Sharples packs it in

72 comments on “Sharples packs it in ”

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1. Tim 1

   1 July 2013 at 11:56 pm

   Why do you reckon he resigned?
   Was it cos he couldn’t keep up the bluff anymore?
   Were the Uncle Tom taunts getting too much for him?
   Did he realise that his undivided loyalty towards a once reasonable lady, embittered by a Helen Clarke slight started to look a little bit ridiculous after half a decade?

   Most – actually ALL my Ratana rellies still remember.
   Those ‘better to be in the tent pissing out’ rather than out of the tent pissing in excuses rang hollow right from the outset.

   Thank God for the new, and next generation.
   It’s one that won’t necessarily be proud of their immediate ancestors.
   Pita Pita Patter.
   And we thought we could trust and believe in him.
   At least now, he’s done the honourable thing, but having said that, the damage done isn’t easily forgotten.
   • Tom Gould 1.1

     2 July 2013 at 9:20 am

     I feel that Pita Sharples is a good man and a great New Zealander, and he should be seen for the whole of his life’s work. He deserves some respect because he has earned it.
     • muzza 1.1.1

       2 July 2013 at 10:04 am

       No, he does not deserve any such consideration!

       Sharples life will be remembered as one, which could have benefitted the entire nation.

       Instead he decided to act like a coward, and sell out his own people, and all NZ’ers!

       This is the legacy of Pita Sharples!
       • weka 1.1.1.1

         2 July 2013 at 2:16 pm

         Sharples was under no obligation to do what I want. Nor what you want unless you were part of his constituency. People were arguing before the 2008 election that the MP could go with NACT, so the people that voted for him knew that. I don’t like what he did, and I do believe he betrayed parts of Maoridom, but saying that he sold out all NZers only works if you say that all current government MPs have sold out NZ (depending on how you measure sell out, it’s either not true, or it’s so obvious why would you need to single out Sharples?)
         • muzza 1.1.1.1.1

           2 July 2013 at 3:17 pm

           Hi Weka,

           I grew up around Sharples neck of the woods, and with people whose families remain close to him, so I got to see how he related to people, and take a look at his progression into politics.

           Its simple really – NZ has been , and is being hollowed out, the final line of defense, that I see, is Maoridom, no pressure!

           Doug Graham, at various times, could have been someone who did things which NZ as a whole, could have been proud of, but look at him now, and the decline in which lead him to it!

           Pita Sharples, had the opportunity to have been someone who galvanized NZ’ers (not just his constituency), he had the opportunity to write himself into the history of our country, as a leader of maori people, and of all people, simply because at all times, he stood for, and represented what was right, he failed, and sold out. The reasons, and details around why he did, who he did it for, and who he may/may not have sold out, are irrelevant, he sold out, that’s all there is to it!

           Looking at things through such a narrow band Weka. MPs, if they do what is right by humanity, will seldom find themselves offside with any groups, who also care about the well being of others, life is as simple as that, until people sell out, and cross an ethical line in themselves. Perhaps they even did so with positive intentions, but the outcomes are always going to be seen as negative, or less than what they might have been.

           Sharples has become a disgrace, plain and simple, just like 99% of the MPs to disgrace the corridors over the past 40 years!

           As long as there is always excuses for the like of Sharples, the decline will continue, unchallenged!

           Big jobs, big responsibilities, require unwavering integrity, anything less, and its a FAIL, that is Pita Sharples, legacy!
     • weka 1.1.2

       2 July 2013 at 10:10 am

       I feel that Pita Sharples is a good man and a great New Zealander, and he should be seen for the whole of his life’s work. He deserves some respect because he has earned it. But he also betrayed parts of Maoridom and that needs to be remembered too.
       • muzza 1.1.2.1

         2 July 2013 at 10:17 am

         *Betrayed parts of Maoridom*, but *is a good man, and a great NZ’er*!

         Weka, you need to evaluate your thoughts a little more closely, as they seem to have become confused through your wording!

         Come back once you ironed out the inconsistencies – See you can keep your views objective, and any bias and prejudice, out of the analysis!
         • Te Reo Putake 1.1.2.1.1

           2 July 2013 at 10:31 am

           “Come back once you ironed out the inconsistencies – See you can keep your views objective, and any bias and prejudice, out of the analysis!”

           Any chance you’ll take your own advice, Muz?
           • muzza 1.1.2.1.1.1

             2 July 2013 at 10:46 am

             Voice, you have bias, consistent bias, I ‘ll give you that, but don’t let your inability to grasp the messages, or understand them, become interpreted internally, as other people’s inconsistency!
             • Te Reo Putake …

               2 July 2013 at 10:53 am

               Yeah, that ungrammatical monstronsity doesn’t help, Muz. Perhaps if you learned how to use commas and exclamation marks correctly, you’d make more sense. Probably not, though. The point I was making in asking the question is that your ‘social experiment’ admission means all your comments need to be assesed through the prism of your bias. Including your request that others drop their own ‘bias’. You are hoist by your own petard in this matter; you can’t admit to be a biased contibutor and expect to hold others to a higher standard.
               • muzza …

                 2 July 2013 at 11:37 am

                 Voice you are talking nonsense, but the consistency is noted!

                 One day, perhaps, when you stop focusing in the wrong direction, messages such as mine, could even resonate for you. In reality, you’re smart enough to understand, at least some of what I am passing on, its only protection mechanisms, which seek to deflect.

                 I’ll give you hint.

                 Forget about the construction of words, its not important in any way you spin it, other than to satiate some internal need for self control/acceptance, let the noise drift away, let the bias be your teacher, not your master!

                 Assess holistically, use feeling, use instinct, and release!
                 • Te Reo Putake …

                   2 July 2013 at 12:19 pm

                   Yeah, that was a really convincing argument, Muz. Is English not your first language?
                   • muzza …

                     2 July 2013 at 3:28 pm

                     Woops, went right past you, eh!

                     Seems I overestimated your current capabilities.

                     Just keep focussing on what you pretend is important, based on what you believe you’re *good at*, eventually, unless you’re a complete tool, the paths will cross, and, and push you in a direction, that will allow you grow, as a human being!

                     Keep at it!
                   • Te Reo Putake …

                     2 July 2013 at 3:39 pm

                     I generally don’t take advice on personal growth from intellectual infants, so your one direction treatise is wasted on me, I’m afraid.

                     What do you think * means, Muz?
                   • McFlock …

                     2 July 2013 at 3:43 pm

                     TRP, you fool, I will *educate* you. You need to sit down and look *forward*, not be distracted by *their* plan! See beyond the *obvious*, they are everywhere, but if you *read*, then maybe you, will learn the *true* secret.

                     When reading Muzza’s comments *you need* to assess holistically, use feeling, use instinct, and release, *and wipe*, and flush!
                   • Te Reo Putake …

                     2 July 2013 at 4:09 pm

                     Ho ho! (Or should that be *ho ho*?).

                     Anyways, as any fule know, *muzza* is actually just my personal research project and his Lordy Fine’em style *witterings* are the result of cutting and pasting some old Womens’ Weekly’s in a vain attempt to recreate a post modern Burroughs/Gyson cut up experiment. And the hippies were boiled in their bags maaan. I’m sorry to have *wasted* so much of everybody’s *time*. I’m retiring *muzza* now and I’m confident you will never hear from him again.
                   • muzza …

                     2 July 2013 at 4:16 pm

                     generally don’t take advice on personal growth from intellectual infants, so your one direction treatise is wasted on me, I’m afraid.,

                     Belief in your own itellectual prowess, and its related self worth, is retarding opportunities for growth, if you’re interested in that sort of thing, which most are simply incapable of!

                     It’s your journey, Voice, all yours.

                     No worries though, you have McFlock, as support!
         • weka 1.1.2.1.2

           2 July 2013 at 2:10 pm

           *Betrayed parts of Maoridom*, but *is a good man, and a great NZ’er*!

           Fuck off muzza, that’s not what I said, so please don’t misrepresent my views or words.

           Weka, you need to evaluate your thoughts a little more closely, as they seem to have become confused through your wording!

           No, you are the one that seems confused, by rearranging my words and putting a ‘but’ between them. I’m sorry if what I said was too complex for you to understand, but IMO (that’s opinion muzza, of course it has bias, duh), a person can do many good things in his life and then do some really shit ones. Doing the shit ones doesn’t mean the goods ones didn’t happen.

           Come back once you ironed out the inconsistencies – See you can keep your views objective, and any bias and prejudice, out of the analysis!

           Where is the prejudice? Be specific.
           • weka 1.1.2.1.2.1

             2 July 2013 at 2:24 pm

             marty puts it much better

             http://thestandard.org.nz/sharples-packs-it-in/#comment-656709
           • muzza 1.1.2.1.2.2

             2 July 2013 at 3:33 pm

             Weka, if you can’t see that betrayal of any such sort that you refer, still allows you to *feel Pita Sharples, is a good man and great NZ’er*…

             You need to go spend some more time internalising, why *betrayal (of anyone/anything in his position), and being a great NZ’er (human being)*, are pretty much, mutually exclusive, all all times!
             • weka …

               2 July 2013 at 4:20 pm

               You do realise that the bit about the good man and great NZer was a direct cut and paste from a previous comment, that I used and added to for effect?

               Helen Clark was a great PM. As a woman politician she entered into a sphere that allowed a certain narrow range of behaviours if she wanted to succeed and she found ways to survive and do well within that. She also had some choices within that. I admire certain aspects of her work – her intelligence, her ability to manage caucus and the situations her government was in, her will. She also did a number of things that are completely unforgivable (the ‘haters and wreckers’ comment; the Foreshore and Seabed legislation; believing that all mothers should be in paid employment to name a few off the top of my head).

               You may live in a world where people are defined solely by their failures or the things they have done wrong, but in the world I live people are more complex than that.

               “You need to go spend some more time internalising, why *betrayal (of anyone/anything in his position), and being a great NZ’er (human being)*, are pretty much, mutually exclusive, all all times!”

               That doesn’t really make sense. You are just saying I should believe what you believe, without saying why.
2. Curtis 2

   2 July 2013 at 12:33 am

   National must be getting worried by now. Wonder what they will do to try and get some coalition partners?
   • Yes 2.1

     2 July 2013 at 4:40 am

     65% of NZers think John key is the best leader. I think that should answer your question
     • framu 2.1.1

       2 July 2013 at 7:53 am

       not quite

       “65% of the polled sample group” would be more accurate

       all the polls are unreliable – i dont buy that you can extrapolate 1000 people as being representative of over 4 million (especially when the methods and questions arent always in the public domain)

       we should stop treating them like some kind of devine oracle and focus on the poilicies
       • infused 2.1.1.1

         2 July 2013 at 8:23 am

         Considering it’s been the same, since, well, forever.
         • framu 2.1.1.1.1

           2 July 2013 at 8:42 am

           still shit though – consistently shit – and yes i dont believe them when they say theres an upswing for the left either
           • Lanthanide 2.1.1.1.1.1

             2 July 2013 at 10:04 am

             So you don’t believe them that Key is popular, and also don’t believe them that Labour is becoming popular.

             Seems you’re trying to have it both ways.
             • framu …

               2 July 2013 at 10:13 am

               no i just think they are incredibly unreliable

               if you dont believe what a psychic tells you regardless, are you trying to have it both ways? or just not buying their rubbish?
       • Disraeli Gladstone 2.1.1.2

         2 July 2013 at 12:16 pm

         Sorry. What?

         I thought the right-wing is the anti-science rubbish in politics. Polling is simple statistics. It’s not 100% accurate and it doesn’t pretend to be. You can complain about the media’s treatment of polls (not looking at trends and so on) and you can complain about -some- polling company’s methods.

         But you say that you don’t buy that you take a representation of the public mood from polling is anti-science rubbish.
         • One Anonymous Knucklehead 2.1.1.2.1

           2 July 2013 at 12:42 pm

           That isn’t quite what Framu said: they think polls are “incredibly unreliable”. That’s a bit more substantive than a simple refusal to believe them.

           Polls have margin of error, methodological problems, and that’s before you even consider the fraudulent push-poll dross. There is a significant body of opinion that they affect election outcomes rather than simply recording intentions.

           On the other hand I completely agree that fact-free opinion is the province of right-wing “brains”.
           • framu 2.1.1.2.1.1

             2 July 2013 at 1:03 pm

             said better than i was able to – cheers
     • North 2.1.2

       2 July 2013 at 8:11 am

       Yes – ?????? Your response shows you don’t think/read.

       Stock standard spam response to everything (and there need be no actual question)………”Because 65% of New Zealanders……..blah leader blah best blah…….Shonkey Python”.

       The price of sugar, people eating soup in winter, powering up the spam machine at 4.40 am, it’s raining outside, shit my car’s got a flat tyre………”Because 65% of New Zealanders……..blah blah blah……..Shonkey Python”.

       Truly Yes, “65% New leader Monty Zealanders Pythonesque” sums you up perfectly.

       You really must do something about that tick of yours.
     • weka 2.1.3

       2 July 2013 at 10:21 am

       “65% of NZers think John key is the best leader.”

       What was the actual survey question? Because if they had to choose between Key and Shearer, it makes sense that most people wouldn’t choose Shearer. But what if they had a more complex choice?
3. McFlock 3

   2 July 2013 at 12:34 am

   The longer the nats stick with these fools, the more they get tarred with the same brush.
   The question becomes where the dividing line is between an “early-scheduled election for competely unrelated reasons, like crops or cups or world events or some shit”, and a “snap election”.
4. Yes 4

   2 July 2013 at 4:43 am

   Labour ditched the Maori population after the foreshore and seabed. Pita stood up for their people. How dare you abuse him for standing up.
   • felix 4.1

     2 July 2013 at 7:02 am

     He cops flack for pretending to stand up. Big difference.
   • One Anonymous Knucklehead 4.2

     2 July 2013 at 7:59 am

     Abuse?

     [citation needed]
   • bad12 4.3

     2 July 2013 at 8:20 am

     Pita stood up for His people got offered a ride on the leather of a Beamer and promptly forgot everything He may have stood for in the past…
     • Yes 4.3.1

       2 July 2013 at 8:48 am

       While we all sit behind nicknames on here..pita sharples at least put his name to his beliefs…better than what any of us are doing.
       • weka 4.3.1.1

         2 July 2013 at 10:22 am

         how do you know what any of us are doing, given most of us are not using our real names?
   • millsy 4.4

     2 July 2013 at 9:36 am

     Pita stood up for the right of iwi elitists to go running to lawyers to block off large sections of the coastal estate to the people of this great country, and ending the kiwi tradition of a barbecue at the beach.

     We should be thanking Helen Clark as without her, our children or grandchildren will never know what a trip to the beach was like, because iwi would be putting up the keep out signs.

     I have personally seen plans by iwi to block off access once they had ownership of the beaches and national parks.
     • weka 4.4.1

       2 July 2013 at 10:27 am

       That’s a pretty big bunch of lies you told there millsy, and some hefty racism.

       Not sure where you live, but where I live it’s wealthy white landowners/farmers that are restricting access. The systems we have around land ownership and governance allow that. In the decade that some people have been scaremongering about iwi, much has changed out there in the countryside. You don’t seem to realise that the things you are afraid of were already legal before the Foreshore/seabed debate. But hey, I guess when it’s white people doing it, it’s ok.
5. Ad 5

   2 July 2013 at 6:07 am

   What were his parliamentary achievements?
   • Paul 5.1

     2 July 2013 at 6:16 am

     “Being at the table” !
     • felix 5.1.1

       2 July 2013 at 6:59 am

       The little one in the corridor outside the cabinet room!

       (You can’t miss it, it’s hard against the wall and looks like it’s been painted into the corner.)
     • framu 5.1.2

       2 July 2013 at 7:57 am

       always loved that “being at the table” line

       i always followed it with “yeah, but what if someone just shat on your plate?”
       • One Anonymous Knucklehead 5.1.2.1

         2 July 2013 at 8:01 am

         So I said to Pita – “do you know John Key?”
         “Of course I know John Key”, says Pita “I ate dinner with him.”
   • Morrissey 5.2

     2 July 2013 at 7:15 am

     He looked authoritative at all times.
6. irascible 6

   2 July 2013 at 7:12 am

   Pita Sharples has learnt, like others in the Maori Party, that if you sup with the devil you reap the consequences for you have sold your soul. Once Turia and Sharples decided to sup with Key and company all proclaimed principles and conviction were lost and consumed by the baubles of office and the corruption that are linked to the National-ACT government.
7. Winston Smith 7

   2 July 2013 at 8:22 am

   Naah unfortunately WinstonsFirsts supporters would rather he went with National than the Greens or Mana so it’ll probably be a National/WinstonFirst govt with Dunne (do you really think he’d give up the chance of some power?) in as well, mind you Tariana might still get a seat

   Ah well not my first choice but thems the breaks I guess
   • One Anonymous Knucklehead 7.1

     2 July 2013 at 8:25 am

     😆 Assuming your little vision comes true, Winston will get far more baubles from Labour/Greens than he will ever get from the National Party, not to mention the fact that enabling the Nats would bury him.
     • Winston Smith 7.1.1

       2 July 2013 at 9:25 am

       Yeah because Winstons support base would just love to go in with the Greens and Mana…no really I’m sure they would
       • One Anonymous Knucklehead 7.1.1.1

         2 July 2013 at 9:28 am

         Remind me how they felt when he went with Bolger in 1996.
         • Winston Smith 7.1.1.1.1

           2 July 2013 at 9:42 am

           John Keys quite popular remember, can’t really compare him to Bolger (for better or worse)
           • felix 7.1.1.1.1.1

             2 July 2013 at 10:47 am

             Irrelevant. The question wasn’t whether John Key is popular, it was whether he’s popular within Winston’s fan club.
   • millsy 7.2

     2 July 2013 at 11:20 am

     Who knows what WP will do next year. Still a long way to go till then..
8. infused 8

   2 July 2013 at 8:25 am

   Only person worried is Shearer.
9. Pete 9

   2 July 2013 at 8:58 am

   When you make a Faustian bargain, sooner or later the devil comes to collect his due.
10. karol 10

    2 July 2013 at 9:02 am

    Pita Sharples has done the right thing by resigning. He did some extremely good things for his local community out here in west Auckland in his younger days.

    http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/urban-maori/page-2#ref2

    Pita Sharples, one of the founders of Hoani Waititi urban marae, describes the social problems he observed among Māori who came to live in Auckland in the 1950s and 60s:
    ‘The change from the rural to an urban way of life was a huge culture shock. So many families were soon run down and the children were in trouble. They were broke, they had their power and water cut off, they owed rates and stuff like this. The discipline of the city was totally different from the discipline of the country. So there were huge problems.’ 2

    he started off really well with the Maori Party at a time when it was necessary to stand up for Maori rights re the foreshore and seabed.

    It’s sad that he stayed on board when the Maori party went into the damaging relationship with National. He got sucked in by slippery Key.
11. bad12 11

    2 July 2013 at 9:26 am

    Sadly tho, Sharples quoted in today’s Herald online cannot quite get His head around the problems involved with sitting at the table supporting a National Government that has a Party Policy of abolishing the very seats that Pita, Tariana and Co entered the Parliament as those seats representatives,

    Sure the Maori Party befor Pita and Tariana took the baubles of ministerial office from Slippery’s National Government were cementing themselves into a ‘future’ position which would have seen the Maori Party holding the balance of power in the Parliament whether or not the governing body was Labour or National,

    What Sharples just cannot seem to grasp, along with his Maori Party colleagues, is that to wield such power across the Parliament would have required the Maori Party to stick strictly to the cross benches giving support, either to left or right, law by law, legislation by legislation, all the while coupling such support for each piece of legislation to a specific gain for Maori,

    In other words a continual horse trading, if the Maori Party supports this legislation the proponents will have to build an extra 1000 state rentals in X electorate, and so on,

    There is little hope now for a Maori Party resurgence except for an amalgamation with the Mana Party and Flavell should stop dreaming of the baubles of a Ministerial position that He is unlikely to ever attain and begin working on the principle of a ManaMaori Party that could if self serving ego’s are put aside, in the future hold from the Parliaments cross benches the balance of political power, true Rangatiratanga in other words….
12. millsy 12

    2 July 2013 at 9:33 am

    “What Sharples just cannot seem to grasp, along with his Maori Party colleagues, is that to wield such power across the Parliament would have required the Maori Party to stick strictly to the cross benches giving support, either to left or right, law by law, legislation by legislation, all the while coupling such support for each piece of legislation to a specific gain for Maori,”

    Had the MP taken such a course in 2008, they would have been in a much more solid position than they are now.
    • bad12 12.1

      2 July 2013 at 9:55 am

      Indeed, 2008 saw an abundance of Maori Party flags and bumper stickers flying around Wellington, by 2011 the flags had all but disappeared to gather dust in the bottom of the closet and the bumper stickers had been quietly scraped off,

      What Sharples and Turia forgot was the ‘bread and butter politics’ of the Maori electorate, had the leaders of the Maori Party been willing to taiho and build upon what in 2008 was a great foundation the upcoming 2014 election may well have seen them holding that balance of power instead of now facing electoral oblivion,

      Maori politicians must learn the lesson that they are in the Parliament at the whim of their people and TinoRangatiratanga cannot and will not be achieved by accepting the baubles and crumbs swept off of the major Party’s table whether that major party is of the left or right,

      A ManaMaori Party in a future Parliament would have to extract from the party of Government ongoing concessions in Housing, Health, Welfare, and Employment which are seen to directly benefit their supporters anything else is to face the same prospects the Maori Party now face…
13. Tiger Mountain 13

    2 July 2013 at 10:23 am

    Get it right. While class trumps identity, it should not negate or denigrate identity in a post colonial scenario.

    There has always been a strong business sector within Māori circles (refer Jamie Belich/M. King and todays farming sector) but why should working class people Māori or Pākehā or even more recent immigrants put up with brown capitalists?

    Bye Bye MP.
    • The Pink Postman 13.1

      2 July 2013 at 3:25 pm

      Correct Tiger.A Tory is a Tory regardless of race or colour. And I have yet to meet a good one .
      Anti working class very often racist and the old Blue rinses comments on the underprivileged are just sickening .Sharples Turia have ruined what should have been a wonderful voice for Maori just to “Be at the Table”
14. travellerev 14

    2 July 2013 at 11:38 am

    Here are my two cents:

    Upon joining the National government. November 2008

    Upon Hone leaving the Maori party. June 26 2011

    Upon being absent to vote against Depleted Uranium. June 28 2011

    Traitor then, traitor now. Good riddance!
15. marty mars 15

    2 July 2013 at 12:36 pm

    Pita Sharples legacy won’t be measured and judged by pākehā. Māori will decide what the legacy is and that is based upon a lifetime not snippets in time. To call him a traitor is pathetic he is not a traitor in any sense of the word. He did some good things, some great things, some silly things, some stupid things – just like every single one of us. Politically I believe he made many mistakes and that has cost Māori. But over his lifetime, so far, he has contributed to tino rangatiratanga and whatever legacy he leaves will reflect that fact.
    • Adele 15.1

      2 July 2013 at 12:39 pm

      +1000%
    • Ant 15.2

      2 July 2013 at 1:26 pm

      Nah, he helped to prop up a right-wing government that attacked all New Zealanders. The damage was done to everyone, so everyone can judge.
      • weka 15.2.1

        2 July 2013 at 2:25 pm

        So do you believe that the MP should be working for all NZers? Why?
        • felix 15.2.1.1

          2 July 2013 at 2:33 pm

          Whether he should be working for all NZers is an entirely different question to whether his work has affected all NZers.
16. Murray Olsen 16

    2 July 2013 at 2:01 pm

    I feel sorry for Pita Sharples. As marty says, he made positive contributions in the past; he was an important figure in gaining recognition for urban Maori. It was Labour with their fear of redneck NZ that sparked the forming of the Maori Party. Once formed, it either had to combine class and sovereignty issues to make some real progress, or go for crumbs from the table for a supra-class iwi elite. The leaders involved, even to some extent Hone, made it obvious that they’d go for the second option, which could only lead to disappointment and failure.

    I’m not going to call the guy a traitor. I think he did what he could within his own world view. In the wider sense of the word, he was kupapa, and doomed to failure. I’ll be happier when the Maori Party has gone completely. The real traitors among Maori, like Simon Bridges, Hekia Parata, and Paula Bennett, will be at home in NAct. Those wanting progress for their people and the class to which the majority belong will be found on the broader left.

    Haere ra, Pita. In the end, I think you deserved better. Those who placed their faith and hope in you certainly did.
    • Green Viper 16.1

      3 July 2013 at 1:25 pm

      Well put Murray.

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