From Scoop
“The proposed legislation is discriminatory because it creates one set of rules for Maori title, and another for the 12,500 existing private titles in the foreshore and seabed,” said Green Party Maori Affairs Spokesperson David Clendon.
The Marine and Coastal Area Bill being introduced to Parliament today does not guarantee public access to the foreshore and seabed owned under private title and does not stop these private titles being sold. It also outlines that Maori customary title can be overridden by mining interests whereas private title interests cannot.
“This bill effectively treats Maori rights as second class,” said Mr Clendon.There is no argument against this because it is true and the maori party are voting for it - I wonder how many votes they will get next election. I voted for and believed in the maori party, but there is something missing within them at the moment.
With ACT disintegrating like they deserve, the maori party had a real opportunity to put the pressure on and get some real gains for their constituents. The danger is that more baubles will be dangled and egos stroked and nothing will happen. I'm not holding my breath.
I like Hone, but he is not a leader of a political party, he is too hot headed. Others needs to be found that can carry the mana and responsiblity. Leadership is about bringing the people with you, it is about walking backwards to the future, it is time for new leaders to be bought forth to push the political agenda for maori. And these people need to be immune from the poisoned fruits of the exploitive, comodification driven, capitalist quagmire. Let us turn our backs to that system opposite to kaupapa.
Good on the greens for supporting maori - they are doing the right thing for the right reasons.
Smug finlayson says
"When the Attorney-General was asked at question time why private titles were being treated differently to Maori title his response was because “two wrongs don’t make a right”.How about - two wrongs do make two wrongs - or does that not compute?
3 comments:
good blog Marty. I often find myself wondering why the Greens seem to be more supportive of Maori than the Maori Party! Yes it's time we had new leaders, and a new party for Maori voters
Marty, regularly enjoy your blog.
As to putting pressure on for "real gains for their constituents", what kind of thing are you talking about? A lower test? Applying the new legislation to the existing private foreshore titles as well? Vesting all foreshore and seabed in "Maori title"?
Whatever the gains you have in mind, do you think those are possible in the current Parliament?
Kia ora korua
Thanks for the compliments.
Real gains do mean all the things you mention anon-7.54, and I was thinking wider than the F&S too, because of the increased importance of the maori party to the gnats and how that could be leveraged. The onus of compromise will shift to the gnats with the rebalancing of power. The buddy/buddy routine can now fulfill its purpose and it is time for hard eyes - but as i said I'm not holding my breath.
Key is setting the agenda and the parameters of the debate by demonising Hone and saying that if Hone liked it, most middleof theroaders wouldn't. There is too much misinformation and Key's lines need to be challenged, new memes need to get out.
Unfortunately the maori party don't seem to be able to disengage from the centre of power to be of any use. I have always believed that you can change the system from within but maybe that is just naive.
But multiple fronts is the way to go - ACT are gone-burgers, winnie is building his forces, labour is after the middle and the greens have a disturbing tendancy to go that way too. The maori party have to go back to the basics and remember their kaupapa, and their mana.
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