Graham Adams: Peters and Seymour tussle over ‘Maorification’

After NZ First leapfrogged Act last month in a Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll — which led to much media excitement about the party’s rising fortunes — it seemed odd for Winston Peters to be quite so tetchy with journalists seeking his opinion on David Seymour’s views on karakia, traditional Māori prayers or incantations used to open or bless events, buildings, or gatherings.

Asked about the Act leader’s criticism of the use of karakia in “the opening of new government buildings,” Peters said: “Why am I responding to what David Seymour doesn’t know?”

Derek Mackie: And I'm feelin' screwed!

Birds flying high; kiwi, you know how I feel 

Sun in the sky; fog, you know how I feel 

Breeze driftin' by; doldrums, you know how I feel 

It's a woke dawn…. it's a woke day…. it's a woke life…. 

For me - [cause I ain’t an "inclusive" minority] 

    And I'm feelin’ screwed! 

Michael Bassett: Modern Maori myths

Many of the comments about the Coalition’s determination to wind back the dramatic Maorification of New Zealand of the last three years would have you believe the new government is engaged in a full-scale attack on Maori. In reality, all that is really happening is that ministers are stopping the crusade waged by the Ardern/Hipkins government to push Maori into all aspects of our lives at the expense of every other culture, while never having mentioned an intention to do so during the 2020 election campaign.

Mike Hosking: This Government has lost the room

The joke story of the weekend was the revelation that DOC, as in the Department of Conservation, is handing out money it doesn’t have to reward people for learning to speak Māori .

I say money it doesn’t have because DOC has a multi-million dollar operating shortfall.

What makes the story a tragic tale of our times is that there is no actual requirement in any of the jobs they do for there to be Māori spoken. Tasks are not getting done because they are short of Māori speakers.