Colinxy: Prelude to the Waikato Invasion (New Zealand Wars)

Modern revisionist narratives often portray the 1863 invasion of the Waikato as an unprovoked act of imperial aggression — sometimes even “illegal” by contemporary standards. But this framing collapses under scrutiny. It ignores the political context, the escalating violence around Auckland, and the strategic threat posed by the Kīngitanga (the Māori King Movement), which had become the centre of organised resistance to the Crown.

The reality is more complex and far less convenient for those who want a simple morality tale.

JC: One Country, One People, One Law

Why on earth does the National leader, Christopher Luxon, bother to go to Ngaruawahia? Is it a case of if you don’t go you’re insulting your supposed hosts, and if you do go it’s their chance to insult you? Regardless, it serves no useful purpose. ACT and NZ First had the good sense to stay away. A better idea would be to scrap the Maori seats because they serve no useful purpose.

It is now 2023 and the time is well past when the priority should be to ensure we are all one people living under the same laws. National has to stop pandering to one small sector of Maoridom. There are no votes in it for them. The elite know their best chance of screwing the rest of us is to stick with Labour. The last six years and particularly the last three since Winston left, are proof of that. The Labour Maori caucus has virtually run the show to the detriment of our country.

Mike Butler: Petitioning for day of grievance

Otorohanga College students with painted faces and traditional costume converged on Parliament this week to present a petition demanding a national day of remembrance for anti-government Maori killed during several 19th century tribal rebellions.

Sporadic armed conflict accompanied the settlement of New Zealand, from 1843 to 1869, with the bulk of the fighting during the 1860s in Taranaki, Waikato, the Bay of Plenty, and the east coast of the North Island.