lines up

Good to see some action beginning around the up and coming election this year. Firstly though - Greg O'Connor the retired Police Association president courted by Labour, for Ohariu. Now lets try that sentence again the way I really want to write it. Greg O'Connor? - the retired Police Association spokeperson?? courted by Labour???, for Ohariu????. To me the icing on the shit cake was this

Labour leader Andrew Little has confirmed discussions between the party and former Police Association president Greg O'Connor - saying O'Connor "lines up perfectly" with Labour's calls for better police resourcing.

 Yep, well, he wants to arm police

Police Association President Greg O'Connor has long warned that police are dealing with an ever-increasing number of armed offenders and says the latest incident comes as no surprise.The former officer once took an adamant stance against guns, but now acknowledges times have changed.

and this was telling too

"Believe me by next year, I believe it will be an election issue the political parties will be climbing over each other trying to get policies changed."

hmmm nice prophecy greg - looks like with labour you may have an opportunity to  "get policies changed".

For me greg has been too hardline, too willing to always back the police. I don't care that he is the cousin of an existing Labour MP, and I don't care that he may get a 'free-ride' against peter dunne if labour's plan to get the Greens to not run against their man works. I do care that O'Connor has extreme 'police' views and ex police officers are not the best MP's in my opinion.

the win in winston

Unintended consequences has been a concept on my mind recently - some thoughts on the recent by-election in Northland.

The election of Winston Peters in Northland will have unintended negative consequences for the left I think. The left as a whole and the individual parts of the left and I'll start with Labour.

As I've mentioned before I think the way Labour went about the Northland by-election was a mistake. The number of times I heard Labour people say - we can't win, we won't win, this un winnable - was depressing. Whether it was true or not is beyond the point - don't forget the big man key said Winston could and would never win - yet he did.

Okay let's assume that Labour could and never would win - what to do? Yes one option is to help Winston win with the view that giving National a 'bloody nose' is valuable because it will erode the win-meme attached to Key and Joyce and lead the way to a victory for Labour next election - that is certainly the line being used and now that Winston has won it will be interesting to see this meme develop. At this stage Key and Joyce are just pretending that they never lost and that it doesn't matter. Key is spinning it, "well I got it wrong and didn't expect Labour to capitulate and send their people to Winston" and Joyce is going, "yep you win some and lose some, that's politics..." I think their spin will work - it certainly has worked up to now with the almost continuous lying from Key and the almost continuous support he still receives. Time will tell on this one but it by no means certain that the winkeymeme is over or even really dented.

Labour missed a big opportunity to go hard, push Little out there and their candidate, push their policies, push their alternative Government meme - but they decided not to. Sure Prime will get a nice list placing and in 2.5 years is much more likely to get into Parliament. But Little and Labour have snapped a couple of arrows in their quiver - the moral high-ground over deals in Epsom around ACT and the Dunne electorate too. Everytime they go down that 'moral' road, Northland will be chucked in their face - even if it wasn't a deal and not really comparable to what National does - I just don't think the movable voter will care about those details. So Labour are going to have to do more of this 'strategic' dealing and i just can't see it going well for them - mainly because I do think they have more morals than National and as we've seen with Northland - it is difficult to front up and say it like it is especially when innuendo and nudge nudge are easier to do.

Andrew Little will need to be careful with Winston - their can be only one leader of the opposition and although Labour have the numbers, Winston has the ego, experience and wind in his sails after this win. He will get offended very quickly and dish out some smartarse remarks likely to get up Little's nose. The 2 of them are not going to get on I think - sure they'll pretend for a while but before too long the truth will out and that truth is that they are political rivals in a very direct way. Winston's age may be bought in but I would be careful about that because everyone's getting older. I'm calling that Winston will end up disliking Little as much as he does Key and that will be significant if the negotiations need to happen in 2.5 years.

Labour have let a wolf into the henhouse - National have received their bloody nose but they will heal. Labour may not heal from the win of Winston.

king's hundred straws

On a regular basis someone has a go at some aspect of Māoridom that they can't get their heads around. Unsurprisingly it is often the same areas that get criticized and pōwhiri is one of the regulars. Many, many pōwhiri have been performed over all of the years yet the meaning and understanding of this is still lost to most. Why is that? Simple - the Government has a responsibility to help all citizens understand and comprehend aspects of Māoridom as guaranteed within The Treaty of Waitangi via equality, but like everything about that agreement, they have not performed their duty and have deliberately not helped their citizens to understand and comprehend even the most basic aspects of their treaty partner. They haven't done it because they have preferred division within society and the othering of Māori. Why? Just makes business easier I suspect. 

Onto today's example, Labour MP Annette King is not happy , why?

Scoop

While Youth MPs were sworn into parliament today, Labour’s Annette King showed outrage over a gender segregated Powhiri. 

Labour MP Annette King said she was not comfortable with the “segregated nature” of the welcoming.

“In no way would this have happened during Helen Clark’s day,” she said.

Ms King said she would strive for gender equality for future Powhiri’s so that they could “accurately reflect” the House of Representatives.

“A change is long overdue, in my opinion,” she said.

Pathetic from that long standing member of Parliament and rubbish too - how many pōwhiri have been done whilst she has been in Parliament do you think? Well she got elected in 1984, had a term out of Parliament and came back in in 1993 - so let's be generous and say over 25 years in Parliament and now she is suddenly 'not comfortable' after hundreds of pōwhiri - and just how many pōwhiri during the Helen Clark 9 years in Government, by the same iwi? Still hundreds imo.

The fact that this person is now telling Māori what to do and what is acceptable in cultural activities is disgusting and shows what a waste of space King is. This Member of Parliament had ample opportunity to positively work to support a greater understanding of Māori culture for all people in this land - what did she do? The answer via her own dim comments is nothing - like just about every other colleague she has had on both sides of the house.

Update - this is a comment I put on The Standard regarding the 'gender segregation' in response to pops - it covers a bit of ground.

pops

But it sounds like you’re saying Maori tikanga is dead and static. I always understood it to be adaptive and evolving – you know, a living culture. I don’t know many Maori under the age of 35-40 who would still buy into that gender segregation crap.

me

Of course it is a living culture and continually evolving – you know that and you know I think that. It isn’t gender segregation – bloody hell why does everything have to be filtered through your particular worldview. The debate is there within Māoridom with strong advocates on all sides. Have you actually considered any of those views? Have you considered for instance that, as some argue, the whole debate about who gets to speak is based on a context where male behaviour is used as the norm against which female behaviour is judged. Or how about the idea that within an oral culture there are many ways to speak not just the obvious one and that women speak in many ways throughout pōwhiri and within a Māori cultural context – but oh it doesn’t fit the ‘right’ way to speak which is based upon an imposed western cultural system which is assumed to be the best way. Anyway there are many other angles and points around this other than the knee-jerk – oh look at the gender segregation. A living culture is able, entitled and obligated to evolve within its own parameters and worldview without interference from those who assume a superiority that isn’t deserved or matched with the realities they create in the world they dominate.

 

 

the terror of shearer

I have refrained from giving david shearer the leader of the Labour Party a hard time on this blog mainly because I figured labour would sort out the issues relating to him and his leadership of that political party. But his latest utterances leave me no choice. There is a by-election in the Māori electorate of Ikaroa-Rawhiti after well respected, Labour stalwart, Parekura Horomia died recently. The political parties contesting that seat are Labour, The Maori Party, The Green Party and The Mana Party. David shearer, on behalf of Labour, said on the opening of the campaign that they will make

Scoop

a promise that the party will use the next four weeks to honour the legacy of Parekura Horomia, and retain the seat he held for 14 years.

That is a good thing to say - to honour the legacy, but unfortunately shearer has not done that because within the same press release he also said

We will organise, mobilise and terrorise our political opponents.

Yep The Greens and Mana are political opponents that will be terrorised - forget that the main enemy is john key's national party, oh no for shearer The Greens and Mana are the enemies.

This word terrorise was deliberate and designed to send a message and that message was not lost on the Mana candidate for the seat, Te Hamua Nikora

Scoop

Te Hamua Nikora is stunned by Labour’s plan to win the electorate.

And why was this such a shocker by shearer

Nikora said that to hear that message from Labour on a day like today when Tuhoe are settling with the Crown is in extremely poor taste. “Tuhoe haven’t forgotten that it was a Labour Government that raided their homes in Taneatua and Ruatoki in 2007. Tuhoe know that the call to raid their homes by our police came from Labour. It’s another sad legacy on the part of the Labour Party when it comes to Maori rights”.

Yep Tuhoe settled officially with the Crown yesterday, the same day shearer made his statement. Tuhoe receive putea of 170M and most importantly an apology for the following

TVNZ

Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson said the "past breaches against Tuhoe are some of the worst in the story of our nation".

"Land was confiscated; villages and crops burned; families killed and men executed," said Finlayson.

"The relationship with their homeland whittled away despite promises. These sorry events have left a stain on the history of Te Urewera region, and on the history of the Crown in New Zealand.

"Today we address squarely that history, which has remained ever present in Te Urewera to this day."

The Crown admitted that over a hundred year period it:

- Confiscated the best land
- Carried out "unjust" land sales
- Undertook a brutal military campaign that has been described in a contemporary account as "extermination"

 Tuhoe also have negotiated some awesome concessions

TVNZ

The settlement will see iwi co-manage Te Urewera National Park with the Government, and in five years it will negotiate to have Mana Motuhake, or self-rule, which means more control over education, health and housing services in the area.

A great day for Tuhoe and it is such a pity that people like shearer have zero idea of the significance of what has occurred for that Iwi and what this settlement means to them. That is why this call to terrorise opponents is so distasteful and so wrong - it is a slap in the face to all Māori and a disgraceful way to honour the memory of Parekura Horomia. The use of the word terrorise is another example of why david shearer is not fit to be in parliament let alone lead a political party - he is the weakest link in our struggle to remove the government of john key and all of their destructive practices.

get lost keylite

I've tried to keep out of the Labour Party infighting because, well I gave up on them long ago, but the news that their leader David Shearer 'forgot' he had over $50,000 in his bank account and 'forgot' to declare it is too much. Idiot/Savant says it so much better than i can

No Right Turn

Shearer clearly knows the rules around bank accounts, because he already declares one (a term deposit with Westpac). So he can't claim ignorance as a defence. If he deliberately tried to deceive the New Zealand public about his assets, then he's morally unfit to be leader of the Labour Party, or an MP for that matter. But even if we accept his excuse, and ascribe it to sheer forgetfulness (something which I think the New Zealand public would find extremely difficult to believe), then he's too incompetent for the job. 

Shearer is a total failure and will, if given the chance, lead the once great Labour Party to another dismal failure at the next election. He is not a left politician he is a keylite and he is a liability to true left thinking people. All of the tribal labour people need to wake up and seek another political party to support. I don't expect they will choose The Mana Party because, well it is too indigenous for them and their privilege but at least they should go with the Greens who for all of their faults at least are honest. This disclosure from shearer about his non-disclosure is the final nail in his coffin I hope.

sullied waters

So The Maori Party and John Key the Prime Minister had their meeting last night and the Maori Party are pleased. It is interesting to look a little closer at this.

NZH

Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples had previously indicated the meeting was called to discuss Mr Key's comments which they said undermined the Waitangi Tribunal which is currently hearing the Maori Council's bid to halt the sale of Mighty River Power until Maori rights and interests in water are defined.

However after emerging from the meeting late last night Mrs Turia said "the main issue was that this Government would treat our people in the same way the Labour Party did by legislating away their rights".

Hmmm they seem like totally different issues to me. Key's comments have morphed into something Labour did years ago - but what they did affected Tariana significantly. She continues to try and exact revenge but I'd suggest she go to New York and get into Helen if she is so hellbent on retribution.

Mrs Turia was asked whether that meant that should a court decision subsequent to the tribunal find that Maori did have proprietary type right over water, the Government would not legislate against that.

She said: "That was what they told us tonight".

'They' - not nice Mr Key, or The Prime Minister, or Johnny - no it is they. I wonder who 'they' are. The use of 'they' implies wriggle room to me but who will do the wriggling, I'm not too sure. To date I have not heard key say it or agree with Tariana's statement.

Meanwhile in a joint statement issued by Mrs Turia, Dr Sharples and Mr Key, they said that both parties had agreed that when the Waitangi Tribunal report on the Maori Council's claim was issued that, "as part of developing their respective responses, the two parties will jointly discuss the matter".

Nice, a joint statement and key is happy to put his mark to this one. I wonder why. Could it be the slamdunk statement that they will, "jointly discuss the matter" - jeepers expect the shit to fly NOT.


So what have we got really? Joint discussions and that is it. Until I hear the words out of key's mouth about not legislating against any decision I won't believe it - and if he does say it i will still be unconvinced - key will not do it - they will not let him, and he doesn't want to anyway.

adversity binds us together

I have not really been too interested in who the next leader of the labour party will be – shearer of cunliffe. Both too similar for me but it has been interesting watching the twisting and turning I suppose, following the memes and the propaganda. The leadership of the Māori Party is also under review – who would have thought so soon after the voters have just spoken. It makes a mockery of the whole process and shows the personal issues relating to Hone’s departure because just who do you think would have won between Hone and Te Ururoa. Tim at Tumeke is of the same view. The coyness of Te Ururoa is not needed – he is the only other party MP who isn’t the co-leader – who does he think is going to get the role? So he will get to play with the big boys as a minister outside cabinet, but what will Pita do? The Māori Party say they are bringing out the new faces but I can’t see it and Tariana will retire this term too. So a heavy load for Te Ururoa to carry – I don’t wish him ill-will but I am not confident that the burden is carryable, still good luck to him.

I think Mana is in a good position to build the kaupapa and support. Hone is in parliament and can raise issues. The issues will have supporters from most parties and from the community. As the situation for people becomes much worse than it is now, they will look for someone with solutions to their real problems and Hone and Mana will be offering solutions and talking about the real issues. On one hand I feel sad about the hardships to come and on the other I feel optimism. Adversity binds people together. And we will need to bind together, as whānau, as communities, as people to ensure everyone is looked after.

I am looking forward to seeing the Greens make an impact. There are major environmental issues that the gnats want to go hard on, including mining and exploitation of our resources. The Greens will be holding the line and I wish them well. We need them to be strong and true.

Winston will be very annoying for the gnats and that will be good although I can never really trust or like him. And for the gnats and john key – a bit of a honeymoon period of congratulations, and then back into their agenda. This election has set this country on a dangerous course.

representing us

It could be argued that Hone Harawira, Mana Party leader ripping into Phil Goff the labour leader is a bit of a waste of time, but when Labour are contesting seats against Mana, it is fair and necessary and the points Hone has raised are the same ones I have wondered about.

NZH

"... many people remembered Phil Goff being a willing participant in the days when Labour was selling state assets and introducing GST "and I think that lack of credibility is coming back to haunt him now"

I know that goff has said he made a mistake dah dee dah - he did and it was a very, very big one IMO - selling those assets - apology and all made up now? - no! because the tenor of goff has not changed. Sure he may have regrets about this issue but he is still of the same mindset regarding many things. Hone relates it like this

"An old lady from down south told me that 'MANA is where Labour should be'" said Mr Harawira "and a lot of Labour voters are coming to MANA now because they don't see Phil Goff as the one to stand up to National"

Yep - look at the Mana lineup

"Annette Sykes - the best Maori rights lawyer in the country, John Minto - the 1981 anti-apartheid leader and worker's rights advocate, and Sue Bradford - the country's most well-known beneficiaries activist" "I'd put my crew up against any other team in the house, especially on the issues of Maori rights, human rights, workers rights and the rights of the poor"

and Hone sums up well with

Mr Harawira said that the choice was simple "the Labour leader who is leaving town or the MANA team, fresh for the battle and with the experience and the courage to do the business"

The courage to do the business and what is the business?

to oppose the National / Act / Maori Party government selling off state assets, and slashing funding in health, education and welfare.

It's a family business, a whānau business - everyone's welcome - join the waka.

shutter shudder

Some powerful comments in the blogosphere about the governments plans to rush through retropective legislation to allow secret filming on private property. It is a scandal and against the principles of law, but these legal commentators can say it much better than me...

Morgan at Maui Street

If the Police were aware in the Urewera investigation, which occurred years ago, that they were employing illegal investigatory methods, yet continued to do so in the years following the completion of the Urewera investigation, then the Police must be held to account. The law should not be bent to accommodate law breakers (i.e. the Police), the law should be used against those who break it intentionally.

Andrew Geddis from Pundit

So what the Government really seems to want to do here is short-circuit the courts' role in deciding if the Police's unauthorised (and, according to the Supreme Court, unlawful) use of video and photo surveillance should be allowed to stand as evidence. Instead, it will require such evidence to be let in - irrespective of whether or not it was obtained unlawfully in breach of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 (which it wasn't ... because Parliament will deem that it wasn't).

Dean Knight from Victoria Law School

Let’s recap now. As a consequence of the Supreme Court ruling, the police do not have any legal power to engage in covert video surveillance – but they knew that anyway. For investigations already undertaken, whether or not unlawfully obtained video evidence can be admitted in court depends on the context. For serious charges, it will probably still be admissible. For less serious charges, it will not be admissible. It might also turn on how significant or insignificant the degree of intrusion was and rogueness of police actions or attitudes.

Idiot/Savant from No Right Turn

In such circumstances, ramming through a bill under all-stages urgency to retrospectively validate deliberately unlawful behaviour by the Police is a gross assault on the rule of law. The police violated the law, and they should pay the price. If they didn't want to pay that price, then maybe they shouldn't have deliberately conducted unlawful surveillance in the first place. 

So there is an uproar - and the Green Party, Mana Party and The Māori Party have all said they will not support it, ACT are wavering - Labour will support it with conditions like a select committee hearing apparently but the gnats are under pressure. They have 6 sitting days of parliment before the election so it must be passed under urgency. It is obvious that we cannot trust this government - they cannot even follow the recognised process of the law that they are supposed to govern under and the evidence by the respected legal minds that blogged above is testamony to that. This issue is not going to go away and reveals a terrible truth about the gnats - they will just do what they want. The Mana Party is the best vehicle IMO to effect change and put a stick in their heinous agenda.

Hat tip Maui St

it's life jim, but not as we know it

Photo Source - the Listener

It’s hard to imagine how low some people will go sometimes – that is until they show you. don brash has shown us. During his debate with Pita Sharples on Native Affairs he pulled out the $50 and waved it in all our faces. Lew at Kiwipolitico remarked at the time

To appeal to Sir Apirana Ngata in a newspaper advertisement — as Brash did this weekend — is merely crass. To bring that actual visage in as a prop in an argument to dismantle the Aotearoa that Ngata and others had worked to build — that, as Sharples said, Ngata was criticised for being a “radical” by rich white guys like Don Brash — and seeking to imprint his divisive and offensive policies with Ngata’s mana is offensive to the man’s memory. To seek to take personal credit for Ngata’s mana being properly recognised — “I made the decision” — is obscene. To play a statesman’s memory like a chip on a weak hand at the last-chance saloon is no sort of respect. It is the ultimate “I’m not racist” gambit — “look, some of my best banknotes have Maaris on”.

Well don has gone further he is saying this about Sir Apirana Ngata, "In our current context, I'm confident he would feel his values were best embodied in the ACT Party's philosophy and policies.” I feel incensed with rage at that comment. Na Raihana expresses it well.

Radio NZ

Na Raihana, the Maori Party's Ikaroa Rawhiti candidate, says Dr Brash's conjecture that Sir Apirana would be an ACT supporter if he were still alive is "despicable."

Despicable, obscene – take your pick. Nothing is sacred to brash – he is still trying to own Māori now, today. I loathe don brash.

The image is from a listener article by Diana Wichtel - well worth a read

We have one of those futile exchanges we’ll hear a lot of this year when the question of the unique place of Maori arises.

Brash: Who do you now mean?

Me(Diana): People who identify as Maori.

Brash: If I had one 32nd Maori, could I call myself Maori?

Me: Fine by me.

Brash: I discovered to my surprise when I was Governor of the Reserve Bank two of my senior colleagues were Ngai Tahu. I couldn’t tell. They look as European as I do.

Me: What do looks matter?

Brash: Okay, it doesn’t matter. But how do you define people who get the privilege?

Me: Privilege?

Notice his technique of shifting position when his pathetic racism against Māori is exposed. Classic.

The really sick thing is that brash will be back in parliament after the election and in a position of power. The gnats have done the deal in Epsom and will campaign for the Party votes while Act will campaign for the Electoral votes. The maori party have been set adrift by key. Labour with goff will get devastated and won’t be able to do anything – it will be up to Mana and the Greens to hold the line – they will be the impenetrable barrier to blunt their assault.

always something there to remind me

Dramatic day in the House? yeah - nah. I agree that Hone should be able to pledge allegiance to Te Tiriti o Waitangi rather than the queen, as No Right Turn posts. That he couldn't, when other have adjusted the pledge without comment in the past, shows the inequity of our system. Mana are going to highlight those inequities whenever they can and yesterday was theatre to bring attention to that inequity. The Speaker and National have their own agenda and the wording of Hone's pledge was able to be used by them to stymie attention from Labour's CGT and tax announcment. They appear to be very frightened by the CGT and i like that and support the idea of a CGT.

Did everyone achieve their goals?

Hone was able to get the headlines and give his speech outside - some supporters have been turned off by the stunt politics - I know it doesn't really do much for me personally - and other supporters are "yeah right on-ing" - but no doubt the goal was achieved of highlighting the issue as evidenced by the call now from Turia for the wording of the pledge to be incorporated in the constitutional review - and how that must hurt a bit. National and smith the speaker, got to show their authority and power so their supporters are satisfied. Labour announcment still got cut-through and the pledge incident didn't deflect from their positioning, plus it offers reinforcement of goffs message that Hone isn't reliable. So, overall everyone is happy!

What about Hone's speech?

It was much more effective giving that speech on the steps of parliment rather than in the chamber - to have supporters there in front of you adds so much for all parties. The speech is here and i just want to highlight a couple of wee points that i like

Because I think that for the first time in a long, long time, ordinary people are sensing that they may finally have a voice in Parliament that represents a growing sector of New Zealand society - those who are poor, those who are marginalised, and those who have to struggle every week just to scrape together enough money to feed the family and pay the bills.

And right now in this country there are a growing number of people living in poverty. It’s not that they want to be there – it’s just that there isn’t the political will to stand against the tide of international takeovers and ruthless free-market economics that are crushing our people.

And that’s what MANA’s here for …

Tomorrow we turn ourselves to the challenges that lie ahead of MANA - of building branches dedicated to the needs of the members rather than the demands of party politics, with electorates actively demonstrating their capabilities so that MANA MPs can see where the real power lies, building a national movement based on honesty and integrity, and selecting MPs chosen for their demonstrated commitment to kaupapa and their willingness to put the needs of their people before the expectations of parliamentary procedure.

From kaumatua and kuia in Kaitaia, to millworkers in Kawerau, the homeless in Auckland, students in Palmerston North, public servants in Wellington, farmers in Canterbury and oyster-shuckers down the Bluff - everybody will know what we stand for.

There’s not a lot of time from now to the election, so we aim to keep our messages simple, we want our messengers to be people you know and trust, we plan to use every form of media we can, but most importantly, we want to win the hearts and minds of ordinary Maori and non-Maori in this country, and we want you to add a spice of MANA to the korero you have with your whanau, your friends and your neighbours, as you debate the upcoming elections and the fastest growing political movement in the country – your movement – MANA.

Our past is us, as is our future. It is time to put our backs into the mahi and build our movement.


Hone asks us all to

• Let us commit ourselves to policies that bring a sea change to the way in which we do politics in this country
• Let us commit ourselves to a programme of hard work and honest endeavour so that our people believe what it is we say.
• Let us commit ourselves to a future where the treaty lives, where rangatiratanga sits comfortably alongside kawanatanga, where Maori are lifted to a place of genuine equality in all spheres of life, and where every other citizen can thrive in this most blessed of countries
• Let us commit ourselves to developing a set of principles that will guide us in all we do, not as a political party but as a movement of the people
• Let us commit ourselves to changing our own lives so that we become the leaders that our people want to follow, and
• Let us commit ourselves to one another, to our families, to our children, and to those generations yet unborn

I am committed to this kaupapa, to these ideals and this vision. I want this country to be better for all our sakes - we have so much to offer the world - Mana is the waka for me.

we are doing good

I’ve been on a journey down south to support mum who suffered another small stroke. She is okay and doing well. The trip was eventful and overall the impression I have of the last few days is of kindness. From the start to the finish I was surrounded and supported by kindness – and I enjoyed it. The exchange of kindness via support creates obligations above and beyond any monetary value and those obligations feel natural and will be fulfilled because that is the way we do it, that is utu.

One of the unintended consequences was I really missed the by-election. Sure I heard some reports and have caught up a bit now, but I missed it. Although unintended it has been positive because I have had time to mull and consider what happened and what should happen now in regards to Mana.

It is great the Hone won and I am very pleased about that because it is the seed for the Mana Party – from this win a great tree will grow and that tree will supply shelter to those who need it. I also feel that the by-election result was a win for labour. The numbers tell the story and that majority is very slender now. I have zero time for goff – he is just a boneless weakling and his continued line about not working with Mana is idiotic and false – I don’t expect anything else from goff, but I do from labour and that hope is an illusion.

I had a number of chats with people on the road and often although they like Hone sortof they don’t like the impression that he can’t get on with people. This meme has gained traction especially amongst Ngāi Tahu I spoke to and shows the value of hitting a consistent message, albeit negative. Hone has contributed to this obviously and I think the ‘white motherfucker’ line has done more damage than anything. What to do. Hone is Hone and that will never change and I don’t want him to. Hone is quite statesmanlike when he wants to be and he is gracious too. But I think the challenge for Mana is to find a leader who is a Māori female a toa wahine. I think Hone is better and more effective when he has the room to move and he hasn’t got that as the leader of the Mana Party. Now is the time to sort this – before the election - as the list is announced and this will create media and the ability to put the message out to the people which definitely needs to be done as the by-election result shows. There is a danger that it could be perceived negatively but within the hailstorm of deliberate undermining of Mana it won’t make a difference in their messages but it would broaden the support base of Mana.

Anyway, just some thoughts.

I am with Sandra Lee on the olive branch to the maori party issue – no - we are following Hone because he is following a different kaupapa to the maori party. The people are investing Hone with mana to lead them with integrity. Of course working together is no problem but there can be no deal on the seats – that one is to be sorted in the ballot because otherwise they will not learn the lesson and they will always whinge on about how they were right – no - they will get smashed to bits and from those bits will again rise up and there will be a vehicle to represent them and it will be Mana.

So all good really. The big advantage of the by-election is to listen to the messages coming back and find the gaps and the areas where improvement can be made. People are crying out for a political party to represent them, the challenge is to show them how Mana is that Party. 

Kindness to others and to ourselves - we are doing good.

in like a needle out like a plough

Good work by labour's David Parker on highlighting the plans of the Chinese company wanting to buy Crafar farms. Thank the gods for the Official Information Act and those who know how to use it to get this information out into the open.

Stuff

Shanghai Pengxin's aspirations to branch beyond the $200 million-plus farm purchase into real estate, infrastructure development and mining in New Zealand are included in its application to the Overseas Investment Office, released to BusinessDay under the Official Information Act.

In the application the company said it regarded the proposed purchase as its "initial" investment in New Zealand.

"[Shanghai Pengxin] will actively seek other opportunities to invest in New Zealand in agribusiness, real estate development, mining and infrastructure, utilising its expertise in these areas gained in China and elsewhere in the world.

There is a saying - In like a needle out like a plough - and this is exactly what these bridgehead 'investments' are. As Green Party co-leader Russel Norman says

"We'd be idiots if we let the Chinese companies buy up all this stuff. But Labour and National have shown they are capable of it in the past so I wouldn't be surprised if they let them do it again."

Reports have said that the Chinese Investment Corporation may invest up to 6 Billion or 1.5% of their fund into this country's assets. That compares with 2% that they have supposedly set aside for Australia. Jeepers if true that will have society changing consequences for this country. We know that the government wants to sell our assets and they are going to try really hard to. To tell you the truth I don't care who stops them as long as someone does. The Mana Party will be strongly opposed, as will the Greens. Winston will rally against it and Labour will have a go, as Parker has here. It may be asking too much for Labour to lead this as they oppose Hone and Mana even more than the maori party, and as Russ mentioned their track record is not good. 

People power is the answer - it works and puts real fear in our opponents hearts.

going to a happy place

Hone said he would resign from parliment and force a by-election and he has. That is integrity and bodes well for the Mana Party. They have the numbers and all the naysayers and poo-pooers are wrong - the support is there. It's time to get off the fence and get involved - here is the membership form - come and be a part of history.

For the record i think Hone will win big in the by-election because he is back to what he does best - talking and connecting with people. He will really shine in this campaign and as he does, his enemies will get more and more desperate - expect some real slime to come out - all to no avail though. Hone represents the people and they know it. 

Labour's Kelvin Davis will come a long way second and whatever his vote, his team will talk it up as some victory - probably because of the close win over the maori party candidate. Yes they will split the opposition to Hone vote and cancel each other out. I would have prefered labour to not stand a candidate for similar reasons to Eddie's excellent post on The Standard. 

The maori party must be really concerned and they have good reason - they have had so many chances to listen but they stubbornly refuse to conceed, that is now set in play and their fate is sealed.They also have something else very serious for them to consider - their big friend mr key is starting to hit some very soft sand and he has a lot more to get through before the election. Brash will irritate him and ACT will start polling and labour will get some hits in. His thin persona will crack as the brand is eroded piece by piece - we have already seen how vacuous he is in this excerpt from a BBC interview  - watch it and cringe (thanks irishbill and danyl). As things get tougher for mr key he will lose interest in his mates in the maori party - ACT will give him the numbers and the maori party will feel like a liability, a distraction, another irritant. 

Especially as in their desperation to show their independence, they will oppose him, and argue with him and not vote with the right team - after all he's given them - bloody cheek, let them save themselves I've got bigger problems to worry about. Another aspect of key is that he is a short timer - a wheeler dealer - not interested in going for a second term especially if the going gets really tough and his nice guy image takes a bashing - which it will as they introduce more and more pain and suffering for those who need support and protection, those who are disadvantaged in our society. The next leader of the gnats might not be so fussed on the maori party.


Can the left stop the right getting back in - maybe, but not with labour the way it is and not with goff there. Imagine this scenario - 

Hone announces a new political party that will focus on social justice and the disadvantaged in society. Values such as protecting the environment and equality are also there as well as a belief in maori self determination. Labour leader Phil Goff issues a statement welcoming this new political initiative that aligns with his party's beliefs and whilst he recognises that there are differences he fully supports and looks forward to his team working with the Mana Party team to fight the injustices and inequality initiated by the current national coalition government.

 Oh wouldn't that have been great, wouldn't that have shown courage and leadership - goff would have gone up in the polls and peoples estimation but no - we did not see that fictional scenario and that is why I only say maybe. I believe labour are going to get decimated this election and the Mana and the Greens will hold the balance of power and temper the worst excesses of the right coalition. Act will be there with the residue of the maori party and Winston will be nipping at their heels, back in the house.


The by-election is important but not as important as the General Election and the Party Vote - that is where the the power is wrestled. Join Mana and let's get the power back for the people.

the worse he calls it the better it is

It is generally acknowledged now that the labour leader phil goff has poor political radar or nous or as Idiot/Savant puts it, "Phil Goff has no virtù." I am sure goff disagrees but it is pretty obvious after the continued and consistent mistakes he has made, anyway we should consider carefully what Phil says because the opposite is likely to be true. Phil is saying this

NZH

He doubted Mr Harawira's party would have as much of an impact as Mr Harawira believed. "Will [Maori voters] go for an extreme option - Hone Harawira and the people he's got around him? "It's not my impression Maori will go for an extreme option."

Extreme - that is the joke of it all - policies that pander to a mythical middle, based on the latest polling, that play lip service to the disadvantaged are extreme not the Mana Party's kaupapa. That is a wonderful endorsement from goff really - the worse he calls it, the better it is.

Meanwhile Brash has taken offence at being called racist by Hone

"I find that grossly offensive. I think being called racist is almost the worst kind of insult," Dr Brash said. "To me a racist is someone who wants to discriminate against particular people. Well, my concern is that the Maori Party actually wants to create a privileged group of New Zealanders.

The Mana Party Don, not the maori party

I want all New Zealanders to have exactly the same rights under the law. He [Hone] wants to give a preference to Maori."

We are going to hear that one quite a bit. It dismisses the indigenous rights of maori, it ignores the Treaty of Waitangi, it disappears the statistics around maori which shows the truth not the 'privilege' and it is based on self interest, cowardness and racism. There are no 'same rights' Don - didn't you check out the latest replacement to the foreshore and seabed act? No equality there - the rights of maori are lessor than private owners. But this battle is not over facts but rather over ideologies and the cycloptic brash knows it all already.

what have we got

The maori party have said that Hone has broken his agreement, which was for him to stand as an independent, and they have called the truce off, but will stand a candidate against Hone in the by-election? They are having a hui on it. No doubt they have someone ready to go but it was interesting to hear Pem Bird say he was shocked about the by-election - that seems a bit weird.

So what have we got.


The Greens are good and can get into their campaigning - hopefully with a few joint statements with the Mana Party on key issues.


Winston will continue to gain support and he may go for the race card if he feels desperate.


National have Brash to worry about and Winston to some extent - sure they have a fondness for the maori party but how far that goes depends on the polls and probably the RWC. I would like to see them stand a candidate against Hone.


Labour have big issues and I think they are stuffed. As other partys get support i expect goff to trot out some 'race' issues - you know like how maori are privileged and not like real kiwis. It doesn't matter if they stand a candidate because I think their party vote from maori is going to dive big time. They have been living on borrowed time and the generous nature of Māori but that has changed and the bullshit won't work anymore not when the truth is there in all its horrible glory. The Foreshore and Seabed debarcle is not forgotten. But it's funny how the Gods work because now we have two maori parties, a wonderful unintended consequence.


The maori party are now fighting for their political lives and they will fight and that is sad because who are they fighting against? They should stick to their non-aggression agreement but their pride won't let them. Make no mistake it is all very personal now. Could they take the seat from Hone? Anything can happen but i cannot see it - it is all over for the maori party but they don't recognise that. However, I wouldn't have a problem if they kept a couple of seats. Over the next wee while it will be good for them to be there giving Brash some stick but then again, i am sure I heard Pita Sharples say he wouldn't have an issue going into coalition with Brash, so the only stick given will be one to bash maori with.


Brash is bad and he will use the race card at will and the really sad and sick thing is that he will get support from numbers of people who live in this country. Yes some of our fellow citizens really believe that Māori are lessor than them and they will be coming out of their holes to back Brash. Māori are about to recieve a severe thrashing from Brash as he builds his bought party. Luckily Mana and the Greens are there and labour and Winston to some small extent. Even the maori party will get their chance to walk their talk. It will get nasty, these guys have money and are not happy - they aren't making enough money and something has got to be done about that.


The battlefields will be the rights of Māori, the environment and their exploitation of it, and the continued suffering of people disadvantaged within our system. The economy is always there because that is their reason and excuse for everything.


I am optimistic because Brash will alienate people. He will suck a few from the gnats and he will battle with Winston for others. Key's image will gradually erode as more people see how shallow he really is. Goff will continue to act concerned. The maori party will become irrelevant. The Greens will grow and Mana will too. I am optimistic that people will see that an alternative is now available and they will support Mana.

byelection valuable

I think there is value in having a byelection in Hone's electorate. The cost is irrelevant and a red herring - to be used as a weapon by baiters who don't like Hone or his Mana Party. The mandate recieved will be a blow to labour and the maori party and it will be interesting to see if the maori party stands a candidate, thus breaking their agreement with Hone. They will lose whichever way they go. It will be a good practice run for the main election and it will generate media exposure for the Mana Party.

NZH

Mr Harawira will launch his new Mana Party on Saturday and the Herald understands he and his strategists are considering forcing a byelection to seek a mandate for his new party from Te Tai Tokerau voters.

Classic lines from phil whatshisname

Labour leader Phil Goff said any such move by Mr Harawira so close to an election would be "irresponsible, farcical and a reckless waste of valuable taxpayers' money". "If Hone Harawira wanted to force a byelection, why didn't he do it at the time when he left the Maori Party? "Why would someone who claims to be concerned about people suffering because of the rising cost of living want to waste taxpayers' money on such an irresponsible political stunt?"

Lots of strong words there showing just how fearful goff is - too late for you goff, but feel free to bring labour down with you. The left will survive and regather - hopefully under the banner of the Mana Party.

The Man will snap

I have had a horrible realisation - John Key is going to call a snap election. David Cunliffe the labour spokesman has asked Bill English to resign over South Canterbury Finance. Goff the idiot has come out and said the whole government should resign. Key has said if labour want a snap election - then let's go for it. And he wants any excuse to go for it and goff has played into his hands.

Radio NZ

Prime Minister John Key says he would welcome a snap election if the Labour Party wants to go to the polls over South Canterbury Finance. Labour says the whole Government should resign over the finance company's collapse and the general state of the economy. Labour is calling for Finance Minister Bill English to resign, saying his mis-management has cost the taxpayer millions of dollars.

Think about it - who wins from going early? The gnats do because the longer they go to the election, the more political erosion they will experience. Key has already been booed - he won't like that one little bit. The gnats have some shockers to get through and they will not want those policies to affect their chances at the polls.

 

They want to bolster the maori party and they want to cut Hone's legs off - before he can build up momentum. They are ambivilant about dunne, hide and the greens. And they are high as a kite over labour and their bumbing, useless efforts. key is the man, he tells himself that, his advisers tell him, the media tells him and many voters tell him that HE IS THE MAN. The man can trust his instincts and the man can make the call - it's what he does, it's what the man does.

Get ready for it - labour aren't but the greens will be and don't you worry about Hone and his new Left Maori Party - we are fighting for equality and fairness already.

the soul's start slipping

Now the momentum has begun. And within the advance-avalance, the pebbles move and bump and impart some energy onwards. A new poll for Tamaki Makaurau shows Pita Sharples support has been slashed - really dealt to - and the slasher is in his mirror.

NZH

Horizon Research says his majority of 7,540 appears to have slipped to about 1,140. The poll shows Mr Sharples would get 47.8 per cent of candidate votes in the largely Auckland-centred electorate while his new Labour opponent, Shane Jones, would get 42.1 per cent. In the party vote contest in the seat, Labour would remain a clear winner.

I'm looking forward to Hone's new Left Maori Party taking these Party votes and showing the naysayers that all people, of any ethnicity, can support equality and fairness, tino rangatiratanga and kaitiakitanga and protect the disadvantaged.

now what said I then

I have been looking for the quote from goff saying that he wouldn't work with Hone and Kiwiblog has just put it up - along with the current goff statement which says he would not rule out working with anyone, including Hone. As DPF states - it has only been two weeks between the two, opposite statements.

Come on goff get it together.

How about this scenario

Hone expelled
Goff rolled
Jones elected leader
Hone joins labour
Maori vote for labour
labour govern again with greens

I know, I know,  ... look, I can't stand labour but things are going to get very difficult with another 3 years of the gnats.

Hat tip - Kiwiblog