the dots join themselves

Isn't it amazing how unsurprised you can be.

Helen Clark going for the top UN job - as good as it gets I suppose, and that good isn't that good at all. I and many others haven't forgotten The Foreshore and Seabed legislation, the Terror Raids, the non endorsement of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the role that Helen Clark played in all of these things. She was the leader at the time and she blinked numerous times when it came to supporting tangata whenua. Somehow we here will be uplifted when she gets the top UN job - nah I don't think so. I don't begrudge Helen her top UN role, I'd just say it is a personal victory for her not a collective victory.

But she did get an endorsement from slippery key - some have said this is the payback for creating the impression that she supported the TPPA - who knows but when the Panama Papers show just how much the rich look after themselves - from all countries, and political persuasions, then well, the dots join themselves imo.

So I am surprised by how unsurprising I find these latest shenanigans.

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.

the headlights get bigger

The pressure on John Key is showing as it does for all liars that get caught. He is starting to slide down the rabbit hole now, and funny as that is, it has awful consequences for some groups in our society. The Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) has been naughty. They have illegally spied on NZ citizens because they didn't agree with the legislation that governed them or they just interpreted the very clear words incorrectly. The Kitteridge Report has shown how low things have got to. Changes have to be made says key so he is going to make their illegal spying legal and then it will all be good. And now he has come out with the most pathetic excuse - WMD's - weapons of mass destruction!!!

TVNZ

there have been covert attempts to acquire New Zealand science and technology for programmes relating to weapons of mass destruction or weapons delivery systems.

Terrorists!!!

While the terrorism threat in New Zealand has remained low, there are people within our country who have links to off-shore terrorist groups

OMG!!! key has just rattled off the same lying meme that killed so many in their wars.

But it isn't funny because middle NZ will believe him. They will lap it all up and ask for more because it suits their often do-nothing, selfish attitude. They won't remember the last time the terrorism word was used in anger and the devastation to community, to peoples lives, to the innocent charged and dragged before the court system and to the political prisoners who did their time as a protest against the system that wrongfully imprisoned them. They forget but we don't forget, because the groups that will be spied on are us, they are Māori, and all others who oppose so much that is happening - those against the mining, the political corruption, the dirty TPPA deal. Those groups who care, include indigenous rights activists, fighters against poverty, injustice, inequality and fight for the disadvantaged and the environment. These are the people who get spied on for all sorts of reasons, very few of them valid. The branding of terrorist will begin and the sullying of reputations will begin and the eternal battle for mana will continue. All of this nastiness began because John Key is trying to hide and bluster his way out of his lies. And yes, he really is that low.

that tongue is forked

So John Key, the Prime Minister of this country, at the opening of the Rugby World Cup, chose not to say kia ora and acknowledge tangata whenua. He has admitted he just decided not to, even though, for the most generally part he does, and he is sure that most people know he can. He didn't think it was important or necessary. 

Stuff

"I could have of course, and for the most part I generally do, but I decided not to on that occasion." 

The occasion was his big showpiece of this country - if that isn't an appropriate occasion then what is? But he most parts generally does so what are we to take from all this. He could have but didn't and for no good reason. He just doesn't give a shit? he doesn't have much between the ears? or he astucually wanted to make a point - that tangata whenua should be happy to allow our culture to be used as window dressing for the grand illusion and when the dust has all settled it will be back to business, back to pretending to care about Mäori whilst dismantling everything Mäori care about.

This going round sums it up

"Miss half a game of rugby because a train breaks down: personal apology from John Key and compensation up for discussion.

Have your doors kicked in, automatic rifles pointed at your kids, and four years of your life stolen because of police incompetence. Apology and compensation immediately ruled out."

The charges have been dropped but the hurt is still there, not just for those free but for the four still facing charges and for the Tuhoe people. The police came for terror and terror is what they created just as they planned but their plans have finally been just about stopped and the truth, while smothered in supression orders, will come out eventually. Thank you to all concerned who have helped and fought for the truth and thank to to all who continue that struggle. A great post from Joshua called Reflections on the invasion of Te Urewera.