National/Maori party honeymoon- Smashed on Waitangi Day.
>Guest Commentary:
Sina Brown-Davis, Ngati Whatua ki Kaipara
The National/Maori party honeymoon was smashed on Waitangi Day. The brave actions of two young warriors definitely dispelled the pro government propaganda that the National and Maori Party were desperately trying to cement on Waitangi Day. Mrs Harawira’s reaction is complete hypocrisy. Each generation has a right to oppose their oppression. Just because some are sitting at the table with or holding onto the arm of the oppressor that gives them no right to crush dissent when it doesn't suit their own political purposes. Whether our Maori leader’s or Maori elite like to admit it or not there is a groundswell of anger and disappointment that our grassroots have been sold out, again, and wait to get kicked in their teeth by their own.
When you add up the combined impacts of the “90 Day fire law”, the changes to the RMA, changes to bail laws, the privatisation of welfare, prisons, water and the ongoing impacts recession has on our communities. Our flax roots have every right to be angry.
The Maori Party is a right wing party, make no mistake about that. Hiding behind the rhetoric of advancing all Maori, they have shown that they are willing to sacrifice the vast majority of Maori for the enrichment and advancement of a few. Our so-called Maori leaders were unwilling to even discuss huge unemployment amongst our people at Waitangi, yet jump at the chance to be involved in privatisation. These neo tribal capitalists are transparent in their greed and their neoliberal modus operandi. These elements have much to gain from the privatisation of public services and their turning over to Maori business interests in the name of “self determination”.
This is exactly what was intended way back when the treaty settlement process & fiscal envelope were touted and subsequently implemented. Maori have already been kicked in the guts from the recession; disproportionally we have already the highest percentage of recently unemployed. Turia’s prescription for recently unemployed Maori is to study as a way to ride out the recession, which is patronising and out of touch as you can get. Expect to see more of the same as nowadays it seems you are not a real Maori if your a worker, gang member or on a benefit.
The Maori Party has already started to demonise other Maori that don’t “fit with the program”. This is a ploy to soften up and slam into our own disenfranchised & dispossessed and to squash dissent by Maori to the National gubbaments agenda. Our elite will gladly take up the role of the native police to keep the more rebellious and those resentful of these polices in line. At the end of the day, the mokopuna of Roger Douglas will have their say. The mass of our flax roots, our workers, our youth, our gang members and all our whanau at the bottom of the heap struggling to survive. We are the sleeping taniwha that will rise up and take back the future that our Leaders & elite have already sold.
Sina Brown-Davis
Ngati Whatua ki Kaipara
References:
Iwi present Key with wish-list for action HERE
SOE shares part of Maori Party 'budget HERE
Gordon Campbell on the challenges that the RMA changes pose for the Maori Party HERE
Comments
They had no choice but to side with National in order to have some sway over the present government.
National and ACT had the numbers to govern and so a deal between the Maori party and National was the best option for all concerned.
The Maori party is not a right wing party. They are merely trying to make the best out of a terrible situation.
I'm a Green party member, for the record.
OF COURSE they had a choice not to go into an alliance with National--they could have NOT gone into such an alliance. For example, The Greens didn't get into such an alliance, and yet somehow the world keeps on turning...
Instead, with this arrangement (which, I might add, is a total betrayal of their electorate in my opinion) they can go along with the right wing policies they REALLY like--like the tax reforms they voted in favor of before Christmas--while still allowing them to vote against items like the 90 day bill that will be too obvious a betrayal if they go along with it.
Basically, what they have is rather unique situation where they get to go along with all the right-wing / neoliberal policies they like while crying "we have no choice" as an appeal to their voters whom they are betraying, with the extra option of quitely voting against the odd item--with no effect on the outcome, mind you--as a means of then saying "hey, we're fighting for you all" to the voters they are actually ignoring.
As evidence of my claim, Jacqueline is correct in pointing out that the Maori Party did not vote for the 90-day "fire at will" bill, but they also made SO little fuss over such an important issue, that it's plain to see that the "no" vote was pure cynacism. In fact, most people I've talked to think they supported the bill!
Nope, they entered this alliance basically claiming to be the watchdog for National, and instead are nothing more than a lapdog.
Self-serving traitors. Nothing more.
And for the record, I decided not to vote for the Maori party at the last minute. Best decision I think I ever made.
Many Maori, particularly the educated elite have throughout history participated and contributed to the various Government policies that seek to oppress and marginalise Maori rights. Many of these educated elite to which history books have praised pushed for discriminitory policies such as the Tohunga Suppression Act and Native Land Act. Furthering to this, like the missionaries who drafted the Treaty of Waitangi, many were offered and recieved land from the Government as payment for their "kupapa-ness" or loyalties to the Government. Some were even notorious for legally stealing land of their neighbouring whanaunga. Throughout history there have been many of instances where Maori people have been let down by Maori who profess to advocate for rights on behalf of all Maori. Unfortunately the negative side of Maori in politics outwieghs those positive. There have been too many instances where Maori politicians have "sold out" at the expensive of our people, the so called "dispossessed" and "disenfranchised".