watching backs

When I heard the news that the maori party had selected Waihoroi Shortland to represent them not their unsuccessful Tai Tokerau byelection candidate Solomon Tipene I thought we may have some fallout.


We have had some fallout.


Solomon Tipene says

"Watch your back, lest it be bitten by the Maori Party dogs. I'm referring to the leaders - they did that to me and Hone Harawira."

Stong language and strong views from experience, from knowledge. Maori Party president Pem Bird doesn't get it

Mr Bird said he was disappointed by Mr Tipene's "inexcusable" outburst, given the time and resources the party had put into his campaign.

Ummm that was the point of his statement - fake support and buckling under pressure - just like the maori party have done with the gnats and their party agreement. It does not look good for the maori party although prime minister key has tossed out that he will have coalition party negotiations with his mates no matter how many votes they get. But how many will they get? Solomon Tipene has just echoed what Hone has said - this dysfunction within the maori party is systemic and is detremental to Māori self determination aspirations. Time for the sea anchor to be cut.

Hat tip The Standard

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.

the mayor of hubris

Some talk of hubris on the by-election trail mostly directed at Hone by supporters of the labour candidate. Good post at The Standard on that. And Morgan has a good one up about the 'mare of Tariana's comments about the maori party candidate Solomon Tipene. I like Solomon a lot better than Kelvin who is really the one out of his depth. anyway for hubris how about this - not so much the apology from Tariana for taking the legs off their candidate but how flavell frames it

NewstalkZB

MP Te Ururoa Flavell fronted media this afternoon. "Having heard from one or two that took the wrong end of the stick, the belief was that she needed to make it really clear that it was never the intent by her own statement, a mistake was made, we're owning up to it and we're just saying let's get on and finish this campaign with a victory on Saturday."

 You may be wondering what exactly hubris is - wikipedia to the rescue

Hubris ( /ˈhjuːbrɪs/), also hybris, means extreme haughtiness, pride or arrogance. Hubris often indicates a loss of contact with reality and an overestimation of one's own competence or capabilities, especially when the person exhibiting it is in a position of power.

Yes it is all there in that statement from Te Ururoa Flavell - can't wait for this election.

believe in Mana

Good call by the Northern Arm of Ratana in organising a hikoi in support of Hone. Their reasons are compelling

 Voxy

“The Northern Arm of Ratana support Hone in his endeavours to help our people. Contrary to what is being said, we believe that MANA is the vehicle to unite all people who are struggling, who are impoverished, who cannot find that life-line in the major political parties. If they have the courage to stand up for those rights, it will be a voice that will need to be noticed. Hone is the only candidate in the Te Tai Tokerau By-Election who is aware of what the issues are for our people, who knows what needs to be done about the, and who is committed to ensuring that something is done about it. Our movement has spoken – we will help Hone Harawira in his quest to lay down the foundation of a new political party that carries our people’s hopes, dreams and aspirations”.

That is a statement of truth and integrity.

Danyl at the Dimpost has an interesting post up about the Māori TV survey and Duncan Garner’s comment that many supporters of Hone are not enrolled to vote. The comments on the post are interesting with noted commenters discussing how it is possible for the survey to have been done, based on a database of eligible voters – and find that some of the respondents are not eligible to vote. Very fishy indeed.

Believe - we can make it happen, it is happening now. Hone and Mana are real and with the agenda of the gnats out there, the need for them has never been stronger. BELIEVE and get to the mahi - people power will make it all happen.

solar flare politics

There is a solar flare coming to politics in this country and it is called the Mana Party. Now I don't agree with everything Hone does, not by a long shot, but I do back him and his policies and the Mana Party. Hone has bounced an idea of a Māori Parliament where members from all sides work together for Māori interests. 

NZH

He said the power of the Maori voice in Parliament was diluted because Maori MPs were spread across parties and had to stick to party lines. "The trouble is that there are 20 of us and 19 are too scared to stand up. There are some very talented Maori MPs in there, but they are locked in to their parties and so they just go quiet. Well, I don't think anyone elected us to go quiet." 

I have entertained this idea and it certainly has merits - if it could be achieved. And that is where I get into some problems because members of a Party owe their allegiance firstly to the Party. There is no choice unless you want to walk as we have seen some do. Most don't walk, they have gone quietly. But people change and who knows - I can't see any harm in trying - I'd love to be wrong.

I'm not sure why Hone has raised the issue now - seems like there are other important issues to put out there. It does contribute to a more statesmanlike approach I suppose. 

For me rather than a Māori Parliment, at this time i'd like to see The Mana Party grow in strength and became so influencial that these other politicians will see that the kaupapa is tika and the way forward. Then they can join and help paddle the waka.

The Mana Party has a mauri of it's own and it is attracting people who believe in the kaupapa. Hone is the inspirational leader no doubt, he has the mana and the people are rightly following him. But the Mana Party is not Hone - they are intertwined yet seperate: the burst of energy that causes a solar flare is connected yet discrete.

catch up

This is a catch up post on a few issues that have caught my eye.

I support the call for all teachers to learn te reo Māori. I am glad that principals are coming out in support too.

Stuff

Compulsory teacher training in Maori language and culture is a move welcomed by college principals in Marlborough.

Some history...

In the 1986 Te Reo Report the Waitangi Tribunal stated equivocally that te reo Māori is a taonga. Within Article 2 of te Tiriti, Rangatira are assured of tino rangatiratanga over taonga [ō rātou taonga katoa (all their valued customs and possessions] and this is also 'guaranteed' [“confirms and guarantees the full exclusive and undisturbed possessions of their lands… for as long as they wish to retain them”], in Article 2 of the English version. The Crown's use of this word 'guarantee' indicates active protection not the inadequate and dismissive attention that the Government has achieved to date. It wasn’t until the Wai 11 Te Reo Claim in 1986 that te reo Māori and te Tiriti received legal attention, and the Māori language Act 1987 came into force. This Act recognised Te reo Māori as an Offical language of this country. 

It really is time for this country to grow up about te reo Māori. It is up to all of us to do our bit and save our language - OUR language. Me ako ngā tamariki o Aotearoa i te reo Māori ka tika, nē rā?

The latest poll showing labour's Kelvin Davis 1 point behind Hone is not a concern for me. I don't really care how Hone wins as long as he wins, and if he doesn't - so be it. I'm more concerned with Hone and Destiny and his endorsement albeit tacit, of their discriminatory position on gender and sexuality. Their views make me sick and I will not support them or a party that supports them. 

The controversy regarding the Taniwha Horotiu has been enlightening. Carwyn has linked to a really good article by Kepa Morgan on this and Mr Trotter has written a very good piece for the Press. Morgan has got rightly upset about the insulting framing of the debate and I agree with him. As for me - I don't consider Taniwha as metaphors. Where I live there are many Taniwha - believe it or not - I don't care and neither do they. 

Sorry about all the font issues - I can't seem to sort it at the moment.

clash of cultures

The maori party have said that they will stand a candidate against Hone if a by-election is called. Good! As McCarten said on the radio - if they want to call Hone's bluff then go for it and we will hear what the people want. Exactly! - let's hear from the people because I don't put much weight in these polls saying that labour will come through the gap as the two main protaganists fight it out. Labour won't come through the gaps because their won't be a gap. The hui that the maori party have had over the weekend were fiesty with Hone's mum and sister distrupting by chanting and singing and insulting. I just don't know if that is tika or not - hopefully someone will blog on that aspect somewhere because tariana calls it psychological abuse and it sickened her. The maori party have to rebuild their base up north from scratch and that will take a lot of mahi. Their president says they are after the older voters not the young who are following Hone - perhaps the maori party should really consider deeply why that is. Turia says Hone is scared and that is why he sent his whanau to disrupt the hui but I would imagine Hone didn't send send them at all - they made their own choices and decisions. The maori party will have to get used to people being pretty pissed off with them because they will be hearing a bit of it this year.

consult doesn't mean a con + salt

Has kingkey consulted with maori in the far north around the minerals they want to exploit?

From Waatea News

"The Northland Regional and Far North District Councils yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding with the Ministry of Economic Development to conduct an aeromagnetic minerals survey of one and quarter million hectares."

Haami Piripi from Te Runanga O Te Rarawa says tangata whenua were left out because the Crown has taken the rights to the most valuable metals.

“This is very serious issue from our point of view. It reflects the extent to which there is any goodwill on the part of the Crown in terms of treaty settlements. We see the conservation estate as not available for treaty settlements but it is available for mining. That really expresses the hypocrisy,” Mr Piripi says."

Yes I have an issue with that point as well. The conservation estate is not being protected for all people - it is being slowly eroded as they commodify it. Why is it that? Why can they do that on one hand and on the other they say "no, no no we cannot put the conservation estate into treaty settlements - even though the land was stolen and cheated they still cannot consider it because - it is being protected for all people - but it isn't being protected - is it?


kingkey has waded in

"The Prime Minister says Tai Tokerau iwi were consulted about plans to conduct an aerial survey to identify mineral deposits in Northland."

But John Key says there are opportunities for discussion throughout the process.

“The far north and the West Coast of the South Island, both will be subject to an aerial survey of non-schedule 4 land so they’re not the pristine conservation stuff. We’re gong to fly over, have a good look, decide whether there is much there. At that point we will say ‘yes there are substantial mineral deposits there and we want to issue a prospecting license,’ at that stage then obviously there will be potential discussions,” Mr Key says.

Maori would have rights to minerals found on their land, other than gold, silver, oil and gas.

"They're not the pristine conservation stuff" - tells you a lot about kingkey and none of it good if you believe in protecting our world.
Is it a good idea to have the 'potential discussion' after they find their minerals rather than before? Does that make sense in any worldview? Of course it makes sense if you are not really going to discuss or consult at all because remember maori don't have the rights to anything other than what they are given. The crumbs from the table, the leftovers. This whole approach is topsy-turvey. Have the discussion and consultation NOW, get some way forward NOW, treat people with respect NOW.