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Another day, another sell-out

Written By: - Date published: 3:40 pm, October 20th, 2009 - 19 comments

The Maori Party has decided it will support National’s changes to ACC despite Tariana Turia just two days ago saying she was “very concerned” about those changes. Here’s their explanation for their latest flip-flop: “We know that Maori have consistently had less access to ACC entitlements than other groups, under existing legislation. While this Bill […]

Aroha is love, you can give it away…

Written By: - Date published: 4:40 am, October 20th, 2009 - 5 comments

“You can get away with anything, as long as you’re respectful about it” – former Maori Party strategist Matt McCarten on National’s dealing with the Maori Party. So, another day, another little humilitation for the Maori Party. All that matters to the leaders is that the coalition with National doesn’t fail. They turn a blind […]

Sharples a scapegoat for Nats’ bumbling schemers

Written By: - Date published: 2:19 pm, October 17th, 2009 - 10 comments

If we’re to believe National’s version of events, Pita Sharples kept secret from his colleagues that he was going to take $3 million from a contestable Te Puni Kokiri (TPK) fund meant for job initiatives and give it to Maori TV (MTS) to subsidise their World Cup bid. When it became a big story Sharples apologised […]

What a balls-up

Written By: - Date published: 12:38 am, October 15th, 2009 - 22 comments

Competent government’s a bit like oil in your car’s engine. It’s easy to take it for granted – until it’s not there. Look at the mess this bunch have made of a simple broadcasting rights deal. We’re going to have the six major games live on four channels, three of them free-to-air. Isn’t that just […]

Derek Fox on Rugby World Cup

Written By: - Date published: 3:01 pm, October 14th, 2009 - 28 comments

Up until a few hours ago Derek Fox was the Chief Press Sec for the Co-leaders of the Maori Party. He resigned from that position this morning, evidently deeply dissatisfied. Shortly after resigning he gave an interview on 9 to noon – scathing of the World Cup bid (embedded below).

Fool me once…

Written By: - Date published: 9:05 am, October 14th, 2009 - 50 comments

They say pattern recognition is a vital part of healthy cognitive function. I wonder it Sharples sees this one: Every time an issue the Maori Party cares deeply about comes up, Key makes soothing noises. Promises they’ll get what they want. Then when crunch time comes, he screws them. Fire at Will Bill – Maori […]

Beyond parody

Written By: - Date published: 5:05 pm, October 13th, 2009 - 13 comments

I was joking when I said all we need now is for Sharples to up the ante in the government vs government bidding war, but this government is truly beyond parody. “Just before heading into the House today Mr Sharples talked to reporters, and was clearly furious and openly critical of National. He called what […]

Beyond belief

Written By: - Date published: 12:39 pm, October 13th, 2009 - 23 comments

So, let me get this straight. Pita Sharples, treating his ministry’s budget like a personal slush fund, decided that TPK would give Maori TV $3 million to add to its bid for free-to-air TV rights for the Rugby World Cup. That extra $3 mil made Maori TV the front-runner to get the rights. Now, the […]

Banning smoking

Written By: - Date published: 9:44 am, September 24th, 2009 - 69 comments

I have a lot of respect for Hone Harawira. The voting for a Tory government thing has lessened it but his hatred for the tobacco companies balances things out. Harawira wants smoking banned. Says he would love to whip or worse the smoking company bosses (you know they cut the price of cigarettes during the recession so […]

Get it in writing

Written By: - Date published: 11:05 pm, September 23rd, 2009 - 49 comments

Watching the Maori Party get done over by National is getting painful. The MP thought they had a good faith dialogue on the issue of Maori seats on the Auckland Council, but before the select committee process was even finished Key announced that there would be no seats. The MP abandoned all its environmental principles […]

Nats’ ETS a polluters’ charter

Written By: - Date published: 9:26 am, September 21st, 2009 - 6 comments

Rod Oram, as usual, has set the standard in commentary with his piece on the National-Maori Party ETS. The full article is here but I’ll lift the core points: Oram argues a climate change policy package needs three things: Put a price on emissions to incentivise change. We chose an ETS as the most effective […]

Nick Smith’s dirty dealing

Written By: - Date published: 9:33 am, September 18th, 2009 - 8 comments

Labour’s Charles Chauvel has released the paper records of Labour’s attempts to agree a bi-partisan ETS with National. In total, Labour presented three draft MOUs detailing possible agreements, each moving towards what they believed to be National’s position. Additionally, there was a letter from Phil Goff to John Key a month ago that clearly laid […]

The bigots beneath

Written By: - Date published: 9:38 am, September 17th, 2009 - 39 comments

Last night, Sandra Goudie, the big-mouth of the National Party caucus, said the words out loud that the Nats usually keep in their heads. During the debate on the Supercity, one of the Labour MPs was talking about the success of Maori seats in the Bay of Plenty and how other councillors didn’t object. Goudie […]

Short term thinkers

Written By: - Date published: 1:30 pm, September 16th, 2009 - 27 comments

It never ceases to amaze me what short term thinkers National are. The plan (with the Maori Party) to gut the ETS highlights this issue very starkly. For the sake of short term appeasement of their backers in the polluting industries National are prepared to abandon the much more important long term considerations.  Considerations like […]

Kaupapa for sale

Written By: - Date published: 9:08 am, September 15th, 2009 - 6 comments

A few important passages from the special select committee report on the Emissions Trading Scheme: In the long term, price caps stand in the way of market development and shield business from the real price of carbon to the economy…[National and United Future] recommend to the Government that if a short-term price cap is introduced, […]

Maori Party to help Nats kill carbon emissions cap

Written By: - Date published: 5:15 pm, September 14th, 2009 - 78 comments

Nick Smith has just announced a deal with the Maori Party to replace the existing Emissions Trading Scheme with a do-nothing joke. The new ETS will allocate polluting rights (carbon credits) free to polluters for the first years and then at a low capped price thereafter. Agriculture, source of 50% of our greenhouse pollution, will not be […]

Be bold on smoking

Written By: - Date published: 9:27 am, September 14th, 2009 - 21 comments

Very good piece by Anthony Hubbard in the Sunday Star Times: The Maori Party is pressuring the government to take tough new anti-smoking measures including a hefty price rise and a ban on retail displays and is calling for a select committee inquiry to “bring these bastards from the tobacco companies out in the open”. […]

Congratulations Maori Party

Written By: - Date published: 8:17 pm, August 31st, 2009 - 13 comments

Looks like the Maori Party has decided to stand by their principles and oppose weakening the Emissions Trading Scheme. Their stinging minority report rules out supporting any weakening of the already too weak ETS and calls for a far greater commitment to the environment from government: The Maori Party continues to oppose the introduction of an […]

Minority Report

Written By: - Date published: 9:06 am, August 28th, 2009 - 25 comments

National is attempting to re-write the Emissions Trading Scheme. The new version it has come up with through the special select committee would be weaker than the already weak version Labour passed. But they’ve got a numbers problem. ACT won’t ever vote for doing anything about climate change, the Greens, the Progressives and Labour won’t vote for the […]

If you believe in it, put something on the line

Written By: - Date published: 7:21 pm, August 25th, 2009 - 54 comments

It’s a strange day when you’re praising Tau Henare. But at least he’s standing up for Maori seats, unlike the pathetic display from Pita Sharples. Henare’s email brought to public attention Hide’s bullying threat to resign over the seats. Today, he kept up the fight having a go at Hide for his wag the dog tactics […]

The smiling snake bites

Written By: - Date published: 2:36 pm, August 25th, 2009 - 18 comments

The Herald editorial is pretty scathing of Key’s Government for rejecting Maori seats on the super-council but I have to take issue with this par: The Cabinet’s decision to reject Maori seats on the Super City Auckland Council is a retrograde step that undoes much that has been accomplished over the past nine months. What […]

Snake oil

Written By: - Date published: 1:16 pm, August 25th, 2009 - 18 comments

I’m surprised that the Maori Party have rolled over so easily on the issue of Maori seats on the Auckland council. I will be even more surprised if the Maori people follow suit. Because they have every right to be angry. Remember what Key said of the Hikoi? The hikoi was sparked over the dumping […]

Herald calls win for Hide

Written By: - Date published: 10:16 am, August 24th, 2009 - 43 comments

The Herald has an exclusive claiming that National will go with ACT and reject the Maori Party over the issue of Maori seats on the Auckland supercity council. The Herald doesn’t present any rock solid evidence to back up this claim but it’s pretty obvious that’s the way National will go. Creating Maori seats in […]

Will Key go with Hide or Maori Party?

Written By: - Date published: 9:40 am, August 23rd, 2009 - 12 comments

The issue of Maori seats on the supercity council has inevitably exposed the contradictions inherent in this government. The Maori party wants ’em. ACT won’t agree. Which way will Key go? With Hide. Why? Because Hide’s the only willing to hurt the government to get what he wants. Hide says he’ll resign as minister. It’s […]

Hide would go for principles, Sharples would stay for baubles

Written By: - Date published: 10:05 am, August 21st, 2009 - 24 comments

Rodney Hide has said that having Maori seats on the Auckland Supercity council would go completely against his party’s principles. So, he would refuse to be the Minister of Local Government taking a Bill through the House that includes Maori seats on the Supercity. He would resign from his portfolios and vote against the legislation. […]

In bed with bigotry

Written By: - Date published: 10:00 am, July 30th, 2009 - 34 comments

Maori Party MP Rahui Katene’s Matariki Public Holiday Bill was before the House last night (I understand National is planning to vote it down when it comes to the vote in three weeks). Anyway, as a precursor, Katene asked a question on the Government’s attitude to Maori holidays during Question Time. Chris Finlayson answered with nice platitudes. […]

Quick question

Written By: - Date published: 8:17 am, July 24th, 2009 - 26 comments

What does the Maori Party think of National’s plan to relax rules on foreign investment?

Matariki Public Holiday?

Written By: - Date published: 2:20 pm, July 22nd, 2009 - 17 comments

The Maori Party’s Matariki Day Bill was pulled in the ballot. Man, a public holiday in the middle of winter. Currently it’s one long drag from Queens Birthday to Labour Weekend. Will the Tories vote against a public holiday in the middle of winter and, once again, oppose the goals of the Maori Party? We’ll […]

Flag it, more important things to do

Written By: - Date published: 2:00 pm, July 21st, 2009 - 15 comments

I’m just trying to understand this Maori flag thing. The Crown (in the guise of Minister Pita Sharples) has decided that Maori will only get to choose from four designs – the United Tribes (or Busby) flag, the Tino Ringatiratanga flag, the New Zealand Ensign, and the New Zealand flag. The last two are just […]

New left blog

Written By: - Date published: 12:50 pm, July 11th, 2009 - Comments Off on New left blog

Mars 2 Earth is one of the vanishingly few blogs written from a Maori perspective (with quite a bit of environmentalism thrown in). Muscular discourse and some sharp writing. Thankfully, it’s not just identity politics either, some good materialist values coming through too. While Maori Party successes are celebrated, he doesn’t go that step further that […]

The compensation that is and the compensation that is not

Written By: - Date published: 7:40 pm, July 7th, 2009 - 55 comments

Key has claimed the foreshore and seabed issue is not about compensation. Tariana’s answer? This has never been about money says Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia “I am astounded and disappointed that some critics of and commentators on the report of the ministerial review panel have chosen to highlight the possibility that compensation may become […]