Most of it stretches along Mahara Lane. For the few hours on Tuesday mornings it brings some animation back to Mahara Place as the pop-up library visible does little to help.

by Bruce Moon

Truth distortion reminiscent of the Nazis

It is reported in ‘Newsroom’ for 11/11/20 that the leaders of the Maori Party have said:

“From seeking to rebuild their communities – South Taranaki and eastern Bay of Plenty – from the ravages of land alienation. From lived memories of the brutal seizures in Taranaki, that the Waitangi Tribunal and former Māori Party co-leader Dame Tariana Turia called a holocaust, memories that still cut very deep.” 

This statement is such a distortion of the truth that it is all too reminiscent of the words of Nazi propaganda Minister Josef Goebbels – those Nazis actually responsible for the real holocaust.  “Tell a big enough lie often enough,” said Hitler, “and people will believe it.”

The real situation in Taranaki in the 1840s and 1850s

Of the true situation in Taranaki, missionary Samuel Ironside wrote in 1862:

“I have lived twenty years in New Zealand in the capacity of a Wesleyan Methodist Missionary, am tolerably conversant with the language and habits of the natives, was in and out among the poor people during many of their wars, and yield to none in a sincere desire for their welfare. … Not an acre of land has ever been purchased from the natives except at their own repeated request, and by the free consent, as far as could be ascertained, of every individual owner…. They have now millions of acres of land unappropriated, not one tithe of which they can ever cultivate. This land has been a fruitful source of quarrel, bloodshed and violence, among themselves.”

And only a year or two earlier, rebels had destroyed 177 settler farms and homesteads acquired in legitimate land transactions.

The Taranaki Maoris had more to fear from the Waikato tribes, about 1200 of them dying in the ovens of the Waikato for a cannibal feast when Pukerangiora fell in 1831.  Now that was something like a “holocaust”! 

And then in 1834 the Harriet was wrecked on the South Taranaki shore, fourteen of the crew being cooked and eaten with Mrs Guard, a survivor, offered the cooked flesh of her own brother.  Even after 1840 cannibalism did not cease, with Titokowaru in his rebellion eating Maori and white victims alike.

And in the Eastern Bay of Plenty – the Opotiki area to be precise – missionary Volkner was murdered by Hau Hau rebels in 1865, his eyes being swallowed by Kereopa Te Rau who also drank Volkner’s blood from his skull in his own pulpit.  Lovely people!  Yet that man has now been pardoned by one of  your predecessors.  Every other murderer in New Zealand’s history ought to be pardoned by that standard!

Selling land willingly

And “land seizures”?  Most of the land, mostly wilderness and of very little value to them, was sold eagerly by tribe after tribe in order to obtain European trading goods.  There are registered records in Sydney of 179 pre-treaty land sales in the South Island alone, much of that being returned to former Maori owners in Hobson’s review after 1840.  The story was much the same in the North.  As you yourself have said: “roughly 80% of Maori freehold land was underutilised or underproductive”.  And that is today!  Imagine it in the 1860s!

Barbaric behaviour during the Musket wars

It was of course in the so-called Musket Wars of 1807-1837 that slaughter, cannibalism and slavery of Maori by Maori reached unprecedented heights by any standards.  Among “ravages” in the Eastern Bay of Plenty were the raid in 1818 by Ngapuhi and Ngarti Maru of Thames, reaching as far as Hicks Bay.   Hongi returned to the Bay of Islands in January 1819 with a very large number of prisoners, as many as 2,000 by one estimate, including many chiefs and many preserved heads of the slain.  The prisoners were shared out as slaves to the families of the Ngapuhi victors.  

“Brutal seizures?” “Holocaust?”  Come on, now.  How dare anybody compare colonial behaviour in Taranaki with that?  Why not ask Rawiiri Waititi to tell you about all this, Jacinda – or has he somehow forgotten?   And while he is at it, he could tell you about another Ngapuhi raid in 1823 led by Pomare when many Ngati Pukeko and Whakatohea were slaughtered – or has he forgotten that too?.

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Extravagant, untrue claims

Since in general in major land purchases, Maoris villages, gardens and graveyards were reserved to them, the land which was sold was undeveloped, virtually unproductive. and much of it virtually worthless.

Yet we have Sacha McMeeking of Ngai Tahu: saying, “the value of [its] dispossessed lands lay between $12 and $15 billion.”

We have Margaret Mutu saying, “thanks to a subsequent barrage of questionable land purchases and wholesale confiscations of vast tracts of New Zealand … the Maori lost approximately 95% of their territories.”

We have Marama Fox saying, “Over the past 160 years … 95% of our land was lost either by force or stealth.”

We have Nuk Korako writing of the “wrong” which was “the Crown’s massive theft of Maori land”.

We have Mark Solomon saying, “Ngai Tahu lost $12 billion worth of assets.”

We have Joshua Hitchcock claiming that, “the total value of the loss suffered by Ngai Tahu amounted to $16 billion.”

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Robbing the taxpayer on the basis of false claims

Prime Minister, I am sick and tired of the perpetual lies being told by such people, many of whom have substantially more European than Maori ancestry.  Many of them note their tribal affiliations, but do not mention their British forebears — in some notable cases a father or grandparents!  I wonder why?

I am sick and tired of fraudulent claims being accepted at face value by the corrupt Waitangi Tribunal.

I am sick and tired of government after government paying up on such a basis in transactions which amount to the robbery of other citizens of New Zealand.

I am sick and tired of the racial hatred stirred up by false claims about our colonial past and the destruction it causes in our once happy little country of New Zealand.

I thought it proper to inform you.

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On a related theme, we recommend reading this article by veteran journalist Karl du Fresne who, as usual, is spot on in his observations. —Eds

The realtor’s description — webpage — is more effusive: “Stunning architectural brilliance”. But it’s certainly different enough to merit our mention of it.

Being down a gated enclave, Brassey Way off Te Moana, most people won’t get to see it otherwise. The floor area is 302 sq. metres and land area is 2458 sq. metres. It has a deadline sale this Friday.

By Roger Childs

There was no way the national rugby team was going to lose three tests in a row. After defeats to Australia and Argentina in consecutive weeks, the All Blacks roared back yesterday to thrash the Pumas in Newcastle 38-0. It was the sort of form the fans expect, and players and coaches were well aware that their reputations were on the line. As expected the New Zealanders were on the offensive from the start and never let the Pumas get into the game. 

It was just 10-0 at half time and after missing some early scoring opportunities in the second half, Ardie Savea eventually crashed over for a try from a well worked lineout movement. The Argentines had had to make a large number of tackles as they held off wave after wave of attacks for much of the game, but finally in the last quarter the pressure told and there were three late All Black tries.

Passion, commitment and discipline

Two weeks ago the Pumas had played out of their skins and soundly beat the lack-lustre All Blacks 25-15. Surprisingly their selectors chose two new props in the run-on team at Newcastle and they proved no match for Joe Moody and Nepa Laulala. In the scrums the New Zealanders invariably shunted their opponents back meaning that there was quality front-foot ball for Smith to set the backs alight with rapid passing or for the number eight to launch attacks on the blindside.

This was not a flawless performance and there was still too much ball kicked away, Mo’unga normally accurate cross kicks were too long and there were some poor options taken in the backs.  However generally the All Blacks ran hard at the opposition, the passing was slick and Caleb Clarke on the left wing was particularly impressive. They were also quick to capitalise on the many handling errors made by the Pumas and late in the game Will Jordan coming off the bench shows tremendous pace to pick up two tries from intercepts.

Unlike two weeks ago the All Blacks dominated the rucks and mauls, and the forwards running in mid field always got over the advantage line.  As usual the tackling was strong and the Pumas never looked like scoring.

Looking ahead

Ian Foster and his coaching team will have been pleased and relieved with the team’s performance. There was plenty of commitment in this last test of the year and the discipline was impressive apart from some flurries in the last few minutes, The future for New Zealand rugby looks good, as all 23 players who took the field in Newcastle showed they were worthy of wearing the coveted black jersey. It is uncertain who the All Blacks will play 2021 however whoever their opponents are, the team will be looking to play consistently at the level of their test victories in Auckland, Sydney and Newcastle.

There are a lot of them on the web, here is a small selection.

By Tony Orman

The Tararua Ranges’ 1080 drops scheduled by OSPRI and the Greater Wellington Regional Council have no justification says the Sporting Hunters Outdoor Trust.  The OSPRI (formerly The Animal Health Board) planned drop east of Levin is founded on false beliefs.

Trust spokesman and conservationist Laurie Collins of the West Coast says current 1080 aerial drops on public lands in the Tararua Ranges and other areas are based on the two fallacies –

• of possums spreading TB 
• that the country has a bovine TB problem.

“Neither is true,” he says. “It’s irresponsible of OSPRI to be wasting public funds and damaging the ecology of public lands with 1080 and telling fibs.” 

Laurie Collins says the belief in possum-spread bovine Tb has been disproven a few years go when in Parliament the Minister of Primary Industries, Nathan Guy, disclosed that of 9830 possums autopsied, none had Tb. “Yet in 2020 we have OSPRI carrying out mass aerial 1080 poisoning in several areas including public lands such as the Tararua Ranges,” he says.

New Zealand is virtually TB-free

Laurie Collins says New Zealand is virtually TB free and probably one of the most TB-free countries in the world. The world standard for a country to declare “TB free” is 0.2% for TB infected herds and 0.1% for infected cattle. New Zealand rates of TB infection in cattle were slight, i.e. 0.0019% average generally over the last decade. 

“It is so far below that required by world standards for a TB-free declaration  — New Zealand must be one of the world’s most TB-free countries.”

“Of deep concern to New Zealanders who are outdoor Kiwis whether tramping, hunting, trout fishing or seeking whatever recreation in mountain areas, is the indiscriminate spreading of a poison that kills anything which ingests it.”

The poison 1080 has no “species boundaries — whether an insect, bird or animal, it kills.” he says. “Basically 1080 is an eco-system poison.”

Laurie Collins, now retired, has long and extensive experience of 1080, having been involved as a Forest Service trainee in the trials of the toxin’s first use in the late 1950s in the Caples Valley, Lake Wakatipu and in subsequent pest management work.

Transporting stock has spread TB

In the past there have been cases of farmers wrongly transporting stock from infected areas with resultant TB outbreaks on farms. OSPRI had ignored the stock transportation factor, proceeded to wrongly blame possums and then aerially spread 1080 over adjoining public lands. Laurie Collins cites such an instance in Marlborough’s Wairau Valley.

NZ’s extremely low TB infection rates raises the question whether OSPRI has a continuing role. “Instead of celebrating New Zealand’s TB-free status, OSPRI remains in denial and states its aim is total eradication of TB,” he says. “Is it that OSPRI want to continue its existence and jobs, funded by taxpayers and from farmer levies?”

Even from the first discovery of TB in possums near Westport in the late 1960s, no-one ever seems to have questioned whether the possum infected cattle, or cattle infected the possum. The default position has always been that it is possum that have infected the cattle. 

Last month we asked several questions about the building that was being used until its forced closure in December 2018, and the responses are shown below. It’s fairly clear from them that no firm plans or even ideas yet exist.

The reality, however, is that gutting and refurbishing that building is the economically sensible option, given the bad state of KCDC finances.

“As communities evolve and develop, so does the role a library plays. Libraries are no longer just about books; they’re about people. They can play a vital role in promoting and building a community’s well-being by providing opportunities for social interaction and learning activities. Alongside the development of a new library for Waikanae, we are investigating the future role of libraries in our communities. We want to ensure our libraries are shaped to support our communities now and into the future.”

The Council webpage to make statements on is here

No, not Hilary Clinton — even Biden isn’t that stupid — but his pick is little better; like Hilary (and Biden) she is an enthusiast for internationalist intervention, of the military kind, and like Hilary clearly fond of big bang wargasms.

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According to numerous media reports, President-elect Joe Biden is giving serious consideration to selecting Michèle Flournoy, a former Obama administration official, as Secretary of Defense. Based on her track record, Flournoy would neither serve Biden nor the country well.

Regardless of who Biden eventually selects, his next Pentagon chief should be someone who recognizes the world we live in today is different than the one we inherited after the Cold War.

Flournoy may look impressive on paper. She was the third highest ranking official in the Department of Defense during President Barack Obama’s first term, serving as under secretary of defense for policy and formerly the chief executive officer of the influential Center for a New American Security (CNAS).

But throughout her tenure in the Obama administration, Flournoy was often wrong on key matters of war and peace. In 2011, for example, she testified before the House Armed Services Committee that Obama’s Afghan surge was working.

Read the rest

A short piece in today’s NZ Herald is below. Back in August we predicted there would be no major release to the public of any significant evidence relating to the terrorist rampage in Christchurch and what preceded it. After all, incompetence by top bosses in the Public Service, whose considerable salaries are met by taxpayers, can’t be revealed, can it?

The interview with Tarrant probably repeated most of what he put in his manifesto at the time, which was promptly banned on Jacinda’s orders.

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Evidence given by ministers and public sector bosses to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Christchurch terrorist attack will be suppressed for 30 years.

And an interview with the Australian-born terrorist will never be released out of concern it could inspire and assist further attacks.

The inquiry’s report was provided to Internal Affairs Minister Jan Tinetti yesterday and will be publicly released on December 8, after first being shared with victims’ families and political party leaders.

It will detail any failings by police, spies, and other government agencies in the leadup and aftermath to the mosque shootings on March 15, 2019, in which 51 people were killed.

Read the rest