We wrote this post a year ago on the 75th anniversary and hadn’t intended to mention it again this year, but the appalling comments of the present Race Relations Commissioner, Mr Meng Foon (see earlier), claiming “it was no worse” that what he and a few other extremists allege the British did to Maori in the 19th century compell a restatement.

The Holocaust in Europe of the WWII years conducted by the Nazis was genocide on an industrial scale and millions perished in the Konzentrationslager dotted throughout occupied Europe but mostly in Poland, several of them built, like Auschwitz II–Birkenau above, with the specific purpose of exterminaing the Jews and other peoples the Nazis considered undesirable.

Mr Foon in making his ridiculous comparison is not only a clown, but his lies are dangerous as it’s quite likely these views, supported by the Maori Party and its fellow travellers, are going to be included in the rewriting of the history curriculum in schools. And if you object to this nonsense, with Jacinda’s intended “hate speech” laws, you may well find yourself being visited by the Thought Police.

For now, let us remember the millions who perished under the official racism of Nazi Germany.

Field Way and William Street in the foreground. (from Google Earth)

This is on the agenda of tomorrow’s Council meeting. The background notes state:

“The Land contained in Record of Title WN569/17 comprises two land parcels being Lots 8-9 Block VI Deposited Plan 1031, as shown in Appendix 1. Lot 8 fronts Seddon Street and Lot 9 fronts Elizabeth Street, Waikanae. There are four buildings located on the Land, which are owned respectively by the Waikanae Bridge Club, the Waikanae Arts & Crafts Society and Waikanae Montessori Pre-School (two buildings). The Land is vested in the Council and the purpose of the reserve was gazetted on 22 February 1950 to be “… reserves for county purposes”.

“Investigations into the Land have found that it has not been given its formal classification, as required under the Act. Classification of the Land as reserve land is the underlying process that links the reserve land to the Council’s leasing powers under the Act. Currently, various parts of the Land are leased to the above three building owners as lessees, of which their new leases are on hold until the Council completes the classification process. Therefore, the Land now needs to be formally classified as Local Purpose Reserve (District) so that the Council has the requisite authority to complete those new leases.”

Thus it seems to have no practical significance and is just a legal nicety.

Intriguing, however, is this item relating to the Water Treatment Plant on the Waikanae River to be given secrecy:

What about this does Mr Maxwell and his lawyer Mr Power not want the Ratepayers to know? How much they intend to spend? Maybe why it needs to be spent — has the council not been looking after its toys again? It’s hard to think of any other reasons.

This is still operated by Queensland Railways — a 150 km trip on a 70-year old Railmotor in the far north of Queensland for which the driver is also the mechanic, involving a fair bit of shake rattle and roll over an isolated section that doesn’t connect to anything else. Top speed is 40 km/h. Strewth cobber, it’s fair dinkum Oz!

On Friday, Facebook carried out a purge of left-wing, antiwar and progressive pages and accounts, including leading members of the Socialist Equality Party. Facebook gave no explanation why the accounts were disabled or even a public acknowledgement that the deletions had occurred.

At least a half dozen leading members of the Socialist Equality Party had their Facebook accounts permanently disabled. This included the public account of Genevieve Leigh, the national secretary of the International Youth and Students for Social Equality, and the personal account of Niles Niemuth, the US managing editor of the World Socialist Web Site. In 2016, Niemuth was the Socialist Equality Party’s candidate for US Vice President.

Full article

U.S.-based commentator Caitlin Johnstone predicted this would happen (see earlier post), but maybe not as fast as it has. Does the Tech Giant cartel intend to start censoring what the International Union of Socialist Youth has to say, which the now Dear Leader of Aotearoa was elected President of in 2008? —Eds

From near sea level to over 1,000 metres altitude through the mountains.

by Dr. Michael Bassett, CNZM, QSO

Michael Bassett is New Zealand’s best-known political historian. He is the author of 15 books, nearly all of them with a political theme. He is a former Labour Party member of the New Zealand House of Representatives and cabinet minister in the fourth Labour government.

“A bizarre craze seems to be sweeping New Zealand right now. All things derived from Europe except our creature comforts must be set aside as we are expected to embrace all things Maori. It’s racism on a grand scale. No longer do our television stations refer to New Zealand. In fact, we are lucky if it’s Aotearoa-New Zealand. No reference to the fact that, as Michael King shows, Maori didn’t have a name for these lands, and only came to accept “Aotearoa” in relatively recent times.

Several newspapers are falling into line and are now calling our country Aotearoa, a name unknown to most people beyond our shores. No public debate. We are expected to acquiesce. The name “New Zealand” which dates back to Abel Tasman’s visit in 1642 came more into early use and is the name by which our land has always been recognized abroad. It won’t be long before the Woke who are driving all this insist on officially changing our country’s name. Instead of being proud New Zealanders, we’ll be expected to call ourselves Aotearoaians. They’ll try to avoid a referendum lest it results in rejection like occurred with changing the flag. Just impose it! The woke have no respect for democracy.

Government departments and public institutions are being renamed at such a rapid rate that it isn’t clear what the names refer to. Waka Kotahi for Transport? Why? Since all forms of transport except the canoe were unknown to Maori, and were imported from overseas, why a Maori name? Where did Waka Kotahi come from? Waka, yes. But Kotahi? It doesn’t appear in the revered Bruce Biggs’ Maori dictionary. Waka Kotahi wasn’t a term used by Maori before settlers arrived in the 1840s and 1850s.

There are other institutions with self-bestowed Maori names that are unrecognizable to ordinary Kiwis.

Radio New Zealand, too, has been working full time. They are deleting the words both “radio” and “New Zealand” from everyday use. Nowadays it’s “Te Irirangi o Aotearoa” or “RNZ”. Don’t mention dreaded English terms! Some Radio New Zealand reporters fall over themselves trying to conform to a ruling from on high that they should introduce themselves in Te Reo, despite the fact that the concept of radio came from overseas, and was absolutely unknown to Maori.

We have also been told recently that all streets in New Zealand are to be given a Maori name. Wow. That will be an expensive exercise! Who will dream up the new names? The Maori Language Commission that seems to be churning out new words at 200 km/h? And since Maori were very thin on the ground in the Auckland area in 1840 and were soon rapidly outnumbered by settlers, it won’t be appropriate either.

A relevant fact provided to members of the Waitangi Tribunal during the Kaipara case I heard was that in 1840 there were only 800 Maori living on the million acres of land between the Kaipara and East Tamaki. That fact will be conveniently overlooked.

Nothing is sufficiently disrespectful for Pakeha whose street names quite often have family or historical significance to them.

Similar examples of cultural cringe are showing up with the move to teach New Zealand history in our schools. Scratch the surface and it becomes clear that those driving the idea want to downplay the huge significance of the arrival of European culture in New Zealand. Rather, they intend to replace it with only partially accurate accounts of the difficulties Maori faced when brought into contact with a more developed culture.

Recently, I sought from the Ministry of Education details about who was designing the curriculum. Back came the names of a couple of black arm band school teachers and a collection of Maori radicals. There were a couple of academics, both Maori. No serious Pakeha historian in sight. We can say with certainty that a skewed version of New Zealand history will be devised, one that leaves out things like the Musket Wars where Maori did irreparable harm to their own economy and society.

Instead, there will be much concentration on “evil” colonial land purchasers and settler governments, and excessive Maori land confiscations at the end of the wars of the 1860s. About the last of these, of course students must be told. The confiscations came on top of the damage that Maori had already done to themselves and helped further depress the Maori economy and damage Maori society. But what is taught to modern students should not exclude everything that reflects badly on Maori themselves.

Moreover, kids need to know that up to 50% of Maori in the country in the 1860s sided with the Crown. And they need to be told why. The term “Kupapa Maori” to describe those Maori is regarded by modern Maori as equivalent to being called an “Uncle Tom”. But it was respected in earlier times.

And if one needs any more evidence that cultural cringe has reached massive proportions in Auckland, have a look at the programme for the Auckland Arts Festival between 4-21 March 2021. Its Maori name, Te Ahurei Toi O Tamaki, takes precedence on the front cover.

Remember, that in Auckland, Maori are only 11.5% of the total population. Pacific Islanders are 13% of Auckland’s population and Asians constitute more than 25%, according to the latest census. People of European ethnicity make up more than 50% of Auckland’s population, but in the eyes of the organisers of the festival they don’t count. The programme is “kapa haka, Maori artists, waiata sing alongs and korero [that] will bring the taonga that is te reo front and centre for audiences”. Really? In a city where almost 90% of people are not of Maori ethnicity?

Why hasn’t Auckland City, Creative New Zealand, Foundation North and a collection of worthy sponsors spared a thought for the overwhelming majority of Auckland citizens and ratepayers? Where is the “equity” in this festival? Answer: too much power has been allowed to slip into the hands of crusaders who for too long seem to have been able to commandeer the resources of others for their own political ends.

When, or will, Aucklanders, and New Zealanders as a whole, stop cringing and wake up to what is being done to their culture and largely with their money?”

(from BassettBrashandHide.com — original article)

The average house on the Kāpiti Coast earned more in untaxed capital gains over the final  three months of 2020 than the average New Zealander earned in pre-tax income over the entire year. We also saw average house prices jump by more than $100,000 over the year. 

What this continues to highlight is that we urgently need a combined response from Government, local government and the industry to solve the housing affordability issues that are being further exacerbated. 

As the holder of the housing portfolio, I’m pleased that this council with the backing of our elected representatives has elevated the housing work programme, so that it now forms a significant new tranche of work within the Long Term Plan.  

Unfortunately, the problem is so significant, it will take a new response from the  government, and possibly even a political consensus to achieve real change. 

Despite the enormity of the issue, our council is already working to create a housing programme, and there are a number of activities under way. However, with such an  important issue, this programme will go out for consultation in the Long Term Plan.  

With councillors and the public’s backing, we can make some significant changes to help ensure it is easier to provide housing solutions, and that we can encourage the types of  housing that the free market is not delivering.  

We have to do our best to ensure the people that already live here have access to houses,  while also planning for the 30,000 to 50,000 who are expected to move here over the next thirty years. That requires some significant changes within our planning and processes, and our strategic thinking. It is a huge challenge for all of council, and I look forward to talking about the housing programme as the political year begins. 

If you are keen on reading what is occurring behind the scenes, here’s a short report within the Strategy and Operation Committee Meeting on 19 November 2020. 

Rob McCann 

KCDC Councillor — Housing Portfolio

By Roger Childs

The enterprising Englishman Edward Gibbon Wakefield and his sons were instrumental in the settlement of Wellington in 1840. The Wakefield New Zealand Company would also set up other communities in Nelson, Wanganui and New Plymouth. Questionable land purchases were done with local Maori a year or two before and some of these were called into question by the new colonial government which was established in Russell following the Treaty of Waitangi. 

The setting up of the New Zealand British colony in early February 1840 was hastened partly by concerns about what the Wakefields were up to further south.

An uncomfortable start for the migrants

Local Te Ati Awa Maori helped the first British settlers from the Aurora land on Petone Beach on 22 January 1840, but to the new arrivals’ dismay there were no wooden houses awaiting them. So it was life under canvass for a few weeks in a settlement which was patriotically called Britannia. (There are excellent displays about this first community at the Petone Museum.)

It was soon apparent that the swampy, flood-prone land of the Lower Hutt Valley was utterly unsuitable for building and within a few months the settlers decamped for Te Aro on the other side of the harbour. The new town was soon named after the “Iron Duke” who with a bit of help from the Prussians has eventually prevailed over the French at the Battle of Waterloo 25 years earlier.

Growth and celebration

By the end of 1840 about 2300 migrants had arrived in more than 100 ships, and houses had been built and streets laid out in Wellington. On the first anniversary in January 1841 the community had developed enough to be able to host two formal balls, church services and a feast, as well as horse and canoe races, rifle shooting and games.

So 25 January 2021 is the 181^st anniversary of British people coming to “Wellington”, but why do the citizens of the Kapiti Coast, Hutt Valley, the Porirua Basin, Wairarapa, Horowhenua, Wanganui, Manawatu and Rangitikei, as well as Wellington, get a holiday on Monday? Basically all those regions were once part of the Wellington Province.

The New Zealand provinces 

In the mid 19^th century there were few roads and no railways. Most travel between the scattered communities of the fledgling British colony was by sea. So in 1852 six provinces were set up under the constitution to provide for the efficient administration of the country’s scattered settlements. Four more provinces were added later.

However by 1876 land transport was rapidly expanding, railways were being built and many provincial administrations were in dire financial straits. The central government in Wellington, led by Julius Vogel, decided the time had come to abolish the provinces.

The provinces have broken down because of their coming into conflict with the colonial government on many points, and especially on points of finance. Their doom was only a question of time … –Colonial Treasurer, Julius Vogel 1874

However, each province had set up an anniversary day and 145 years after the abolition of provincial government, these public holidays remain.

Provincial pride

There was an attempt to set up a national holiday to replace provincial anniversaries, but this failed. The anniversaries remain and people continue to identify with their “province” even though there have been many changes over the last hundred years in how districts/regions/boroughs/cities are administered. 

For many, there is pride is being from Taranaki or the Waikato; identifying as a West Coaster or a Southlander. Many sports teams continue to have a provincial basis, and cultural, professional and employment groups still associate themselves with a province or region.

It’s a long way back to the demise of the provinces, however, anniversary days are here to stay! New regions and identities have emerged over the last 145 years, but it is the original provincial boundaries from the mid 19^th century that determine which day you get your holiday.

So whatever your origins and date of arrival in the place where you live today, enjoy your provincial holiday!