Frank Newman: The Commissioner who still doesn't get it

The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s advice on the repeal of the RMA and its replacement legislation has been largely ignored by the select committee hearing submissions. And rightly so.

As the incoming National Minister for the Environment in 1990, Simon Upton inherited the foundational Resource Management Bill left behind by Geoffrey Palmer’s outgoing Labour government. Upton took charge of steering the legislation through Parliament. Upton had the opportunity to kill it then. He embraced it instead. While one can assume Upton had the best of intentions, his naivety seeded the legislation’s inherent flaw that inevitably led to its demise. Quite simply, the “enabling” legislation gave radical vested-interest groups a liberty that enabled them to seize control of the process to the detriment of the community as a whole.

Frank Newman: Garrick Tremain

Garrick Tremain

Sadly, we have been informed that Garrick Tremain passed away painlessly and peacefully last evening in Lakes Hospital. 

Garrick was a truly outstanding individual. 

Not only was he the most talented political cartoonist of our generation, but the man behind the pencil was witty, insightful, fearless, compassionate, and humble. 

RIP Garrick.

Frank Newman, a writer, investment analyst, and Director of the NZCPR, is a former local body councillor.

Frank Newman: Different views on Māori Wards

With local body elections looming, Frank Newman of the New Zealand Centre for Political Research argues strongly against Māori wards, saying councils are not Treaty partners and that Māori are already well represented in governance.

He believes Māori have multiple avenues for influence without needing separate wards and points to low turnout in Māori ward elections as evidence that most do not want them.

Newman warns that Māori wards risk deepening social divisions in an already fractured society, arguing unity should be the priority. Voting papers are due back by 11 October, and he stresses that the most important thing is to participate and have a say.


Click to view

Frank Newman: Councillor’s “you piss me off” rant against fellow councillor

 

A Whangarei District Councillor is now subject to multiple Code of Conduct complaints following an online “racist” rant directed at another councillor.

Cr Phoenix Ruka made the remarks about Cr Marie Olsen on Instagram on the 14th of November. He is one of two councillors representing the council’s Maori ward. He stood under a Maori Party affiliation and gained 889 votes (the least number of votes of any WDC councillor). Cr Olsen represents the general urban ward, gaining 3564 votes.

In the Instagram post Cr Ruka said,

LANDOWNERS COALITION INC SUBMISSION: Marine and Coastal Area (Customary Marine Title) Amendment Bill

LANDOWNERS COALITION INC SUBMISSION: Marine and Coastal Area (Customary Marine Title) Amendment Bill

14 October 2024

Committee Secretariat
Justice Committee
Parliament Buildings
Wellington

 

Dear Sir, 

Thank you for providing the opportunity to make a submission on the Marine and Coastal Area (Customary Marine Title) Amendment Bill.

This submission is on behalf of the Landowners Coalition Inc which is an Interested Party to the Edwards case in the High Court, and the subsequent appeals to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. We have registered as an interested Party in all 202 cases before the High Court. Our purpose is to act on behalf of the public interest to give the public a voice they would otherwise not have.

The Landowners Coalition supports the Bill and its intention to reaffirm the intention of Parliament when the Marine and Coastal Area Act (MACA) was originally introduced in 2011.

However, we would like to make the following recommendations that we believe would improve the effectiveness of MACA to achieve its intended outcomes. 

Frank Newman: Ugly racial politics

The debate regarding Maori wards is divisive and could be very ugly when it comes into focus ahead of next year's local body elections.  Intimidation by Maori is already present to varying degrees and especially ramped up when the radicals sense they may lose their racial privilege, as was the case with the Kaipara District Council.

The referendums on Maori wards to be held in tandem with the local elections is a critical moment for the future of race-based representation. The result will either embed them for a very long time or challenge their place in a democratic society.  Although Maori wards have been available to councils for 20 or so years, it was Nanaia Mahuta’s tapestry of lies to take away the petition right that removed the barrier to their introduction.

Frank Newman: Councillor shows why Māori wards are not needed

Yesterday I attended a meeting of the Kaipara District Council and was one of several people who spoke during the Public Forum session, which is an opportunity for a member of the public to address councillors on whatever their topic of interest may be.

Yesterday, the topic of interest was a motion to either retain or disestablish the Kaipara’s Māori ward.

I was part of a team from Democracy Northland who in December 2020 set about gathering signations to force the Council of the day to hold a binding referendum. Some months earlier the council had created a Māori ward without consulting the community at large.

The outrage that followed was such that we set about challenging that decision by using the petition right available at the time.

Frank Newman: It's a Win! Of Sorts...

There is no doubt the announcement by Minister Paul Goldsmith that the Marine and Coastal Area Act is to be amended to reaffirm Parliament’s intentions when it passed the Act in 2011, is good news worthy of applause.

The Minister says the changes include:

• Inserting a declaratory statement that overturns the reasoning of the Court of Appeal and High Court in Re Edwards, and the reasoning of all High Court decisions since the High Court in Re Edwards, where they relate to the test for CMT.

Frank Newman: The Letter from Mayors & Chairs

Earlier this week Local Government NZ sent a letter to the leaders of the coalition parties and Ministers Simeon Brown and Tama Potaka. It was signed by 52 local government leaders (see list appended).

The essence of the letter is this:

Our position…is that Māori wards and constituencies should be treated like all other wards and that decisions should be made at the council level. Polls aren’t required on any other wards or constituencies, and requiring them will add increased costs to councils.

Polls are not required where ward boundaries are changed, created or consolidated, because it does not change the electoral system.

That petition right was first introduced in 2001 when STV was introduced as an alternative to FPP for the 2004 and subsequent local body elections. That petition right remains today.

Frank Newman: Update -“Book burning” at the Hutt City Council

On the 5^th of March, I wrote about the Hutt City Council removing copies of a booklet called The Treaty of Waitangi – An Explanation by Sir Apirana Ngata from their community “hubs”. The booklet was included as an insert in the Hutt News in early February. It was part of a nationwide campaign that has delivered 1.1 million copies.

Sir Apirana Ngata’s Explanation was written in 1922. It was considered of such importance that in 1963 the Ministry of Maori Affairs translated the work into English and distributed it to every Maori household in NZ. Given the current debate about the meaning of the treaty, and the high regard with which Sir Apirana Ngata was held and is still held (his portrait appears on our $50 banknote), the NZCPR considered it a useful contribution to the debate.

An article by Carwyn Jones appearing in Spinoff supports our view. He says, "Apirana Ngata’s explanation can form a useful part of our discussion…We should be encouraging people to share information about Te Tiriti.”

However, not everyone is happy about the work being distributed, including a senior manager within the Hutt City Council.

Lower Hutt City Council's Censoring Of The Newspaper Insert Featuring Sir Apirana Ngata's Treaty Book

Frank Newman from the New Zealand Centre For Political Research speaks with Paul Brennan on Reality Check Radio about Lower Hutt City Council's censoring of their newspaper insert about Sir Apirana Ngata’s book on the Treaty.

Click image to listen

Frank Newman: “Book burning” at the Hutt City Council

As many readers will be aware the NZCPR recently distributed some 600,000 copies of a booklet called The Treaty of Waitangi – An Explanation by Sir Apirana Ngata. These were distributed as an insert in 31 NZME and Stuff newspapers throughout the North Island. This followed distribution throughout the South Island in July last year. In total 1.1 million inserts have been distributed.

 The Treaty of Waitangi – An Explanation was written in 1922 and was considered of such importance that in 1963 the Ministry of Maori Affairs translated the work into English and distributed it to every Maori household in NZ. Given the current debate about the meaning of the treaty, and the high regard with which Sir Apirana Ngata was held and is still held (his portrait appears on our $50 banknote), the Explanation is a useful contribution to the debate.

 In early February we were tipped off that management at the Hutt City Council had ordered copies of the insert be removed from its premises, so I wrote to the Council’s Chief Executive Officer asking for clarification.

Frank Newman: Newshub Headline: "Top economist Shamubeel Eaqub slams National's foreign buyers' tax projections"

 Newshub Headline: Top economist Shamubeel Eaqub slams National's foreign buyers' tax projections

The story said, 

“A leading economist says the National Party's revenue estimates on its newly proposed foreign buyers tax are "bullshit".

“Sense Partners economist Shamubeel Eaqub appeared on Newshub Nation on Saturday morning, claiming the party's numbers don't add up.

“He joins a list of economists and politicians who believe National's tax plan has substantially overstated the amount foreign buyers will bring in.

"It just doesn't make sense," Eaqub said.

"Whoever's done the numbers and who's done the quality assurance really needs to have a really good look at this stuff because I don't believe they've got it right."

Shamubeel Eaqub should produce his numbers given his strongly worded opinions.

Frank Newman: The challenges ahead for NZ First

This last weekend NZ First held its annual conference and launched its comeback election campaign. By all accounts, it was well attended (400 or 500 depending on which news source you believe) and the party faithful were confident that the Party would return to Parliament (as one would expect from those who paid to attend).

NZ First has come back from defeat before, but this time the task seems more difficult. The polls tell the story. The Talbot Mills poll had it at 4%; Roy Morgan had at 3% as did the 1News Kanta poll released last week. It has been pretty much at these levels since crashing out of Parliament in 2020. 

So why has NZ First failed to gain traction since 2020 when other parties have picked up support as Labour’s fortunes have declined?

Frank Newman: If I Wanted New Zealand to Fail

 

If I wanted New Zealand to fail...

To suffer, not prosper; to despair, not dream.

I would start with democracy itself.

I would say it is not working. 

I’d say that a House of Representatives that represents all people, does not suit a modern society. 

I’d call it old-fashioned. 

I’d say everyone is equal, but some are more equal than others because their ancestors arrived here first.

Frank Newman: A Budget of Low Expectations

The Budget has sent us yet another reminder that New Zealand has become a miserably dependent and introverted society.

It’s a sad state of affairs when reducing prescription costs by $5 is heralded as a great initiative and roundly applauded as a policy of significance by those in charge of the taxpayers’ wallet.

Let’s face it, a government giving back a few dollars that the government has taken from someone, is not going to be a life-changing event. It’s not going to make people who are currently dependent on the state less dependent – and it’s certainly not going to make them more aspirational about the future. Nowhere in the budget was there any hint of transitioning people from welfare to work.

Frank Newman: Chiefs at War

Chief of War is an action drama set in 18th-century Hawaii. The storyline is about four warring tribes uniting against a much more powerful colonial invader. Presumably, the plot will be along the lines of a heroic chief using super-human qualities to unite the proud and virtuous tribal folk in order to defeat the imperial evil to establish the utopian happily-ever-after Kingdom of Hawaii. 

It is actually based on some truth in that the Kingdom of Hawaii was formed in the late 18th century. The rest is fiction. The actual history following tribal unification was one of decline until Hawaii was annexed to the United States 100 years later. Needless to say, a sequel is unlikely to feature this aspect of history.  

That aside, Chief of War appears to be a good yarn commercially suited to a woke audience and Harvard University academics. 

It has been billed as “the biggest Indigenous series ever made”. There is no question it is a big deal financially, with a production budget of US$340 million for the nine episodes. 

The lead actor is Hollywood superstar Jason Momoa, best known for his roles as the titular character in Aquaman and Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones. Big name kiwi actors include Temuera Morrison and Cliff Curtis.

The movie is of relevance to New Zealand because parts are to be filmed on location here. Filming started last October in the Bay of Islands which welcomed the cast and entourage with great celebration and cultural fanfare at a powhiri. Filming is also scheduled to take place in Auckland and was to take place at Kauri Mountain which is on the east coast near Whangarei. The scenery is spectacular, albeit little known and is appreciated more by locals than tourists.  

In January this year, the Northland Regional Council granted resource consent for the filming, and construction of the temporary props and buildings was underway. It all came to an abrupt halt a few weeks ago. 

What the producers of Chief of War had not counted on was the warring tribes of Northland. 

Frank Newman: The curious case of Joseph Mooney

Joseph Mooney is the National Party MP for Southland and National’s spokesperson on Treaty Negotiations. He became an MP in 2020 but has remained largely unknown until being “exposed” by Stuff this week. (Here >>>)

This left-wing media group appears to have a number of investigative reporters mining (trolling) the social media posts of those they consider of interest, which clearly includes National Party MPs and candidates. 

The scandal on this occasion was with reference to a comment the Local Government Minister had made about the “special” rights Maori have over water. 

Joseph Mooney tweeted: 

“I would suggest @Kieran_McAnulty has a read of Ko te tuarua (Article 2) of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the guarantee of tino rangatiratanga to “ki nga tangata katoa o Nu Tirani” - every single person in New Zealand,”

Frank Newman: The lost Post

 

The Dominion Post is dropping “Dominion” from its name. 

Today Stuff published quite a lengthy article that appeared to be a slightly confusing mix of nostalgia and justification, although for the latter one must read between the lines. Here >>>

Presumably, “Dominion” is a representation of colonialism that the folk at Stuff do not want to be associated with. So it will soon be simply known as the Post. 

But which post? Fence post as a tribute to farmers? Post as in postage and our increasingly anorexic postal service. Or perhaps last post, as in remembering our fallen soldiers. Or maybe post as in postscript and a prophecy about legacy media.

Frank Newman. Straight Talk: Crime wave continues.

This morning's press is again full of crime stories, two screaming out with messages of what's so wrong with our justice system and our government's pathetically soft approach to crime that borders on condoning the actions of criminals. The first is from the NZ Herald.