Sham consultation begins

Written By: - Date published: 8:18 am, September 18th, 2012 - 13 comments
Categories: privatisation, treaty settlements, water - Tags:

The Nats are beginning their sham consultation with a handful of tame ‘Iwi Leaders’ today. The hui will be by invitation and will not include the Maori Council, which iwi have appointed to lead for them on the water rights issue. Tainui and other iwi are boycotting. Of course, National doesn’t want a real debate. It won’t genuinely discuss shares plus. This is a fake process. And it will all end up in court next year.

The silly thing, politically speaking, is that National gave up the strategic high ground when they chose to delay the sales to talk with iwi. They conceded, in doing that, that iwi do have rights that need to be recognised in some form. Now, they only differ by degrees, rather than being able to stand opposed to Maori and on side with the rednecks.

Giving up the high ground might have been worthwhile if National was going to really negotiate with iwi and reach a solution. But they ain’t and they won’t. All National has given itself is another 6 months until the law suits start and a weaker political positioning.

All of which is great for the Left! No sales for at least 6 more months. 6 more months to whack the bastards on the stupidity of asset sales. And plenty of time to complete the referendum.

13 comments on “Sham consultation begins ”

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  1. Dr Terry 1
    18 September 2012 at 10:54 am

    Will this be “divide and rule” in practice? Everything depends upon whether or not Maori are prepared to let Key dictate terms. Maori have seemingly let Key’s gratuitous insult to their King pass by without comment (Well, none that I have seen). Were this Queen Elizabeth, Key would be all obsequiousness. Again he gambles on what he is pretty sure he can get away with.

    • grumpy 1.1
      18 September 2012 at 11:33 am

      I understand there are quite a few iwi that do not recognise the Maori King?

      I would think that Ngai Tahu for one would be loathe to join in with other iwi. They got done over in the fisheries settlement last time.

  2. Stan 2
    18 September 2012 at 12:19 pm

    There was no much thing as a maori King around 1850 when my great grand father was a bank manager on the West coast so how can you possible compare it with Queen Elizabeth and her family

  3. mike e 3
    18 September 2012 at 1:01 pm

    The Queen isn’t even the correct blood line to the throne some Aussie earl has been DNA tested and proved!
    So ownership wasn’t the same for Maori as European.

  4. BM 4
    18 September 2012 at 1:41 pm

    If Key doesn’t tell them to fuck off he will lose a ton of votes to NZ first.

    • Colonial Viper 4.1
      18 September 2012 at 1:47 pm

      I’m with you BM. I hope Key does tell Iwi to fuck off, loud and clear and publically.

      If Key doesn’t tell them to fuck off he will lose a ton of votes to NZ first.

      He will anyway. NZ First is anti-asset sales.

  5. Jokerman 5
    18 September 2012 at 10:15 pm

    regretably, ‘”ol Winnie may be in for a winfall..

  6. Georgecom 6
    18 September 2012 at 10:27 pm

    Whilst Key continues to argue with the Maori Council and various Iwi, over the past week I can report at least 800 signatures on the Asset Sale Petition gathered in my city from collective action. 800 hundred more toward the required number.

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