accounts.
Or is this yet another instance where Maori make money disappear without trace ?
Any new vehicles ?
Interesting when $ funding goes to Maori, there is no request for -
"Providing Accounting practice, on the money received and how spent".
Fellow readers - "We the Taxpayer" 'donated that money via our Govt, so accountability is a requested norm.
Another 'fella' that went out and 'spent our money' was Shane Jones, when NZ 1st was part of the Ardern govt - lots of our $$$'s, but again no request to maintain "accounting formalities".
I see he was at his best at recent Ratana Celebrations - yup $'s large $'s to be provided - for what??
I like an overseas news item, the Nigerian Minister of Finance (Female) whilst in London - "splashed the cash on personal purchases" - brought more that she needed, and the question asked - "Whose money was she spending"??
Reminded me of a recent issue with a Maori Trust??
Have good day everyone.
And never mind the $10M that Shane Jones dished out for the Bay of Plenty marae the other day at Ratana. Here was me thinking we were in dire straits, with massive ever growing debt.
Where does the largesse and appeasing end and why is this not all accounted for in an expanding ledger, evidencing the cost to the country of Maori and the protection of their 'taonga'?
My daughter was caught on the wrong side of various rivers during Cyclone Gabriel for 2 nights and was advised by the local council to seek shelter in either of 2 marae both funded by the council and crown as places of public refuge. On arrival at both she was told they were for whanau only. That is Maori in other words.
In 2005 it is revealed the public health system in Hawkes Bay gave preference to Maori and Pacific children before all others.
And we get on the buses and trains in Auckland and announcements are made first in Maori. Why are they made in Maori at all ?
And numerous Government departments still call themselves by their Maori Name.
And National wonders why they are languishing in the Polls ! Praying that Act and NZ First will prop them up again. National Party voters don't mind the hard yards . But we do demand that the fundamental issues of racism that National campaigned on are addressed , that they honour their election manifesto.
Me, vote National again, not in a long while.
Luxon has to go. Success starts with honesty.
"That is where this starts to feel less like gratitude and more like politics." Absolutely correct
According to my observations Winston Peters and Shane Jones, unlike David Seymour and the Act party, have a belief that people who have decided themselves to be MAORI will never conceed to being simply human, and as such, no more or no less than a citizen of the sovereign state of New Zealand.
It is foolish to trust the New Zealand First Party on any issue regarding racial equality.
Regardless of what is said.
Anon 1:19pm But National may not be looking to Act and NZ First. They just might be looking at Labour. Have always wondered why Luxon joined National and not Labour. Reckon Luxon, Willis, Stanford and even Bishop could all slot into Labour without too much trouble. The link up announced today between Nats and Labour re virtue signalling modern slavery legislation is a bit of a shot across Act and NZ First bows. Just imagine: a purple coalition - with National’s leftist leanings it’s not a happy thought. Didn’t Oliver Hartwich write something about this possibility a few weeks back? Must re-read it.
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