An open letter to the Maori Party from Dayle Takitimu

14 comments on “An open letter to the Maori Party from Dayle Takitimu ”

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1. Jenny 1

   9 September 2010 at 2:01 pm

   .
   Is the Maori Party Confidence and Supply Agreement with National approaching it’s use by date?

   In my opinion Tere Harrison’s open letter to the Maori party represents the start of a fight for the soul of the Maori Party. For them to ignore it, will be at risk of eternal (political)damnation.

   In my opinion the Maori party is now being constrained in its full advocacy on behalf of their constituents by its tactical coalition with the right wing National Party.

   Both of the two Maori Party MPs mentioned by name in Tere Harrison’s letter, Te Uroa Flavell and Hone Harawira have expressed in public, sentiment’s that the coalition agreement is only valid up to the 2011 elections.

   Any followers of my comments on this blogsite would be aware I support the present tactical accomodation of the Maori Party with the National Government.

   In my opinion this was a brilliant and unexpected tactical move by the Maori Party. This tactical move dumbfounded their opponents inside both of the two major parliamentary parties who sought to ignore and belittle their contribution and keep them away from the levers of power, pushing them into the parliamentary sidelines.

   For the Maori Party to have succumbed to being sidelined in this way would have meant giving up any hope of having any independent influence in the house, which would have meant ignoring the mandate of the many Maori who supported them into parliament.

   This tactical accomodation no matter how necessary, comes with a cost. The Maori Party leadership are fully aware that a second term of coalition with this right wing tory government will see the destruction of their party.

   In my opinion this would be a sad loss, to the detriment of our unique parliamentary system.

   The loss of the Maori Party from our political landscape, would be a loss not just felt by, Maori, but Pakeha, Manuhiri, all. Only the most dyed in the wool bigot, or one eyed sectarian would try and deny that the Maori Party have made positive and worthwhile contributions to parliament.

   The Maori Party’s tactical coalition with National, if carried beyond the first term will see the destruction of the Maori Party.

   No serious commentator of politics would deny this.

   The question is are the Maori Party MPs willing to pay this price?

   Are any Maori Party MPs preparing to follow in the footsteps of a La Jim Anderton or Tau Henare to see the destruction of their party and sit out their careers on the back benches of one or the other of the two major political parties?
   • Jenny 1.1

     9 September 2010 at 2:09 pm

     It is becoming very clear that with the detonation inside the ACT Party, the Maori Party if it can stay together through this transition has the potential to be King Maker after the 2011 parliamentary election.

     If the Labour Party are serious about contesting this election with the aim of recovering the Treasury Benches from the Nats then they must start lobbying the Maori Party with the purpose of seeking an accommodation that best serves the interests of their core constituencies.

     On current polling this is the only way to ensure a Labour led government is returned to parliament in 2011.
     • Ron 1.1.1

       9 September 2010 at 2:20 pm

       and the moment the labour Party DO “…seek an accommodation that best serves the interests of their core constituencies….” we’ll see a repeat of the Iwi/Kiwi billboards.
       • Jenny 1.1.1.1

         9 September 2010 at 3:14 pm

         That the right will reach for racist tactics to win, is no excuse to give in.

         These sorts of tactics need to be confronted head on and exposed for what they are.

         There is nothing to be gained by pandering to this sort of right wing attack, and wheeling out your own ‘lite’ version of Brash’s Orewa speech, in the hope of courting the red neck vote.

         This approach is proven to be counterproductive.
2. the pink postman 2

   9 September 2010 at 3:51 pm

   the Maori Party will not achieve any worth while achievment whilst it is with National. the Iwi posters at the previous election should surely indicated how the majority of National supporters think . Its in their DNA.The late great Theodore Herzle said :That scratch any Right-Wing party and a racism is not far down. If the Maori Party is to survive it will have to ditch the two present leaders and come back to the Left. If it keeps playing second fiddle to National its doomed,and that would be a shame!.
   • nzfp 2.1

     9 September 2010 at 7:54 pm

     “The late great Theodore Herzle”?!? What do you mean by great?
3. kriswgtn 3

   9 September 2010 at 4:30 pm

   Sharples is in China if thats any help
   Sell out
4. gobsmacked 4

   9 September 2010 at 4:44 pm

   Where are the Maori Party? In the comfy chair …

   http://china.globaltimes.cn/diplomacy/2010-09/571156.html

   Sharples praises China’s treatment of its ethnic minorities. Presumably he thinks Clark and Cullen should not only have passed the FSA, but arrested the Hikoi leaders too.
5. the sprout 5

   9 September 2010 at 6:26 pm

   Green and Maori Party leaders, all been MIA for months.
   When was the last time anyone saw any of them?
   • Carol 5.1

     9 September 2010 at 6:37 pm

     I saw both Russel Norman and Metiria Turei on Parliament TV today. Turie asked some questions about the nnew FS&S Act.

     http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1009/S00168/questions-and-answers-9-september-2010.htm

     4. METIRIA TUREI (Co-Leader—Green) to the Attorney-General: Does he stand by his statement that the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill “treats all New Zealanders including Māori without discrimination”?

     Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON (Attorney-General): Yes.

     Metiria Turei: Does he agree with the then Acting Attorney-General that this bill creates discrimination on the basis of race because Māori customary title is weakened by a range of conditions, but freehold title is not?

     Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON: I acknowledge the Acting Attorney-General’s report. He said that such limitations as existed on customary title in comparison with other forms of title were reasonable, and he referred to issues relating to access and alienability, which are the very points that I have been discussing with iwi and hapū around the country. Iwi and hapū do not want customary title to be alienated, and they accept the need for public access.

     Metiria Turei: How is treating title differently on the basis of race not discrimination on the basis of race?

     Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON: Customary title is different from freehold title, but the fact that it is different does not mean there is discrimination. It is a very valuable form of statutory title, which has been developed. As the member would know, in the Ngāti Apa case, the Court of Appeal held that the scope of customary title could range from what it called usufructuary rights to something approaching fee simple. We have looked at the incidence of ownership and we have brought together various incidents in this new form of customary title. That is not discriminatory, and it reflects what iwi and hapū have been asking for.

     Metiria Turei: How does he think it is fair that Māori customary rights can be overruled by mining concessions, but the 12,500 private titles in the foreshore and seabed cannot?

     Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON: With mining interests we are trying to deal with transitional arrangements as we transition from a form of Crown absolute ownership to a noownership regime, and one has to have transitional arrangements in those circumstances. As to the 12,500 private titles, I remind the member of what I said yesterday, which was that two wrongs do not make a right and that removing the rights of landowners, including Māori and Pākehā who have freehold title, simply creates another injustice.

     Metiria Turei: Will there be any restrictions on those 12,500 private titles in the foreshore and seabed being sold into foreign ownership?

     Hon CHRISTOPHER FINLAYSON: There will be restrictions so that if, for example, there is a proposal to sell a farm, then presumably that will have to go through the approval processes and appropriate channels. What we are dealing with is the proposition that there will be no new freehold title in the area we are talking about.
     • the sprout 5.1.1

       9 September 2010 at 8:06 pm

       great thanks carol – good to see.
       let’s hope voters watch parliament tv
6. Jenny 6

   9 September 2010 at 8:12 pm

   .
   A Primer on the foreshore and seabed Marine Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill

   Moana Jackson:

   …the Prime Minister’s statement that the Bill will be a full and final settlement of the issue is simply inaccurate because rather than removing the injustice it actually compounds it.
7. Swampy 7

   26 September 2010 at 11:16 am

   Is there anything this guy is saying that isn’t already covered by the laws that apply to the whole populace?

   Is he asking for something special for Maori because of the Treaty?

Links to post

1. Charles Paringatai: posted on 9 September 2010 at 3:44 am

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