the treaty
The waters around Waitangi are so polluted after the storm that they have issued warnings not to eat shellfish or swim, on the weekend of the rememberance of the signing of the treaty of waitangi - that is symbolic. When you combine that symbolism with the maori party releasing the findings that maori make up over 40% of Taranaki's unemployed yet are 14 percent of Taranaki's population, the symbolism of the dirty water is made real, right in front of us. The inequity is all around us - in all the statistics, in people's lives. The maori party way of fixing this, of being government and supporting the gnats agenda, has not done anything, other than make it worse for people and harder for them.
Hone preempting Pita's speech? well the gloves are off but hone's backers have been pretty quiet and that isn't a good sign. Perhaps hone would be better as an independant as Morgan at Maui St says. Any new party will not get off the ground now and sorry hone, the greens will not want you. Independant means you can pretty well say what you like, which will be a good thing.
the treaty?
sure we could go through the different versions with their different meanings, the misinformation, the lies, the fact that many didn't sign or those that did, signed the maori version. But you know, I can't really get the thought out my head of 40% of the unemployed in Taranaki are maori...