All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. —United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, Article 1
No place for special treatment
By Roger Childs
In central and local government there is no justification for treating Maori, or any other ethnic group, as special and worthy of separate representation. As a democratic nation, which has signed up to the Declaration of Human Rights, we are in breach of that important document if we allocate special political places on the basis of ethnicity.
However, there are currently seven parliamentary seats set aside for Maori, and voters from the group can chose between the general roll and the Maori roll. This is a clear repudiation of Article 1 and is a classic case of some citizens being more equal than others.
All New Zealanders, regardless of their origins, have rights, needs and interests which are largely the same. Everyone has the same access to central and local government services, provisions and benefits regardless of whether they are Indian, Tongan, South African, Irish, or part of any other group of New Zealanders. So in electing those who will govern at the local, regional or national level, the same principle of equality should apply, as spelled out in Article 21 of the UN Declaration:
The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.
Greater Wellington Regional Council want a vote on Maori representation
Across New Zealand, three authorities – Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Waikato Regional Council, and Wairoa District Council – have specific tangata whenua representation on their boards. —Stuff 29 July 2020
At its September 24 meeting the Greater Wellington Regional Council (GWRC) will discuss the possibility of a special Maori seat on the local body to take effect after the 2022 election.
Last month the South Wairarapa District Council turned down the concept of a special Maori ward and polls in New Plymouth and Palmerston North a few years ago rejected the idea by over 75%.
Surely the GWRC has more important work to do than fly a kite for more political separatism? There is no justification for such an undemocratic move, as part-Maori people have the same access to the Regional Council’s services as anyone else, and can make representations and submissions on issues of interest such as environmental protection, in the same way that other people can.
The GWRC should get on with the business of environment management, flood protection and land management, provision of regional parks, public transport planning and funding, and metropolitan water supply. There is nothing in this list of important functions that is different for Maori people compared with other citizens.
The article is spot on .KCDC has gone to extremes again. It has set up a Governance Board for the Gateway project. None represent ratepayers (who will be paying all the money) but there are 2 IWI and 2 other Maori representatives.
Just keep calm. Don’t you know that all the animals are equal … but some are more equal than others. That is why the seven per cent or so of New Zealand’s citizens who claim to be Maori (although in fact there are no full-blood Maoris in existence) are able to claim special privilege. They say that this is so under the terms of the Treaty of Waitangi, which is utterly false because there is no suggestion of this in the wording of the actual treaty. It is just in the minds of these racial supremacists, and unfortunately we have stupid politicians in this country who have gone along with this rort.
As usual Waikanae Watch is holding its cringeworthy position as the last media outpost for crusty old fellas and their white middle class white supremacy,
Views expressed on here are those of the writers and not necessarily those of the website owners. If you disagree with them perhaps say why, rather than indulging in personal attacks.
What you have posted is called argumentum ad hominem.
For the benefit of low watt bulbs that means playing the man, not the ball.
If you disagree with someone, you are obliged to produce a superior standard of counter-argument and/or evidence by way of substantive rebuttal.
Or you fail.
Simple as that.
Black American political economist, Thomas Sowell – one the most important though largely unsung public intellectuals of the last 100 years – had this to say about leftists:
“Anyone who studies the history of ideas should notice how much more often people on the political left, more so than others, denigrate and demonise those who disagree with them — instead of answering their arguments.”
“One of the painful signs of years of dumbed-down education is how many people are unable to make a coherent argument. They can vent their emotions, question other people’s motives, make bold assertions, repeat slogans– anything except reason.”
Twat!
Those seeking Maori electoral privilege don’t know the history of their country, and need to read a bit more widely. I’m not going to do their research for them, but I’ll give a few examples of Maori who have been elected to public office on their own merits. There are many more if you go look.
James Tui Carroll (later Sir) was first elected to Parliament in the Eastern Maori seat in 1887. In the 1893 election, Sir James stood in the General Seat of Waiapu and was returned to Parliament by a large majority. From 1908, he represented the General Seat of Gisborne, until defeated in 1919.
Sir James was acting Colonial Secretary (equivalent to the Minister of Internal Affairs) from 1897 to 1899. He was the first Maori to hold the cabinet position of Minister of Native Affairs, which he held between 1899 and 1912. Sir James was held in such regard within the ruling Liberal Party that he was Acting Prime Minister for several months on each occasion in 1909 and 1911, when the Prime Minister was overseas for protracted periods.
In a first past the post Parliament, Winston Peters was elected to the General Seat of Hunua in 1978 but only after winning a High Court battle for a recount that overturned the election night result. He lost this seat in 1981, but in 1984 successfully stood in the General Seat of Tauranga, which he held until 2005, first for National, then for New Zealand First. The man who defeated Peters when he tried to regain his seat in 2008, Simon Bridges, is of Maori descent.
Two of Winston Peters’ brothers, Ian and Jim, have also been MPs.
Georgina Beyer, a trans-sexual as well as being of Maori descent, has been Mayor of Carterton, and has represented the General Seat of Wairarapa, defeating her National Party opponents several times in a conservative rural electorate.
Donna Awatere-Huata’s father, Maori Battalion hero, Arapeta Awatere, was elected to Auckland City Council in 1962, serving until 1969, when he got into a spot of legal trouble. Seems to run in the family.
When I was living in Whangarei in the early 2000s, Kahu Sutherland, a youth and community worker, was elected to Whangarei District Council because people of all races saw him as a committed and tireless worker for his community. Indeed, I voted for him myself, for that reason.
All these people were voted in by a general constituency of voters on their merits. There’s a raft of others if one bothered to look.