Monday, December 6, 2010

beside you is safe

Hone has made his submission to the select committee considering the new Bill to replace the Foreshore and Seabed Act. I agree with everything he says.

From Stuff
"Even the four members of the Maori Party who are voting for this bill are on record as saying this bill is not what Maori want, and that they expect our children and our grandchildren to continue to fight to make it right.
"Well this is not a legacy I want to leave for my grandchildren. I intend fighting for these rights as hard as I can, for as long as I can, while I'm alive today.
"Our job is to express the will of the Maori people, to defend Maori rights and to advance Maori interests, and to fight with every fibre of our being, against any threat to those rights - outside of Parliament, and inside as well.
"We were not elected to go soft because we go into coalition with anyone. We were not elected to accept the crumbs that fall from another man's table. And we were not elected to meekly accept that which we know to be wrong.
"This bill is wrong, and we were elected to fight against bills like this.''
... So yes, this bill restores the right to go to court, but it's a Clayton's clause, because when Maori get through the door they will simply not have the finance to sustain a long and ugly legal battle that they have little chance of winning. That's not justice, and the Government should be ashamed to say it is.''

Well - IMO it is now time to increase our preparations for the battle, it is time to draw up ranks with hone. In past times now would be the time for a relative to semi-secretly enter the pa and inform the occupants of what was about to happen - so that they could escape.

2 comments:

Country Lane said...

As a Pakeha I'm saying to Hone "I'll stand beside you when you leave the Tory Maori Party".
I too agree with what Hone says. It's what he DOES that will be important in the next couple of months.

Marty Mars said...

yes country actions will speak louder than words and we have heard many words. The tone and words used in this submission leave me in no doubt that change is coming - the challenge was very direct in a round about way.