Nat smear machine obsessed by Fa’afoi’s ethnicity

Written By: - Date published: 10:03 am, September 29th, 2010 - 49 comments
Categories: by-election, making shit up, racism - Tags: ,

Ever since Kris Fa’afoi put his name forward to be Labour’s candidate in the Mana by-election, the National smear machine has been attacking him on his Tokelaun heritage.

First it was ‘oh, they’re only going to choose him because he has a brown face’. Now, apparently, the problem is that he isn’t Pasifika enough.

The National Party research unit has dug up and passed to Cameron Slater the blurb for a 2003 documentary, Long Lost Sons, in which Fa’afoi and his brother, Jason, go to the home of their parents, Tokelau.

Before departing on what the blurb describes “a heartfelt journey home” the brothers say how they weren’t raised in a strongly Tokelaun tradition with Kris saying “It’s just the box that we ticked when they gave us the census.” That’s a situation many children of immigrants can relate too. During the course of the documentary, the brothers come to have a deeper understanding and appreciation of their heritage.

But the National smear machine doesn’t actually understand the immigrant experience, they’re just after a wedge issue: first the guy’s too brown for National, now he’s not brown enough.

I had hoped we had moved past the time when National used race as a wedge in its election campaigns. It seems we haven’t.

Fa’afoi is going to win in Mana because he is the best candidate, representing the party with the best policies. He hasn’t made a huge issue of his ethnicity and I doubt voters will either. This is the 21st century, after all.

Maybe, someday, National will be able to win elections on their policies rather than with race-baiting and false advertising. I won’t hold my breath.

49 comments on “Nat smear machine obsessed by Fa’afoi’s ethnicity ”

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  1. comedy 1
    29 September 2010 at 10:20 am

    “Fa’afoi is going to win in Mana because he is the best candidate, representing the party with the best policies. He hasn’t made a huge issue of his ethnicity and I doubt voters will either. This is the 21st century, after all.”

    Nah Chris will win because the majority of Mana will vote Labour just like they always have same as Remers you could put a turnip up for election wearing a blue rosette and it would be plated in parliamnent for evermore…… politics in NZ which team do you barrack for ………. it doesn’t really matter – game set and match to the sick 120.

    • Blighty 1.1
      29 September 2010 at 10:29 am

      Kris, not Chris.

      Written twice in the article.

      Another sign of why we need to be investing more in education in this country.

    • David McLoughlin 1.2
      29 September 2010 at 3:40 pm

      same as Remers you could put a turnip up for election wearing a blue rosette and it would be plated in parliamnent for evermore

      Actually, Remuera (now the Epsom seat) is held by Act.

      • BLiP 1.2.1
        29 September 2010 at 4:41 pm

        same as Remers you could put a turnip Ferengi up for election wearing a blue anything but red rosette and it would be plated in parliamnent for evermore

        Better?

        • Luxated 1.2.1.1
          29 September 2010 at 9:36 pm

          Well that isn’t surprising, Ferengi laws of acquisition do read like neo-liberal best practice guidelines (although sometimes I wonder if that is incompatible with voting Labour or not!).

  2. Bored 2
    29 September 2010 at 10:23 am

    Fa’afoi looks very much like a New Zealander to me, the 2010 variety (as opposed to the 1960s version of the National core constituency)….

  3. Sweetd 3
    29 September 2010 at 11:19 am

    How long has Kris been a labour party member?

    • grumpy 3.1
      29 September 2010 at 11:22 am

      Before or after he left TVNZ? Seems to me he must have had an “understanding” from Labour HQ

    • Blighty 3.2
      29 September 2010 at 11:35 am

      how about you supply the answer, rather than just making cowardly smears.

      • Draco T Bastard 3.2.1
        29 September 2010 at 1:37 pm

        He wouldn’t know how to find out (He only needs to know what C&T told him to say) and he’s not really asking anyway. He has no more interest in it other than as a way to cast doubt upon someone’s character.

        Typical psychopathic RWNJ.

  4. randal 4
    29 September 2010 at 12:18 pm

    looks like natoinal is going to take a bath and they aint gonna come out smelling like roses.

  5. Blighty 5
    29 September 2010 at 12:22 pm

    see Whale’s tweet?

    “Apparently the pinkos don’t think I know how to use Google”

    I don’t think the guy knows how to tie his shoelaces, to be honest with you.

    • The Voice of Reason 5.1
      29 September 2010 at 12:32 pm

      Hmmm, I reckon he’d be a Warehouse velcro fastened trainer kind of guy, to go with the cheap trackies, Tshirt and eighties perve hairstyle. Mind you, his fashion sense is clearly the least of his troubles, eh?

  6. The Baron 6
    29 September 2010 at 12:30 pm

    Oh my god are we actually running the “National Party feeds Whale” piece of nutty hysteria again?

    You lot, particularly Lynn, wet yourself with angst and anger whenever someone points to a possible link between you and the Labour party. I don’t see a single shred of evidence to back up this LIE again, so have to assume that you lot are the prize hypocrites I always thought you were.

    As for the entire substance of this post, I have heard noone but the certified insane Cameron Slater running any line based on race. But don’t let that stop you from pulling out the “racist old national” card, to back up your own preformed world view of my favourite colour style politics.

    Keep fighting the shadows, Eddie – easier than actually gaining traction in the polls I guess.

    • The Voice of Reason 6.1
      29 September 2010 at 12:37 pm

      National have admitted feeding the C Slug the shit Farrar won’t touch, but don’t let that get in the way of your defence of the them, Barren. They’ll always be the party of Iwi/Kiwi, even if the racist sloganeer who came up with that has abandoned them for even nastier pastures.

      • Pascal's bookie 6.1.1
        29 September 2010 at 12:52 pm

        They fed iwi/kiwi to dpf before it went public too, now that you mention it.

      • The Baron 6.1.2
        29 September 2010 at 2:28 pm

        When was that admission? I must have missed it – but since it is such irrefutable public knowledge, I am sure you have a source?

    • lprent 6.2
      29 September 2010 at 12:54 pm

      You lot, particularly Lynn, wet yourself with angst and anger whenever someone points to a possible link between you and the Labour party.

      Wrong again (you do make a habit of that).

      What I object to is when people start saying or implying that we are run by Labour or the Greens or the unions or any other organization. It is quite obvious to even the most idiotic of troll that individual authors have links to various parties and organizations. However that doesn’t mean that either the authors or the site slavishly allow other organizations to dictate what gets written here.

      We don’t even allow our own trust to dictate what gets written here. When a moderator gets annoyed enough with something that is written then they will deal with it as an individual.

      If you want to see “group mind” in operation – then look to the right wing bloggers who do seem to slavishly follow each other and their respective party lines at various levels of dogwhistling. I personally find that behaviour quite disgusting and it does speak to a major inability of the various people to think for themselves.

      • Tigger 6.2.1
        29 September 2010 at 1:14 pm

        Which is precisely why some of us are here – to hear a variety of views, some of which contradict what we think and contradict each other on occasion…

        And Baron, no one in their right mind would believe for a second that Whale Oil is some lone gunman, FFS.

        • The Baron 6.2.1.1
          29 September 2010 at 2:29 pm

          Oh my god are you serious? All it takes is google to find that video – I’ve just done it.

          As opposed to this frankly nutty conspiracy theory. You guys sound like a left wing version of birthers for gods sake.

          Do you really think the left will win the next election with this frankly insane paranoia?

        • Jim Nald 6.2.1.2
          29 September 2010 at 3:01 pm

          Re Tigger’s comment

          As for me, I am not tied to an organised political party. I am a Democrat. [attrib. Will Rogers]

    • Blighty 6.3
      29 September 2010 at 1:15 pm

      Farrar’s been running the ‘they only want him because he’s brown line’

      and Slater himself admitted to working with the Nat research unit before the last election.

      “Mr Slater said he drew the attention of the National Party research unit to photographs of Mr Keizer, and said it was his understanding that the MPs had identified him off there.

      Mr Slater said he worked with the taxpayer-funded National Party research unit at identifying the spy by going through the Facebook sites of Young Labour members.”

      • The Baron 6.3.1
        29 September 2010 at 2:33 pm

        Rock solid evidence. Slow clap.

        Youy really see that as irrefutable evidence of a racist national party? And you don’t think that that is an awfully paranoid, low bar for such a call? The rantings of someone who you all, nay who everyone, recognises is nuts?

        Wow Eddie, and you criticise the right for dog whistling. What is this post? I said it before, and I’ll say it again – this post smacks of an incredible amount of hypocrisy and hysteria. So much for the principles of the left.

        • Blighty 6.3.1.1
          29 September 2010 at 3:31 pm

          What do you mean ‘rock solid evidence?’

          you want it on tape do you, sonny?

          Slater works with the Nat research unit. He admits it himself.

          Do you think Slater personally trawled through all the online references to Fa’afoi to find that comment?

          • Gosman 6.3.1.1.1
            1 October 2010 at 11:23 am

            Funny then that the last time this came up on this site he denied that he does work for the National Party research unit.

            The claim is that he is passed on lines of attack from National to post on his blog as part of an organised campaign.

            Now where is the EVIDENCE that this happens?

            Please note that stating he once helped them a few years back identify someone does not qualify as evidence that he is being passed on information as part of a co-ordinated line of attack against National Party opponents.

            Trying to do so would be intellectually dishonest. We all know that people from the left of the political spectrum are incapable of that so I don’t expect anyone to try 😉

            • Colonial Viper 6.3.1.1.1.1
              1 October 2010 at 11:28 am

              I guess being paid through an intermediary would technically mean that he doesn’t work for the National Party research unit 🙄

              • Gosman …
                1 October 2010 at 11:45 am

                So no evidence then that he is being fed information as part of a coordinated attack plan then?

  7. Lats 7
    29 September 2010 at 1:07 pm

    This sort of rubbish is a hangover from the 2 party FPP electoral system IMO. Both major parties are guilty of this sort of immature point scoring. Why? Because they feel compelled to be in “opposition” with each other. It would be so refreshing if one of the big 2 acknowledged a good idea coming from the other side of the house. I feel sickened when I occasionally listen to debating time on the radio or catch it on parliament tv; there is no attempt to rationally debate policy, the members are worse than a bunch of petulant school children.

    Maybe, someday, National will be able to win elections on their policies rather than with race-baiting and false advertising. I won’t hold my breath.

    Well said, but I think your concerns about electoral tactics apply to all parties, not just the Nats. Rather than attempts to discredit the opposing candidate(s), how about standing on a decent policy platform.

  8. gobsmacked 8
    29 September 2010 at 2:20 pm

    Sweetd asks:

    How long has Kris been a Labour party member?

    No idea. But a much more interesting question is:

    Why did John Key quit the National Party, in the 1990’s? Did he only rejoin the National Party, because he was ‘headhunted’ to enter Parliament?

  9. outodbed 9
    29 September 2010 at 2:47 pm

    The National and Lab party vote was similar last time around in Mana
    And the Greens will run a strong campaign with their candidate Jan Logie
    I just wonder if he is a shoe in?
    And if he loses what then Goff?

    [lprent: typo in the name? or identity theft.. Nope – looks like outofbed.. releasing. ]

  10. Jeremy Harris 10
    29 September 2010 at 4:42 pm

    My problem with Fa’foi is that he stated he only first thought about becoming an MP a few months ago… I want someone who has followed the issues closely and has had a desire for public service for some time before entering Parliament…

  11. nzfp 11
    29 September 2010 at 5:20 pm

    Fa’afoi is going to win in Mana because he is the best candidate, representing the party with the best policies

    Hey Eddie,
    Labour represents neo-liberal monetarism. Are you sure neo-liberal monetarism is the best economic policy for our nation?

    Sure Labour will have us believe that they have a social conscience, but they still haven’t repealed all of the neo-liberal reforms introduced by the 1984 Treasury economists through the then Labour Finance Minister – Sir Roger Douglas under the Labour Government of David Lange.

    Lets be honest now Eddie, Clarke and Cullen had many years to fix the problems the Labour party introduced – instead all they did was window dressing – they didn’t change anything at the core – afterall we still have GST instead of a socially fair progressive land or economic rent tax don’t we?

    It was the Labour party under Helen Clarke that introduced the Terrorism Suppression ACT that led to the human rights violations of Peace activists and the Tuhoe Iwi (Ruatoki valley specifically).

    Kris may or may not be a good candidate – I’m sure Kris will prove himself. However it is rich to suggest that Labour is the party with the best policies.

  12. randal 12
    30 September 2010 at 2:36 pm

    Kris will make a very good MP and spokesman for his electorate.

    • pollywog 12.1
      1 October 2010 at 9:09 am

      based on what ?

      what a fine press sec or reporter he was ?..if you ask me, he was shit at both and pretty much keeps jumping up a rung on the social/political ladder just before he’s pushed.

      I’d say that shows he has good political instincts and a nose for the brown stuff in being in the right position to captialise on any opportunities but i’d question his real world experiences and contacts that would say he’d be a good and fine anything.

      Does anyone know what he stands for, what his opinions are on a range of issues and can link to some speeches he’s made to show he’s not just another Uncle tom in a suit paying lip service to his ethnicity ?

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