[…] i thought I would remind you of how you are, in-fact, the only people to enslave your own race. sure white people enslaved others, at least we were united enough not to enslave ourselves.
Although the guy talking about people on hilltops seeing the page and “screaming racism from the top of their lounges” made me smile.
Does it reveal that many Pakeha got where they are today because of their ethnicity rather than their talents? Positive discrimination is such a handicap, eh.
Kia ora whanau – I’d really like you all to stop being so greedy and start sharing the myriad of riches that we have (which are listed above) with all of our Pakeha brothers & sisters. I fully tautoko this party who wish to share in the undeserved lifestyle that we so ungratefully complain about and wish that they could enjoy the bountiful riches that have been bestowed on us by themselves.
When the working class are abandoned and ignored by social democracy and a lot of white/pink people wind up genuinely in the shit, see no way out and are looking for answers/explanations, racism will always come along and offer easy answers; answers that largely blossom from (in the case of NZ) society’s pre-existing and utterly ingrained casual racism.
Both liberal and conservative elites and all governing institutions will, of course, continue to pretend that economic injustice is not an integral part of the market economy and so simply decry the racism. And ‘the best’ of it? Some of the targetted ‘identity politics’ policies of recent years that sought to ameliorate economic disparity while denying the existence of class, is going to be feeding right on back into this shite.
Maybe some chickens are looking to be coming home to roost.
Bill, while I think you may be right that a rising tide lifts all boats, for some identity politics are always going to be more compelling than economics. Far better to accept that and move on rather than this impotent railing, no?
Nothing wrong with identity politics if class is factored in or acknowledged too. And it works the other way too race and gender should be factored in or acknowledged when looking at class.
And if you accept the fact of class being made invisible by politicians and their parties/policies, then the fucking racism that is clearly evident from comments on that fb page is going to continue to fester and grow.
btw. What exactly was it Hone said about housing and how was it reported so that some guy came to be thinking that there was going to be ‘Maori only’ housing? And has that been put to rights and explained amid all the jibing and piss taking that, to be honest, seems to be more about the fb guy’s political naivity and lack of media savvy?
And what about all that racism being expressed in comments and the apparent popularity of those sentiments? Is the idea just to ignore all that cos, y’know, it’s just stupid white trash speak and worth nothing beyond ridicule and superior smirking silences?
Because if that is to be the broad response in NZ, then NZ is setting itself up for some ugly shit some time in the future.
Right now, people are focussed on racism. I’d suggest it be taken seriously and underlying causes addressed and misconceptions challenged. But, y’know, I expect that suggestion and concern to fall on stoney ground. I expect to see a couple of days of ridicule topwards the likes who are commenting on that fb page alongside expressions of dismissive anger from leftists. And then for it to ‘go away’ and allowed to fester until next time around.
What exactly was it Hone said about housing and how was it reported so that some guy came to be thinking that there was going to be ‘Maori only’ housing? And has that been put to rights and explained amid all the jibing and piss taking that, to be honest, seems to be more about the fb guy’s political naivity and lack of media savvy?
From what I remember, and this is only from the MSM and ts, Mana’s first press releases were about housing for Maori. After the reaction to that, they came out and said that the policy would be for all people. I don’t know if that was a policy change, or if they just presented it differently. The thing that struck me at the time was that either Mana were being very naive in how they presented that whole policy (or they didn’t care), or they were very clever (if you look at the timing with the Ikaroa-Rawhiti by-election, they sent a clear message of support to Maori, and then a few days later they pacified Pakeha). I don’t know which I think is true.
Nothing wrong with identity politics if class is factored in or acknowledged too. And it works the other way too race and gender should be factored in or acknowledged when looking at class.
And if you accept the fact of class being made invisible by politicians and their parties/policies, then the fucking racism that is clearly evident from comments on that fb page is going to continue to fester and grow.
I agree. I’m not sure quite what you mean about the connection with other identity politics, as I don’t see NACT or Labour as engaging in that majorly other than with some individual policies like gay marriage. That they’re removing class from the debate is definitely happening, and I agree there needs to be a conversation about why so many people agree with the Pakeha Party. The main problem here, on ts, is that that conversation has largely been initiated by vto, who’s race politics are too near the John Ansell end of the spectrum, so the discussions never get passed that. Personally I’d be interested in having the conversation amongst people that are already grounded in acceptance of the Treaty etc.
I think maybe what you are saying is that white, working and underclass men are getting a very hard time and that this needs to be acknowledged and responded to. I agree. The question is how to frame that debate, and how to engage with people who already frame that debate in racist and proto-racist ways.
Let me know if I’ve missed the mark there with how I’ve read your comment.
The Mana housing policy was originally released in a Maori electorate, to Maori voters. The release was targeted at them, which in the circumstances was fair enough. I asked if it would be extended to all people in need of housing and the unequivocal answer was yes. I asked on the day of public release. Even though I think Mana need to learn a lot about using social media, there was no intent for this to be a Maori only policy.
“And ‘the best’ of it? Some of the targetted ‘identity politics’ policies of recent years that sought to ameliorate economic disparity while denying the existence of class, is going to be feeding right on back into this shite.”
Just go to the fb page comments for some examples. The whole ‘Maori are privileged by the education system’ tripe is just one of many you will see being said over and over again.
I can’t take the comments on that page as serious examples of identity politics policies. Can you give some examples of what you mean? eg which education policies. Or were you meaning perception of policies rather than actual policies?
I know that the Clark govt removed much of the funding available directly to Maori community projects, to the great detriment of many grass roots initiatives. That happened in direct response to people complaining about race based funding and Labour being afraid of losing votes. Despite the removal of race based funding, we still hear alot of criticism of things like Whanau Ora, Tariana Turia’s project, despite Whanau Ora funding being open to all ethnic groups.
I’m sure there are some targetted policies, and it would certainly be very useful to know what they are and analyse them. At the moment it looks like another case of us all arguing about something without the facts (not you and I, but the whole country).
Nothing like stunning ignorance to further divide and hurt our country. When we are as weak as we are, pathogens like this silly Pakeha Party can really infect the minds of already deluded folks.
Diving? Well, I ‘d have to say that ultimately John Key is responsible for sending the country into a nose dive, but he has been aided by the likes of Sky Casino, Warner Bro’s, and of course his trusty pals Paula, Hekia, Simon, Peter, John and so on. Then there’s a media that feeds all the petty misinformed jealousies of the fools of this country. It’s a social, moral and economic nosedive. Although if you meant to say divide, it would be all of the above as well.
Oh, and not to mention the increasingly hostile approach of employers in this country. At this rate there will be no turning back to a time of fairness, dignity and trust in the workplace. The NZ workplace has been divided by mistrust and power grabbing by employers. See Helen Kelly’s excellent article as an example of this
Could be good for the Left. Would never get an electorate seat and unlikely to get to 5% of the vote but still take enough support from the same pool of rednecks who would otherwise vote for Keys, so could help push a Left coalition over the line. When things get as tight as they have done in NZ over the last two general elections the slightest variable could make a big difference.
While redneck’s etymology is not clear Wiki offered rural origins, and the modern US usage as ‘used broadly to degrade working class and rural whites that are perceived by urban progressives to be insufficiently liberal’
Your view is unnecessarily narrow, focusing on ‘working'(class) ie origin, rather than on the illiberalism ie attitude, that it connotes for majority users in NZ. You might like to consider the extent to which the term is gendered, too.
I’m sort of with Morrissey on this one. If redneck doesn’t denote prejudice then neither does wetback.
There’s nothing wrong with the term being used to describe a farmer or a manual worker. The problem is when it is foolishly and inappropriately used to mean “bigot”.
The vilest, most ignorant, most illiberal views in this country come from radio loudmouths like Michael Laws and Leighton Smith, a whole raft of complacent newspaper opinionistas, right wing “Think Tank” reptiles like Bob McCoskrie and Bruce Logan, ACT on Campus halfwits, and assorted other bewildered/nasty/lazy/st000pid souls.
Note that nearly all of them are distinguished by their LACK of hard work, and especially by their lack of hard PHYSICAL work. They do not get sunburnt, except when they lie on the beach at a Fiji resort. They are bigots, not rednecks. In fact, I can think of only two bigots who could fairly be described as “rednecks”—John “Hone” Carter and Garth “The Knife” McVicar.
“Redneck”, when used as a term of abuse, is nothing more than a sniffy east coast liberal putdown of ALL working people, who the Eastern liberal establishment, i.e. the Democratic Party, resented because they were unconvinced by the Barack Obamas and Bill Clintons of the late ’60s and early ‘seventies.
You need to stop indolently recycling such abusive, foolish, and inaccurate language.
You’re right. Sorry, that was ignorant of me. I hadn’t realised that the term had that meaning at all. I’d always thought it was limited to white conservative bigots but realise now that’s not the case.
This gives me a great deal of hope. We only have to turn one in four of those pre-Orewa gnat supporters and Labour will once again lead in the polls. But how to do it?
Sadly I can’t help thinking that the current Labour caucus seems more intent on winning over some of the 17% that went to the gnats post Orewa.
theres really only two outcomes i can see from this
1) theyre actually well meaning but deluded – so when they start saying what it is they want politically, every one will go “yeah, youve got that already, whats your point again?”, and their support will atrophy and/or no-one will bother working with them
or
2) they will expose them selves as outright racists and their support will atrophy and/or no-one will want to work with them
either way – i see it as no biggie really. the pefect response to all this “The maori party is a racist party” is “so what?”
If you can get enough people who want to join theres nothing stopping you, go for your life. If you wanted to have a one armed jewish lesbian party theres nothing stopping you if youve got the numbers. If youre just bonkers or dont really have much of a clue – you will expose yourself pretty quickly
there’s more of them than we’d like to think in NZ. Most won’t come out into the sunlight as they prefer to slither around under rocks with their own kind. So they’ll probably stay with the gnats or nzf
Remember, this is exactly the same bullshit that nearly got Don Brash elected in 2005. And he never came up with a single concrete example of “special maori privilege”.
Right now they’re just a couple of idiots, but what they’ve got is momentum. And while a stationary idiot is just an idiot, a rolling mass of idiocy can do a lot of damage.
If that momentum is sustained for much longer, they’ll be approached by smarter, shrewder, more calculating players who will quietly take over behind the scenes and try to translate this momentum into real political support for something.
Maybe Lusk for a faction within National. Maybe Gibbs for the rebirth of ACT. It’s open to anyone really, bunch of angry ignorant voters for the taking.
Shit, it may have already happened for all we know.
😀 There is one good thing that has come out of it. It’s got a lot of people talking, typically people that don’t vote.
Other than that, couldn’t really care less. Knowing their luck, it will become a political party. New Zealand is crazy like that. I think this will appeal to a lot of people.
If the Pakeha party wanted to have a discussion about untangling the causes from the symptoms of poverty in a marginalised and disadvantaged racial group where they reject what we are currently doing and propose something else, that would not necessarily be an inherently racist thing to do.
But the Pakeha Party isn’t interested in that. They just want to have a whine about Maori because somehow they think Maori are already more “privileged”. They have constructed a mental fantasyland where stealing the land off it’s rightful owners, exploiting that stolen wealth for their exclusive enrichment and entrenching their white privilege somehow makes them martyrs.
The question is WHY do they feel like martyrs? Why this constant bubbling up of ignorant but popular racism? Generally speaking this party appeals to a broad range of blue collar and mortgage belt whites who think they see a lazy brown elite getting rich on unearned rents and handouts while their hard work is rewarded with increasingly unaffordable housing, stagnant wage growth and poor job security. They feel they’ve played the capitalist game honestly but the rules have been changed. The concerns of this constituency is completely ignored or belittled by the neo-liberal intelligensia component of our elites who dominate the race debate. Who, actually, does speak for Joe and Jane Six-Pack on Struggle Street?
The political vacuum left by the captured political and intellectual technocrats in the elite cadres of our political establishment is always going to be filled by increasingly incoherent and radical parties of the popular right, just like it is in Europe. This wave will be beaten back, but every time the sea recedes on an Orewa or a Pakeha Party the tide is just that little further up the beach for the established order.
I can nail it for you quite easily. It’s because of the land/money given to Maori tribes and such. Not that there is anything wrong with it, but that this stuff was meant to be tidied up along time ago, but keeps going on and on and on.
Rubbish. Do you honestly believe the dog whistling will stop? Why would the Right give up the opportunity to exploit the divisions it has manufactured?
“Not that there is anything wrong with it, but that this stuff was meant to be tidied up along time ago, but keeps going on and on and on.”
Well yeah, it was meant to be tidied up around 1840 or so, but pakeha chose to ignore that and plough ahead as if they owned the place for the next 150 years, largely to the detriment of maori.
Bit rich to turn around after 150 years and blame maori for it going on and on and on.
You mean a bunch of people who have benefited from an imbalance are upset that the situation is being righted and they want to stop the process before they lose any more of their advantage.
“Not all pakeha are hot under the collar about maori catching up either.
So what?”
The point in this context is that white, working/underclass men (and women I guess) have genuine grievances with how society is treating them. One problem is they’re blaming the wrong target. Telling them they are privileged in comparison to Maori doesn’t solve that, it most likely makes it worse (depending on how it is done).
The other problem is that the people with genuine grievances are merged with the people who are simply just racist. But treating those two groups as the same is a mistake.
The other side of it though is that working class/underclass members of the dominat culture are still privileged over working class/underclass members of minority cultures.
Well the Maori have their own party and what have they done? Got into bed with the very people who stand to do all of the things outlined in this diatribe. You can not expect change if you are not willing to put in the “hard yards” and so far this party just look like a bunch of opportunists.
Really need more anvils dropped in high school and documentaries on Te Treati O Waitangi and NZ history to make people realise just how much the Crown fucked over Maori tribes T_T
Then just click on the lowest “reply” button in that thread. So in this instance you should have clicked on the reply button in the 12:14pm comment by felix.
Your post 19 should have used the reply button. You do that a lot (don’t use the reply button so your comment is out of whack with the rest of the discussion). Just wondered why.
The Pakeha Party: initially I thought it was a clever prank, but apparently not. It’s party purpose-built for Troglodytes, Knuckle-Draggers & Mouth-Breathers: now they’ve found themselves a place to call Home, which is convenient for the rest of us, as it will allow us to keep an eye on ’em.
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Bryce Edwards writes – Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has surprised everyone with his ruthlessness in sacking two of his ministers from their crucial portfolios. Removing ministers for poor performance after only five months in the job just doesn’t normally happen in politics. That’s refreshing and will be extremely ...
TL;DR: These are the six things that stood out to me in news and commentary on Aotearoa-NZ’s political economy in the two days to 6:06am on Thursday, April 25:Politics: PM Christopher Luxon has set up a dual standard for ministerial competence by demoting two National Cabinet ministers while leaving also-struggling ...
Hi,Today I mainly want to share some of your thoughts about the recent piece I wrote about success and failure, and the forces that seemingly guide our lives. But first, a quick bit of housekeeping: I am doing a Webworm popup in Los Angeles on Saturday May 11 at 2pm. ...
It is hard to see what Melissa Lee might have done to “save” the media. National went into the election with no public media policy and appears not to have developed one subsequently. Lee claimed that she had prepared a policy paper before the election but it had been decided ...
Open access notablesIce acceleration and rotation in the Greenland Ice Sheet interior in recent decades, Løkkegaard et al., Communications Earth & Environment:In the past two decades, mass loss from the Greenland ice sheet has accelerated, partly due to the speedup of glaciers. However, uncertainty in speed derived from satellite products ...
Buzz from the Beehive A statement from Children’s Minister Karen Chhour – yet to be posted on the Government’s official website – arrived in Point of Order’s email in-tray last night. It welcomes the High Court ruling on whether the Waitangi Tribunal can demand she appear before it. It does ...
Mr Bombastic:Ironically, the media the academic experts wanted is, in many ways, the media they got. In place of the tyrannical editors of yesteryear, advancing without fear or favour the interests of the ruling class; the New Zealand news media of today boasts a troop of enlightened journalists dedicated to ...
It's hard times try to make a livingYou wake up every morning in the unforgivingOut there somewhere in the cityThere's people living lives without mercy or pityI feel good, yeah I'm feeling fineI feel better then I have for the longest timeI think these pills have been good for meI ...
In 1974, the US Supreme Court issued its decision in United States v. Nixon, finding that the President was not a King, but was subject to the law and was required to turn over the evidence of his wrongdoing to the courts. It was a landmark decision for the rule ...
Every day now just seems to bring in more fresh meat for the grinder.In their relentlessly ideological drive to cut back on the “excessive bloat” (as they see it) of the previous Labour-led government, on the mountains of evidence accumulated in such a short period of time do not ...
This is a re-post from Yale Climate Connections by Megan Valére SosouMarket gardening site of the Itchèléré de Itagui agricultural cooperative in Dassa-Zoumè (Image credit: Megan Valère Sossou) For the residents of Dassa-Zoumè, a city in the West African country of Benin, choosing between drinking water and having enough ...
Buzz from the Beehive Melissa Lee – as may be discerned from the screenshot above – has not been demoted for doing something seriously wrong as Minister of ...
Morning in London Mother hugs beloved daughter outside the converted shoe factory in which she is living.Afternoon in London Travelling writer takes himself and his wrist down to A&E, just to be sure. Read more ...
Mike Grimshaw writes – The recent announcement of the University Advisory Group, chaired by Sir Peter Gluckman, makes very clear where the Government’s focus and priorities lie. The remit of the Advisory Group is that Group members will consider challenges and opportunities for improvement in the university sector including: ...
Eric Crampton writes – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand desperately wants to find reasons to have workstreams in climate change. It makes little sense. They’ve run another stress test on the banks looking to see if they could find a prudential regulation case. They couldn’t. They ...
Unemployment is on the rise and it’s only going to get worse under this Government, Labour finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds said. Stats NZ figures show the unemployment rate grew to 4.3 percent in the March quarter from 4 percent in the December quarter. “This is the second rise in unemployment ...
This afternoon’s interim Waitangi Tribunal report must be taken seriously as it affects our most vulnerable children, Labour children’s spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. ...
Te Pāti Māori are demanding the New Zealand Government support an international independent investigation into mass graves that have been uncovered at two hospitals on the Gaza strip, following weeks of assault by Israeli troops. Among the 392 bodies that have been recovered, are children and elderly civilians. Many of ...
Our two-tiered system for veterans’ support is out of step with our closest partners, and all parties in Parliament should work together to fix it, Labour veterans’ affairs spokesperson Greg O’Connor said. ...
Stripping two Ministers of their portfolios just six months into the job shows Christopher Luxon’s management style is lacking, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said. ...
Tonight’s court decision to overturn the summons of the Children’s Minister has enabled the Crown to continue making decisions about Māori without evidence, says Te Pāti Māori spokesperson for Children, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. “The judicial system has this evening told the nation that this government can do whatever they want when ...
It appears Nicola Willis is about to pull the rug out from under the feet of local communities still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s severe weather, and local councils relying on funding to build back from these disasters. ...
The Government is making short-sighted changes to the Resource Management Act (RMA) that will take away environmental protection in favour of short-term profits, Labour’s environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said today. ...
Labour welcomes the release of the report into the North Island weather events and looks forward to working with the Government to ensure that New Zealand is as prepared as it can be for the next natural disaster. ...
The Labour Party has called for the New Zealand Government to recognise Palestine, as a material step towards progressing the two-State solution needed to achieve a lasting peace in the region. ...
Some of our country’s most important work, stopping the sexual exploitation of children and violent extremism could go along with staff on the frontline at ports and airports. ...
The Government’s Fast Track Approvals Bill will give projects such as new coal mines a ‘get out of jail free’ card to wreak havoc on the environment, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins said today. ...
The government's decision to reintroduce Three Strikes is a destructive and ineffective piece of law-making that will only exacerbate an inherently biased and racist criminal justice system, said Te Pāti Māori Justice Spokesperson, Tākuta Ferris, today. During the time Three Strikes was in place in Aotearoa, Māori and Pasifika received ...
Cuts to frontline hospital staff are not only a broken election promise, it shows the reckless tax cuts have well and truly hit the frontline of the health system, says Labour Health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall. ...
The Green Party has joined the call for public submissions on the fast-track legislation to be extended after the Ombudsman forced the Government to release the list of organisations invited to apply just hours before submissions close. ...
New Zealand’s good work at reducing climate emissions for three years in a row will be undone by the National government’s lack of ambition and scrapping programmes that were making a difference, Labour Party climate spokesperson Megan Woods said today. ...
More essential jobs could be on the chopping block, this time Ministry of Education staff on the school lunches team are set to find out whether they're in line to lose their jobs. ...
Te Pāti Māori is disgusted at the confirmation that hundreds are set to lose their jobs at Oranga Tamariki, and the disestablishment of the Treaty Response Unit. “This act of absolute carelessness and out of touch decision making is committing tamariki to state abuse.” Said Te Pāti Māori Oranga Tamariki ...
The Government is trying to bring in a law that will allow Ministers to cut corners and kill off native species, Labour environment spokesperson Rachel Brooking said. ...
Cancelling urgently needed new Cook Strait ferries and hiking the cost of public transport for many Kiwis so that National can announce the prospect of another tunnel for Wellington is not making good choices, Labour Transport Spokesperson Tangi Utikere said. ...
A laundry list of additional costs for Tāmaki Makarau Auckland shows the Minister for the city is not delivering for the people who live there, says Labour Auckland Issues spokesperson Shanan Halbert. ...
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi, and Mema Paremata mō Tāmaki-Makaurau, Takutai Tarsh Kemp, will travel to the Gold Coast to strengthen ties with Māori in Australia next week (15-21 April). The visit, in the lead-up to the 9th Australian National Kapa haka Festival, will be an opportunity for both ...
The Green Party has today launched a step-by-step guide to help New Zealanders make their voice heard on the Government’s democracy dodging and anti-environment fast track legislation. ...
The National Government’s proposed changes to the Residential Tenancies Act will mean tenants can be turfed from their homes by landlords with little notice, Labour housing spokesperson Kieran McAnulty said. ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson is calling on all parties to support a common-sense change that’s great for the planet and great for consumers after her member’s bill was drawn from the ballot today. ...
People with an interest in the health of Northland’s marine ecosystems are invited to a public meeting to discuss how to deal with kina barrens, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. Mr Jones will lead the discussion, which will take place on Friday, 10 May, at Awanui Hotel in ...
Kiwi exporters are $100 million better off today with the NZ EU FTA entering into force says Trade Minister Todd McClay. “This is all part of our plan to grow the economy. New Zealand's prosperity depends on international trade, making up 60 per cent of the country’s total economic activity. ...
There are heartening signs that the extractive sector is once again becoming an attractive prospect for investors and a source of economic prosperity for New Zealand, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. “The beginnings of a resurgence in extractive industries are apparent in media reports of the sector in the past ...
The return of the historic Ō-Rākau battle site to the descendants of those who fought there moved one step closer today with the first reading of Te Pire mō Ō-Rākau, Te Pae o Maumahara / The Ō-Rākau Remembrance Bill. The Bill will entrust the 9.7-hectare battle site, five kilometres west ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has announced 25 new high-speed EV charging hubs along key routes between major urban centres and outlined the Government’s plan to supercharge New Zealand’s EV infrastructure. The hubs will each have several chargers and be capable of charging at least four – and up to 10 ...
The coalition Government will not proceed with the previous Government’s plans to regulate residential property managers, Housing Minister Chris Bishop says. “I have written to the Chairperson of the Social Services and Community Committee to inform him that the Government does not intend to support the Residential Property Managers Bill ...
The Government has announced an independent review into the disability support system funded by the Ministry of Disabled People – Whaikaha. Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says the review will look at what can be done to strengthen the long-term sustainability of Disability Support Services to provide disabled people and ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has attended the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva and outlined the Government’s plan to restore law and order. “Speaking to the United Nations Human Rights Council provided us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while responding to issues and ...
The Government and Rotorua Lakes Council are committed to working closely together to end the use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua. Associate Minister of Housing (Social Housing) Tama Potaka says the Government remains committed to ending the long-term use of contracted emergency housing motels in Rotorua by the ...
Trade Minister Todd McClay heads overseas today for high-level trade talks in the Gulf region, and a key OECD meeting in Paris. Mr McClay will travel to Riyadh to meet with counterparts from Saudi Arabia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). “New Zealand’s goods and services exports to the Gulf region ...
Education Minister Erica Stanford has outlined six education priorities to deliver a world-leading education system that sets Kiwi kids up for future success. “I’m putting ambition, achievement and outcomes at the heart of our education system. I want every child to be inspired and engaged in their learning so they ...
The new NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) App is a secure ‘one stop shop’ to provide the services drivers need, Transport Minister Simeon Brown and Digitising Government Minister Judith Collins say. “The NZTA App will enable an easier way for Kiwis to pay for Vehicle Registration and Road User Charges (RUC). ...
Whānau with tamariki growing up in emergency housing motels will be prioritised for social housing starting this week, says Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka. “Giving these whānau a better opportunity to build healthy stable lives for themselves and future generations is an essential part of the Government’s goal of reducing ...
Racing Minister Winston Peters has paid tribute to an icon of the industry with the recent passing of Dave O’Sullivan (OBE). “Our sympathies are with the O’Sullivan family with the sad news of Dave O’Sullivan’s recent passing,” Mr Peters says. “His contribution to racing, initially as a jockey and then ...
Assalaamu alaikum, greetings to you all. Eid Mubarak, everyone! I want to extend my warmest wishes to you and everyone celebrating this joyous occasion. It is a pleasure to be here. I have enjoyed Eid celebrations at Parliament before, but this is my first time joining you as the Minister ...
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has announced Pharmac’s largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, fixing a $1.774 billion fiscal cliff. “Access to medicines is a crucial part of many Kiwis’ lives. We’ve committed to a budget allocation of $1.774 billion over four years so Kiwis are ...
Hon Paula Bennett has been appointed as member and chair of the Pharmac board, Associate Health Minister David Seymour announced today. "Pharmac is a critical part of New Zealand's health system and plays a significant role in ensuring that Kiwis have the best possible access to medicines,” says Mr Seymour. ...
Hundreds of New Zealand families affected by Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) will benefit from a new Government focus on prevention and treatment, says Health Minister Dr Shane Reti. “We know FASD is a leading cause of preventable intellectual and neurodevelopmental disability in New Zealand,” Dr Reti says. “Every day, ...
Regional Development Minister Shane Jones today attended the official opening of Kaikohe’s new $14.7 million sports complex. “The completion of the Kaikohe Multi Sports Complex is a fantastic achievement for the Far North,” Mr Jones says. “This facility not only fulfils a long-held dream for local athletes, but also creates ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ engagements in Türkiye this week underlined the importance of diplomacy to meet growing global challenges. “Returning to the Gallipoli Peninsula to represent New Zealand at Anzac commemorations was a sombre reminder of the critical importance of diplomacy for de-escalating conflicts and easing tensions,” Mr Peters ...
Ambassador Millar, Burgemeester, Vandepitte, Excellencies, military representatives, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen – good morning and welcome to this sacred Anzac Day dawn service. It is an honour to be here on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand at Buttes New British Cemetery, Polygon Wood – a deeply ...
Distinguished guests - It is an honour to return once again to this site which, as the resting place for so many of our war-dead, has become a sacred place for generations of New Zealanders. Our presence here and at the other special spaces of Gallipoli is made ...
Mai ia tawhiti pamamao, te moana nui a Kiwa, kua tae whakaiti mai matou, ki to koutou papa whenua. No koutou te tapuwae, no matou te tapuwae, kua honoa pumautia. Ko nga toa kua hinga nei, o te Waipounamu, o te Ika a Maui, he okioki tahi me o ...
Paul Goldsmith will take on responsibility for the Media and Communications portfolio, while Louise Upston will pick up the Disability Issues portfolio, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced today. “Our Government is relentlessly focused on getting New Zealand back on track. As issues change in prominence, I plan to adjust Ministerial ...
Recreational catch limits will be reduced in areas of Fiordland and the Chatham Islands to help keep those fisheries healthy and sustainable, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says. The lower recreational daily catch limits for a range of finfish and shellfish species caught in the Fiordland Marine Area and ...
Energy Minister Simeon Brown has welcomed an important milestone in New Zealand’s hydrogen future, with the opening of the country’s first network of hydrogen refuelling stations in Wiri. “I want to congratulate the team at Hiringa Energy and its partners K one W one (K1W1), Mitsui & Co New Zealand ...
The coalition Government is delivering on its commitment to improve resource management laws and give greater certainty to consent applicants, with a Bill to amend the Resource Management Act (RMA) expected to be introduced to Parliament next month. RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop has today outlined the first RMA Amendment ...
Overseas models for regulating the oil and gas sector, including their decommissioning regimes, are being carefully scrutinised as a potential template for New Zealand’s own sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says. The Coalition Government is focused on rebuilding investor confidence in New Zealand’s energy sector as it looks to strengthen ...
Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell has today released the Report of the Government Inquiry into the response to the North Island Severe Weather Events. “The report shows that New Zealand’s emergency management system is not fit-for-purpose and there are some significant gaps we need to address,” Mr Mitchell ...
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith is today travelling to Europe where he’ll update the United Nations Human Rights Council on the Government’s work to restore law and order. “Attending the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva provides us with an opportunity to present New Zealand’s human rights progress, priorities, and challenges, while ...
Associate Agriculture Minister, Mark Patterson, formally reopened the world’s largest wool processing facility today in Awatoto, Napier, following a $50 million rebuild and refurbishment project. “The reopening of this facility will significantly lift the economic opportunities available to New Zealand’s wool sector, which already accounts for 20 per cent of ...
Hon Andrew Bayly, Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing At the Southland Otago Regional Engineering Collective (SOREC) Summit, 18 April, Dunedin Ngā mihi nui, Ko Andrew Bayly aho, Ko Whanganui aho Good Afternoon and thank you for inviting me to open your summit today. I am delighted ...
The Government is delivering on its commitment to bring back the Three Strikes legislation, Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee announced today. “Our Government is committed to restoring law and order and enforcing appropriate consequences on criminals. We are making it clear that repeat serious violent or sexual offending is not ...
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has today announced four new diplomatic appointments for New Zealand’s overseas missions. “Our diplomats have a vital role in maintaining and protecting New Zealand’s interests around the world,” Mr Peters says. “I am pleased to announce the appointment of these senior diplomats from the ...
New Zealand is contributing NZ$7 million to support communities affected by severe food insecurity and other urgent humanitarian needs in Ethiopia and Somalia, Foreign Minister Rt Hon Winston Peters announced today. “Over 21 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance across Ethiopia, with a further 6.9 million people ...
Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Paul Goldsmith is congratulating Mataaho Collective for winning the Golden Lion for best participant in the main exhibition at the Venice Biennale. "Congratulations to the Mataaho Collective for winning one of the world's most prestigious art prizes at the Venice Biennale. “It is good ...
The Government is reforming financial services to improve access to home loans and other lending, and strengthen customer protections, Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayly and Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced today. “Our coalition Government is committed to rebuilding the economy and making life simpler by cutting red tape. We are ...
“China remains a strong commercial opportunity for Kiwi exporters as Chinese businesses and consumers continue to value our high-quality safe produce,” Trade and Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says. Mr McClay has returned to New Zealand following visits to Beijing, Harbin and Shanghai where he met ministers, governors and mayors and engaged in trade and agricultural events with the New ...
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has completed a successful trip to Singapore, Thailand and the Philippines, deepening relationships and capitalising on opportunities. Mr Luxon was accompanied by a business delegation and says the choice of countries represents the priority the New Zealand Government places on South East Asia, and our relationships in ...
New Zealand is demonstrating its commitment to reducing global greenhouse emissions, and supporting clean energy transition in South East Asia, through a contribution of NZ$41 million (US$25 million) in climate finance to the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-led Energy Transition Mechanism (ETM). Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced ...
Asia Pacific Report Ngāti Kahungunu in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Hawkes Bay region has become the first indigenous Māori iwi (tribe) to sign a resolution calling for a “ceasefire in Palestine”, reports Te Ao Māori News. Reporter Te Aniwaniwa Paterson talked to Te Otāne Huata, who has been organising peace rallies ...
By Dale Luma in Port Moresby “We want grants and not concessional loans,” is the crisp message from Papua New Guinea businesses directly affected by the Black Wednesday looting four months ago. The businesses, which lost millions after the January 10 rioting and looting, say they need grants as part ...
Happy May Day. Join a union. Q: What’s worse than a staff break room where the only place to sit and have a cup of tea is on a teetering stack of old pornography magazines? A: Your boss replacing the magazine stacks with chairs that are “heartily encrusted with ...
By Koroi Hawkins, RNZ Pacific editor Former opposition leader Matthew Wale has been announced as the second prime ministerial candidate ahead of the election in Solomon Islands tomorrow. He will face off against former foreign affairs minister Jeremiah Manele, who was announced by the Coalition for National Unity and Transformation ...
We get but one birthday a year – why not make it last as long as possible by scheduling as many meals with friends and family as you can? This is an excerpt from our weekly food newsletter, The Boil Up. How do you celebrate your birthday? Do you celebrate at ...
A Koi Tū discussion paper released today proposes sweeping changes to New Zealand’s media industry. The principal’s key author, Gavin Ellis, explains how journalists have a key role to play in making others value their role in society. This is an abridged version of a piece first published on knightlyviews.com ...
The Government’s spending cuts are again targeting support for Māori with proposed reform of the agency charged with advising on Māori wellbeing and development. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Douglas, Honorary Senior Lecturer, UNSW Aviation., UNSW Sydney The history of budget jet airlines in Australia is a long road littered with broken dreams. New entrants have consistently struggled to get a foothold. Low-cost carrier Bonza has just become the industry’s ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rosalind Dixon, Director, Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law, UNSW Sydney Australia is finally having a sustained conversation about violence against women and what we can do about it. It is more than time. Australian women and girls continue to experience ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne stockfour/Shutterstock Preliminary bulk billing data released this week shows a 2.1% rise in bulk billing up to March. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Schulz, Senior Lecturer, University of Adelaide Australia is once again grappling with how we can stop gendered violence in our country. Protests over the weekend show there is enormous community anger over the number of women who are dying and National ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Martin, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University AnastasiaDudka/Shutterstock What if the government was doing everything it could to stop thieves making off with our money, except the one thing that could really work? That’s how it ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Harrington, Senior Lecturer in English and Cultural Studies, University of Canterbury The Conversation It seems to be a time of old favourites. This month our experts have recommended two new seasons – the second season of Alone Australia (although ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland A bright Eta Aquariid meteor photobombed this photo of comet C/2020 F8 (SWAN) in May 2020.Jonti Horner Meteors – commonly known as shooting stars – can be seen on any night of the ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tim Flannery, Honorary fellow, The University of Melbourne Shutterstock Current concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in Earth’s atmosphere are unprecedented in human history. But CO₂ levels today, and those that might occur in coming decades, did occur millions of years ago. ...
Winston Peters has been keen to dismiss speculation on our involvement in Aukus but will give a speech tonight on the direction of our foreign policy, writes Anna Rawhiti-Connell in this excerpt from The Bulletin, The Spinoff’s morning news round-up. To receive The Bulletin in full each weekday, sign up here. ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Patrick Usmar, Lecturer in Critical Media Literacies, Auckland University of Technology Getty Images With the coalition government’s ban of student mobile phones in New Zealand schools coming into effect this week, reaction has ranged from the sceptical (kids will just get ...
Hospitals around the country are not allowed to make a single hiring decision without the approval of Te Whatu Ora's head office, including for cleaners and administration staff. ...
A new report on protecting journalism and democracy in New Zealand recommends a levy be charged on global platforms like Facebook and Google to fund media firms undertaking public interest reporting. It also calls for the reinstatement of a powerful Broadcasting Commission to distribute public funding for journalism and other ...
On International Workers' Day, also known as May Day, the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi and the wider union movement are celebrating the proud history of the labour movement during a tough time for working people. ...
From bills to beards, a walk through the former Green co-leader’s time in politics. After close to a decade in politics, James Shaw is preparing to bid farewell to parliament. Tonight will see the former minister deliver his valedictory address, certain to be a speech filled with Shaw’s trademark wit ...
Two months ago, MPs unanimously voted to give themselves a week off in Efeso Collins’ honour. On Tuesday, most were too busy to give even an hour of their time. The day Fa’anānā Efeso Collins died, parliament felt different. In a building that operates at a breakneck pace, everyone stopped ...
India’s election involves hundreds of millions of people and is a months-long affair. Here’s how voting works and what’s at stake.The biggest-ever election in world history started on April 19, with more than 10% of the world’s population eligible to vote. Elections in India, the world’s most populous country ...
Opinion: The impression from the carpark is very inviting. The area is well fenced but barred so there is easy visibility of loved ones. Inside, the spaces are welcoming and clean and staff are friendly and clearly comfortable. I am greeted by ‘Kim’. She has worked here for three years, ...
After the Christchurch earthquake, the then-national civil defence boss compared his experience to “putting a team on the rugby field who have never ever played together before”. Now, eight years later – and following a damning inquiry into the emergency response of cyclones Gabrielle, Hale and the Auckland anniversary weekend floods – ...
“I had just come off the end of a major robbery case which I had been working on for six months when I got a call on the afternoon of September 1, 1992, that some remains had been found at a building site in Devonport, so I drove over with ...
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Comment: Journalists are very good at telling other people’s stories, but they fall well short when writing about their own profession. Perhaps that is why it is so undervalued. Every successive poll on the public’s attitude toward journalism is more alarming than the last. In the last month we have ...
Opinion: A young Māori woman and her Pacific partner arrive at their local hospital by ambulance. She has gone into labour at just under 24 weeks, but the couple haven’t recognised the symptoms – and don’t know the risks of premature birth for their baby. By the time they arrive, ...
Behind closed doors, NZ First will be arguing fiercely against any watering down of the ministerial decision-making powers in the Bill The post Bishop backtracks after fast-track backlash appeared first on Newsroom. ...
Emotional scenes played out in the Invercargill courthouse on the first two days of the coronial inquest into the death of Gore toddler Lachlan Jones, in which the boy’s mother was accused of disposing of her son’s body. The second season of Newsroom’s award-nominated podcast The Boy in the Water ...
Asia Pacific Report A Pacific civil society alliance has condemned French neocolonial policies in Kanaky New Caledonia, saying Paris is set on “maintaining the status quo” and denying the indigenous Kanak people their inalienable right to self-determination. The Pacific Regional Non-Governmental Organisations (PRNGOs) Alliance, representing some 15 groups, said in ...
Koi Tū New Zealand cannot sit back and see the collapse of its Fourth Estate, the director of Koi Tū: The Centre for Informed Futures, Sir Peter Gluckman, says in the foreword of a paper published today. The paper, “If not journalists, then who?” paints a picture of an industry ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Foreign investment proposals with implications for Australia’s strategic or economic security will face tougher scrutiny, under a policy overhaul to be announced by Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Wednesday. At the same time, the government ...
A Waitangi Tribunal inquiry report has warned government that a repeal of Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act could cause harm to children in care. ...
The Treasury has published today three new papers covering government consumption multipliers, automatic stabilisers and the impacts of global shocks on New Zealand’s economy. ...
Asia Pacific Report The Pacific state of Hawai’i’s House of Representatives has joined the state’s Senate in calling for a ceasefire in Israel’s war on Gaza, becoming the first state to pass such a resolution, reports Hawaii News Now. In March, the Senate passed a ceasefire resolution with a 24–1 ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Ferrie, A/Prof, UTS Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Research and ARC DECRA Fellow, University of Technology Sydney PsiQuantum The Australian government has announced a pledge of approximately A$940 million (US$617 million) to PsiQuantum, a quantum computing start-up company based in Silicon Valley. Half ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hunter Bennett, Lecturer in Exercise Science, University of South Australia Cameron Prins/Shutterstock If you spend a lot of time exploring fitness content online, you might have come across the concept of heart rate zones. Heart rate zone training has become more ...
SPECIAL REPORT:By Eugene Doyle He is the most popular Palestinian leader alive today — and yet few people in the West even know his name. Absolutely no one in Gaza or the West Bank does not know him. That difference speaks volumes about who dominates the media narrative that ...
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Will McCallum, PhD Candidate – School of Communication and Creative Arts, Deakin University Earlier this year, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton accused Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of not supporting Operation Sovereign Borders – the military-led border security operation that has “closed Australia’s borders ...
By Melyne Baroi in Port Moresby A Papua New Guinea MP, Peter Isoaimo, who had been ousted by the National Court in an alleged bribery case, has been reinstated by the Supreme Court on appeal. A three-member Supreme Court bench found that the National Court had erred in finding that ...
Publisher Chris Holdaway reflects on the unique project of collecting the work of the late, terrific poet Schaeffer Lemalu. One of the nice things you can do as a truly independent publisher is to make the books that writers want to make, whatever they happen to be. That’s how I’ve ...
Those profiled in the stamp series served on overseas deployments from 1995 onwards, and all have been awarded theNew Zealand Operational Service Medal. ...
Last night’s dismal poll result for the coalition government shows the limits of trying to govern as an opposition, argues Joel MacManus. There’s a quote from the American political activist Barbara Deming: “Vengeance is not the point; change is. But the trouble is that in most people’s minds, the thought ...
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If Maori get it they want it to… do what? Cryptic.
First time I’d even heard of these non-factors… now that I do a google search I see that they’ve been getting some oxygen today…
Ah, see, they think “the Maori” isn’t a group of people, but rather a hivemind, like the Borg Collective.
So if The Maori get something, they want The Maori to get it. They’re really supportive, see?
Aha! We should have known there was a non-racist purpose buried within their mashing of the English language.
I liked Toby Manhire’s take at the Listener
“If the Maori get it, we want it to!” Yeah! But want it to what? The missing word, almost certainly, is “thrive”.
http://www.listener.co.nz/commentary/the-internaut/pakeha-party-launched-a-new-voice-for-non-racism/
Unfortunately the very funny wiki page that included mention of Manhire’s satire has been edited and recommended for deletion.
I think Tā moko will look impressive on them.
I see they are looking to change their name already – how about “One Nation” after Pauline Hanson’s Australian party? Seems to suit.
This is obviously pretty poor satire.
[um. no it’s not. you fucken idiot. Zet]
ZET:
Oh I thought it was satire like the “Billionaires for Bush” thing.
That familiar nagging sensation in your head is you being wrong and shooting your mouth off before doing any basic research. Again.
QOT:
It seemed like satire, it’s that bizarre.
Brett. The post isn’t a screen shot of the site page.
Yeah, could do with a better explanation and a link to the FB page.
The fb page is worse than WO:
Although the guy talking about people on hilltops seeing the page and “screaming racism from the top of their lounges” made me smile.
I know, it’s part horror part hilarity
“Hand’s up whos here to laugh and troll?”
For those that haven’t have the pleasure yet
https://www.facebook.com/ThePakehaParty
Yeah I assumed it was a troll page, just because there was way too much U MAD BRO? etc
Beholdth Brett Dale, the man without a brain.
Marvel as he stumbles and makes an ignorant arse out of himself on anything more complex than eating.
Be dazed at the depths of his stupid as he tries and fails to understand relatively simple issues.
And lastly, laugh as he digs himself in deeper Every. Single. Time.
_______________________________
🙄
Stick to sports m’kay? At least in that you can successfully bluff to some state of “knowledge”. At least until a true sports geek noms on you.
What is the point of that comment?
This reveals more about you than you might want to actually admit to.
Does it reveal that many Pakeha got where they are today because of their ethnicity rather than their talents? Positive discrimination is such a handicap, eh.
“This reveals more about you than you might want to actually admit to.”
Such as?
Kia ora whanau – I’d really like you all to stop being so greedy and start sharing the myriad of riches that we have (which are listed above) with all of our Pakeha brothers & sisters. I fully tautoko this party who wish to share in the undeserved lifestyle that we so ungratefully complain about and wish that they could enjoy the bountiful riches that have been bestowed on us by themselves.
When the working class are abandoned and ignored by social democracy and a lot of white/pink people wind up genuinely in the shit, see no way out and are looking for answers/explanations, racism will always come along and offer easy answers; answers that largely blossom from (in the case of NZ) society’s pre-existing and utterly ingrained casual racism.
Both liberal and conservative elites and all governing institutions will, of course, continue to pretend that economic injustice is not an integral part of the market economy and so simply decry the racism. And ‘the best’ of it? Some of the targetted ‘identity politics’ policies of recent years that sought to ameliorate economic disparity while denying the existence of class, is going to be feeding right on back into this shite.
Maybe some chickens are looking to be coming home to roost.
Bill, while I think you may be right that a rising tide lifts all boats, for some identity politics are always going to be more compelling than economics. Far better to accept that and move on rather than this impotent railing, no?
Nothing wrong with identity politics if class is factored in or acknowledged too. And it works the other way too race and gender should be factored in or acknowledged when looking at class.
And if you accept the fact of class being made invisible by politicians and their parties/policies, then the fucking racism that is clearly evident from comments on that fb page is going to continue to fester and grow.
btw. What exactly was it Hone said about housing and how was it reported so that some guy came to be thinking that there was going to be ‘Maori only’ housing? And has that been put to rights and explained amid all the jibing and piss taking that, to be honest, seems to be more about the fb guy’s political naivity and lack of media savvy?
And what about all that racism being expressed in comments and the apparent popularity of those sentiments? Is the idea just to ignore all that cos, y’know, it’s just stupid white trash speak and worth nothing beyond ridicule and superior smirking silences?
Because if that is to be the broad response in NZ, then NZ is setting itself up for some ugly shit some time in the future.
Right now, people are focussed on racism. I’d suggest it be taken seriously and underlying causes addressed and misconceptions challenged. But, y’know, I expect that suggestion and concern to fall on stoney ground. I expect to see a couple of days of ridicule topwards the likes who are commenting on that fb page alongside expressions of dismissive anger from leftists. And then for it to ‘go away’ and allowed to fester until next time around.
+1
What exactly was it Hone said about housing and how was it reported so that some guy came to be thinking that there was going to be ‘Maori only’ housing? And has that been put to rights and explained amid all the jibing and piss taking that, to be honest, seems to be more about the fb guy’s political naivity and lack of media savvy?
From what I remember, and this is only from the MSM and ts, Mana’s first press releases were about housing for Maori. After the reaction to that, they came out and said that the policy would be for all people. I don’t know if that was a policy change, or if they just presented it differently. The thing that struck me at the time was that either Mana were being very naive in how they presented that whole policy (or they didn’t care), or they were very clever (if you look at the timing with the Ikaroa-Rawhiti by-election, they sent a clear message of support to Maori, and then a few days later they pacified Pakeha). I don’t know which I think is true.
Nothing wrong with identity politics if class is factored in or acknowledged too. And it works the other way too race and gender should be factored in or acknowledged when looking at class.
And if you accept the fact of class being made invisible by politicians and their parties/policies, then the fucking racism that is clearly evident from comments on that fb page is going to continue to fester and grow.
I agree. I’m not sure quite what you mean about the connection with other identity politics, as I don’t see NACT or Labour as engaging in that majorly other than with some individual policies like gay marriage. That they’re removing class from the debate is definitely happening, and I agree there needs to be a conversation about why so many people agree with the Pakeha Party. The main problem here, on ts, is that that conversation has largely been initiated by vto, who’s race politics are too near the John Ansell end of the spectrum, so the discussions never get passed that. Personally I’d be interested in having the conversation amongst people that are already grounded in acceptance of the Treaty etc.
I think maybe what you are saying is that white, working and underclass men are getting a very hard time and that this needs to be acknowledged and responded to. I agree. The question is how to frame that debate, and how to engage with people who already frame that debate in racist and proto-racist ways.
Let me know if I’ve missed the mark there with how I’ve read your comment.
The Mana housing policy was originally released in a Maori electorate, to Maori voters. The release was targeted at them, which in the circumstances was fair enough. I asked if it would be extended to all people in need of housing and the unequivocal answer was yes. I asked on the day of public release. Even though I think Mana need to learn a lot about using social media, there was no intent for this to be a Maori only policy.
“And ‘the best’ of it? Some of the targetted ‘identity politics’ policies of recent years that sought to ameliorate economic disparity while denying the existence of class, is going to be feeding right on back into this shite.”
Can you give some examples Bill?
Just go to the fb page comments for some examples. The whole ‘Maori are privileged by the education system’ tripe is just one of many you will see being said over and over again.
I can’t take the comments on that page as serious examples of identity politics policies. Can you give some examples of what you mean? eg which education policies. Or were you meaning perception of policies rather than actual policies?
I know that the Clark govt removed much of the funding available directly to Maori community projects, to the great detriment of many grass roots initiatives. That happened in direct response to people complaining about race based funding and Labour being afraid of losing votes. Despite the removal of race based funding, we still hear alot of criticism of things like Whanau Ora, Tariana Turia’s project, despite Whanau Ora funding being open to all ethnic groups.
I’m sure there are some targetted policies, and it would certainly be very useful to know what they are and analyse them. At the moment it looks like another case of us all arguing about something without the facts (not you and I, but the whole country).
Between this lot and the Conservative Party, holding Winston 1st to 4.9% ought to be a doddle.
and the Maori Party aren’t racist? Talk about double standards.
No, they aren’t. Glad we could clear that up.
Looks like John Key’s got a coalition partner after all.
+1 Mary.
Nothing like stunning ignorance to further divide and hurt our country. When we are as weak as we are, pathogens like this silly Pakeha Party can really infect the minds of already deluded folks.
What do you think is diving the country now?
“What do you think is diving the country now?”
Diving? Well, I ‘d have to say that ultimately John Key is responsible for sending the country into a nose dive, but he has been aided by the likes of Sky Casino, Warner Bro’s, and of course his trusty pals Paula, Hekia, Simon, Peter, John and so on. Then there’s a media that feeds all the petty misinformed jealousies of the fools of this country. It’s a social, moral and economic nosedive. Although if you meant to say divide, it would be all of the above as well.
Oh, and not to mention the increasingly hostile approach of employers in this country. At this rate there will be no turning back to a time of fairness, dignity and trust in the workplace. The NZ workplace has been divided by mistrust and power grabbing by employers. See Helen Kelly’s excellent article as an example of this
http://thestandard.org.nz/157690/
Could be good for the Left. Would never get an electorate seat and unlikely to get to 5% of the vote but still take enough support from the same pool of rednecks who would otherwise vote for Keys, so could help push a Left coalition over the line. When things get as tight as they have done in NZ over the last two general elections the slightest variable could make a big difference.
Stop calling bigots “rednecks”. That’s an ignorant and elitist term of contempt for working people.
+1
Rebuke uncalled for.
While redneck’s etymology is not clear Wiki offered rural origins, and the modern US usage as ‘used broadly to degrade working class and rural whites that are perceived by urban progressives to be insufficiently liberal’
Your view is unnecessarily narrow, focusing on ‘working'(class) ie origin, rather than on the illiberalism ie attitude, that it connotes for majority users in NZ. You might like to consider the extent to which the term is gendered, too.
I’m sort of with Morrissey on this one. If redneck doesn’t denote prejudice then neither does wetback.
I’m sort of with Morrissey on this one. If redneck doesn’t denote prejudice then neither does wetback.
There’s nothing wrong with the term being used to describe a farmer or a manual worker. The problem is when it is foolishly and inappropriately used to mean “bigot”.
The vilest, most ignorant, most illiberal views in this country come from radio loudmouths like Michael Laws and Leighton Smith, a whole raft of complacent newspaper opinionistas, right wing “Think Tank” reptiles like Bob McCoskrie and Bruce Logan, ACT on Campus halfwits, and assorted other bewildered/nasty/lazy/st000pid souls.
Note that nearly all of them are distinguished by their LACK of hard work, and especially by their lack of hard PHYSICAL work. They do not get sunburnt, except when they lie on the beach at a Fiji resort. They are bigots, not rednecks. In fact, I can think of only two bigots who could fairly be described as “rednecks”—John “Hone” Carter and Garth “The Knife” McVicar.
“Redneck”, when used as a term of abuse, is nothing more than a sniffy east coast liberal putdown of ALL working people, who the Eastern liberal establishment, i.e. the Democratic Party, resented because they were unconvinced by the Barack Obamas and Bill Clintons of the late ’60s and early ‘seventies.
You need to stop indolently recycling such abusive, foolish, and inaccurate language.
You’re right. Sorry, that was ignorant of me. I hadn’t realised that the term had that meaning at all. I’d always thought it was limited to white conservative bigots but realise now that’s not the case.
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/redneck
Good on you, Mary. You have provided a lesson in humility and good grace.
Are you watching, Populuxe1?
What this filthy piece of ‘reasonable’ sounding racism reminds me of – whether it’s meant to be satire or not – is that nine years ago the gnat party was at 28%… and then within 2 weeks of Brash’s Orewa speech they surged to 45%
The slippery self-serving neolib that currently heads parliament and who has no idea of what building a nation is all about, has only managed to increase support from Brash’s 45% to 46.5%
This gives me a great deal of hope. We only have to turn one in four of those pre-Orewa gnat supporters and Labour will once again lead in the polls. But how to do it?
Sadly I can’t help thinking that the current Labour caucus seems more intent on winning over some of the 17% that went to the gnats post Orewa.
theres really only two outcomes i can see from this
1) theyre actually well meaning but deluded – so when they start saying what it is they want politically, every one will go “yeah, youve got that already, whats your point again?”, and their support will atrophy and/or no-one will bother working with them
or
2) they will expose them selves as outright racists and their support will atrophy and/or no-one will want to work with them
either way – i see it as no biggie really. the pefect response to all this “The maori party is a racist party” is “so what?”
If you can get enough people who want to join theres nothing stopping you, go for your life. If you wanted to have a one armed jewish lesbian party theres nothing stopping you if youve got the numbers. If youre just bonkers or dont really have much of a clue – you will expose yourself pretty quickly
sunlight – disinfectant etc etc
there’s more of them than we’d like to think in NZ. Most won’t come out into the sunlight as they prefer to slither around under rocks with their own kind. So they’ll probably stay with the gnats or nzf
On the other hand they can do what they like in the voting booth.
Which is to take votes from Key. Will be interesting to see whether they get more of the vote than UntiedFuture like the Legalise Cannabis Party.
Hmm, I dunno framu.
Remember, this is exactly the same bullshit that nearly got Don Brash elected in 2005. And he never came up with a single concrete example of “special maori privilege”.
Right now they’re just a couple of idiots, but what they’ve got is momentum. And while a stationary idiot is just an idiot, a rolling mass of idiocy can do a lot of damage.
If that momentum is sustained for much longer, they’ll be approached by smarter, shrewder, more calculating players who will quietly take over behind the scenes and try to translate this momentum into real political support for something.
Maybe Lusk for a faction within National. Maybe Gibbs for the rebirth of ACT. It’s open to anyone really, bunch of angry ignorant voters for the taking.
Shit, it may have already happened for all we know.
true – caution is neccessary.
but i still like the approach of giving them enough rope as opposed to trying to make them go away
“a rolling mass of idiocy can do a lot of damage.” gold – 🙂
Not if it’s vigorously, publicly cluebatted and ‘anvilled from orbit :3
But yeah, you’re pretty much on the ball on this probably being used to resurrect the Kwi/Iwi zombie or shock ACT back into a shambling half-life 🙁
This is a good thing – makes it easier to round them up later 🙂
The sad thing about the supporters of this party of ignorance, is that many of them think any attention is proof of the validity of their claims.
infused, you’re one of the sponsors aren’t you? Where do you see it going?
😀 There is one good thing that has come out of it. It’s got a lot of people talking, typically people that don’t vote.
Other than that, couldn’t really care less. Knowing their luck, it will become a political party. New Zealand is crazy like that. I think this will appeal to a lot of people.
If the Pakeha party wanted to have a discussion about untangling the causes from the symptoms of poverty in a marginalised and disadvantaged racial group where they reject what we are currently doing and propose something else, that would not necessarily be an inherently racist thing to do.
But the Pakeha Party isn’t interested in that. They just want to have a whine about Maori because somehow they think Maori are already more “privileged”. They have constructed a mental fantasyland where stealing the land off it’s rightful owners, exploiting that stolen wealth for their exclusive enrichment and entrenching their white privilege somehow makes them martyrs.
The question is WHY do they feel like martyrs? Why this constant bubbling up of ignorant but popular racism? Generally speaking this party appeals to a broad range of blue collar and mortgage belt whites who think they see a lazy brown elite getting rich on unearned rents and handouts while their hard work is rewarded with increasingly unaffordable housing, stagnant wage growth and poor job security. They feel they’ve played the capitalist game honestly but the rules have been changed. The concerns of this constituency is completely ignored or belittled by the neo-liberal intelligensia component of our elites who dominate the race debate. Who, actually, does speak for Joe and Jane Six-Pack on Struggle Street?
The political vacuum left by the captured political and intellectual technocrats in the elite cadres of our political establishment is always going to be filled by increasingly incoherent and radical parties of the popular right, just like it is in Europe. This wave will be beaten back, but every time the sea recedes on an Orewa or a Pakeha Party the tide is just that little further up the beach for the established order.
I can nail it for you quite easily. It’s because of the land/money given to Maori tribes and such. Not that there is anything wrong with it, but that this stuff was meant to be tidied up along time ago, but keeps going on and on and on.
“Given”.
An interesting choice of word. The fact is that the land etc has been returned.
Yeah, I’m not arguing that. Like I said, someone just needs to finish it and let the country move on.
Rubbish. Do you honestly believe the dog whistling will stop? Why would the Right give up the opportunity to exploit the divisions it has manufactured?
Yes I do.
“Not that there is anything wrong with it, but that this stuff was meant to be tidied up along time ago, but keeps going on and on and on.”
Well yeah, it was meant to be tidied up around 1840 or so, but pakeha chose to ignore that and plough ahead as if they owned the place for the next 150 years, largely to the detriment of maori.
Bit rich to turn around after 150 years and blame maori for it going on and on and on.
You know what I mean.
Yep, I think I do.
You mean a bunch of people who have benefited from an imbalance are upset that the situation is being righted and they want to stop the process before they lose any more of their advantage.
You’re such a dickhead felix.
I genuinely think that’s what you mean. Pakeha have an advantage and they don’t want to lose it.
If that’s not what you mean then say what you mean.
Not all Pakeha have an advantage, or privilege.
Its insane to think so.
Not all pakeha are hot under the collar about maori catching up either.
So what?
so what????
Felix, is some kid posting under your name?
Yep. The last two comments I’ve posted, a child has posted underneath.
ps the “so what” was because your comment doesn’t mean anything in the context of this discussion, Brett.
“Not all pakeha are hot under the collar about maori catching up either.
So what?”
The point in this context is that white, working/underclass men (and women I guess) have genuine grievances with how society is treating them. One problem is they’re blaming the wrong target. Telling them they are privileged in comparison to Maori doesn’t solve that, it most likely makes it worse (depending on how it is done).
The other problem is that the people with genuine grievances are merged with the people who are simply just racist. But treating those two groups as the same is a mistake.
Yeah that’s a fair point weka.
The other side of it though is that working class/underclass members of the dominat culture are still privileged over working class/underclass members of minority cultures.
” given to Maori tribes and such” GIVEN??!
Well the Maori have their own party and what have they done? Got into bed with the very people who stand to do all of the things outlined in this diatribe. You can not expect change if you are not willing to put in the “hard yards” and so far this party just look like a bunch of opportunists.
The stupid, it burns:
http://tvnz.co.nz/politics-news/pakeha-party-considers-registering-popularity-soars-5502997
Really need more anvils dropped in high school and documentaries on Te Treati O Waitangi and NZ history to make people realise just how much the Crown fucked over Maori tribes T_T
So do something about it. Start a political party, make some noise, rather than just complaining.
T_T
Yes, because pointing out that something is wrong is totes badzors
🙄
Envy is a left wing word
And yet the righties keep using it (“envy”) about the left.
As in National referring to the left as “the politics of envy”?
Weka:
Agree.
What, with everything I say?
your post about underclass working men and woman.
Ok. Is there a reason you so often fail to use the reply button?
weka:
It didnt show up in your post.
“It didn’t show up in your post.”
Then just click on the lowest “reply” button in that thread. So in this instance you should have clicked on the reply button in the 12:14pm comment by felix.
P.s. I’m not trying to encourage you.
Thanks for the tip and lack of encouragement.
You are welcome, just do a little extra homework on some issues before you shoot your mouth off, and I’ll encourage you with a +1 or similar.
What?
Your post 19 should have used the reply button. You do that a lot (don’t use the reply button so your comment is out of whack with the rest of the discussion). Just wondered why.
weka:
Your asking me how the internet works???
Lol, no, but I understand now from fender’s comment 🙂
To quote The Don,
They’ll be gone by lunchtime…
Can’t even be bothered blogging about them… *yawn*
This is so ridiculous it’s not even funny.
What specifically do these Pakeha want anyway?
To promote their internet business, mostly.
The Pakeha Party: initially I thought it was a clever prank, but apparently not. It’s party purpose-built for Troglodytes, Knuckle-Draggers & Mouth-Breathers: now they’ve found themselves a place to call Home, which is convenient for the rest of us, as it will allow us to keep an eye on ’em.