Collaborators & Cowards.
Uncle Tama's guide to being "premature".
“By turning up, we’ve sent a strong message, and that has been heard around the world…
There’s no principles, the treaty is written. That’s it…
Today is just day one, hold onto hope, believe in us - as we find a pathway forward.”
So spoke Kīngi Tūheitia in Ngaruawahia yesterday as ten thousand people came together in protest against threats to decades of progress of addressing racial inequality and injustice, and even to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Lawyer Dayle Takitimu gave the kōrero opening the debate forums, describing the current government as “Treaty illiterate.”
“An illiterate white supremacist is a nuisance, and a hōhā (hassle), but an illiterate white supremacist in power is dangerous.”
This new government intends to redefine what the Treaty means. Led by ACT, but supported by National in their coalition agreement despite the attempts of the latter to weasel out and distance themselves from the box that they too have opened.
We see threats against the inclusion of Māori on boards, councils, no doubt in time the Māori seats in parliament will also come under attack.
We see changes to what our children will be taught of the history of this country, and a move from embracing the language to discouraging it.
Things so petty that many of us shake our heads in utter disbelief. Like changing the names of government departments from Te Reo to English. Good grief in the scheme of things we don’t do much to promote the language, surely we could leave this small token? You’d think the National Party would understand the importance of tokens.
Speaking of which, in response to this nationwide call the government declined to send anyone important, offering up Tama Potaka and Dan Bidois as representatives.
ACT and New Zealand First failed to show up at all, too cowardly to even engage in conversation over an issue of their own making. National sending junior MPs, although ones I imagine they thought appropriate for the occasion.
Reminiscent of the rescheduled debate he chickened out from in the lead up to the election, Prime Minister Luxon said he was “fully supportive of the event, but described it as being primarily for Māoridom, not politicians.” Which was pretty rich given that the whole issue has been created by politicians, who are in his government!
Tama Potaka described claims by earlier speakers that the Government was underpinned by white supremacy as “premature”. So that was nice. When will the time be ripe, one wonders?
An interesting word there Tama, “premature”. Curious that you didn’t opt for “incorrect”, “exaggerated”, or “complete bollocks”, but chose instead to say that it was “premature” at this stage to call it out.
As a friend put it - “‘Premature?’ Unfortunately it sounds as if there is a plan beyond the first reading, and the Select Committee. Does National want to see social unrest and use that as an excuse to crack down hard on Māori? Adopting ACT's Treaty policy would fit nicely within that frame. Watch them stoke the fire.”
It made me wonder, how it could come to this? How are so many people open to these absurd narratives of Māori privilege? Why are people so scared?
Part of the problem is that we’re so poorly educated as a people about the most significant document in our history and the motivations, perspectives, and understandings of those involved.
I don't know about today but when I went through school we learned so little about the Māori perspective, or even of the intent of people like Hobson. Now the coalition agreement of the new government will undo the efforts of the last government, ensuring we return to teaching history from a pakeha perspective.
Education is kryptonite to racism, if you teach people the facts, if they can understand things from the perspective of the other, the hate and distrust ebbs away. But by the looks of it the new government prefers ignorance and division. To be fair, National never got elected by well informing voters.
You look at these people and you wonder what drives them. I mean, obviously not public transport or an EV.
How can they be so insensitive to the culture and language of others that they wish to downgrade and denigrate it?
But when someone like Simeon Brown actually got into power that is what we saw, a need to do just that. His top priorities - getting rid of the name Waka Kotahi, and cancelling all the public transport projects. So now we simply have the Ministry of Moar Roads. Great.
Or David Seymour from the ACT party, who has led so much of the anti Māori rhetoric albeit dressed up as “everyone has the same opportunities, so we should just ignore race”. Despite the fact that that’s bollocks and that all but the most naive know exactly what really excites his supporters - and it’s not one dude one vote!
You’d think people like Simeon and David, now that they’re in power, might ease back on the rhetoric and respect the responsibility of their roles in protecting and enhancing the rights of all New Zealanders. Including the language that is important to them.
Turns out they are! According to this article, the pair of them, I’m loathe to use the phrase “caped crusaders” given the connotations, went in to bat for a young fella just starting out on his journey of discovering that words are important.
Auckland man Taylor Cranshaw won his battle with the NZ Transport Agency (AKA the Ministry of Moar Roads) who had decided that his personalised number plate “NUTSAX” had to be forfeited after someone complained.
Such was the cultural significance of this phrase, the importance of it to this young man, that the next Deputy Prime Minister, David Seymour, personally took up his fight urging Minister Simeon Brown to intervene.
Crawshaw, a 20-year-old builder from Te Atatū (yes that is where I live, no I am not proud), was pleased with the result saying “the experience demonstrated how people should fight for what they believe in”.
Meanwhile Jesus wept. Especially after Taylor added “If you really stand for something, fight for it”.
Seymour hailed the backdown as a “victory for common sense”. Old mate Jesus was fair a sobbing at this point, so probably best not to mention that in Seymour’s request to Brown he wrote “Minister, the balls are very much in your court on this one.”
Young Simeon escalated the issue to NZMR (NZ Moar Roads) on the very day he received the letter.
If you were a little bit cynical you might query this being the Transport issue that our new government chose to prioritise. But I would encourage you to be much, much more cynical.
This is the sort of gimmicky little solution we’ll see repeated again and again as the new government has a strong desire to show progress, that they are getting things done. Even if those items of progress don’t amount to a hill of beans.
But people aren’t stupid they can see what’s going on, and why. And they are ugly things for ugly reasons.
You might have seen the story above a couple of days ago, or seen communications from Rawiri Waititi, Te Pāti Māori co-leader, on the leaked information.
The report's author saying they expected the Bill would be “highly contentious”.
“This is due to both the fundamental constitutional nature of the subject matter and the lack of consultation with the public on the policy development prior to Select Committee.”
One News reported that it had a full copy of the leaked report, which it said warned the proposal's key points were “at odds with what the Treaty of Waitangi actually says”.
“The Bill will also change the nature of the principles from reflecting a relationship akin to a partnership between the Crown and Māori to reflecting the relationship the Crown has with all citizens of New Zealand. This is not supported by either the spirit of the Treaty or the text of the Treaty.”
Think about that for a moment.
ACT, the party who feign support for the rule of law and property ownership, want to redefine the Treaty of Waitangi in a way that will be beneficial to them, or their re-election chances, despite it being at odds with what the Treaty actually says!
Are they really surprised people are angry and protesting? Despite it being “premature” as they haven’t actually replaced the old, signed, document yet?
Although the major party has only offered limited support David Seymour points out, “National's not trying to hose it down, they've said they have no commitment to supporting it past the first reading and that's true, it's always been the case that it's up to ACT to make the case that this bill should continue beyond that.”
It would appear to me that any claims that National do not support this attack on the Treaty, on the very basis for the rights of tangata whenua in this land, would at this stage be rather… premature.
What do you think about the events of yesterday? What were your impressions?
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I will be protesting alongside other likeminded people from all parts of Aotearoa. Te Tiriti is about all of us, sadly some people don't realise this yet or ever.
White privilege! Alive and well! Those of us, those who are unable to understand White privilege, are using politics to escalate the rhetoric with the deliberate intent of aggravating the Fear they have of the unknown. Instead of trying to discuss and understand they respond with fight, not flight, that will force us back the "good old days" or days of hate politics. They must never be allowed to win! All of us need to take a stand, against this destruction of society. Vote for "No confidence", we can!