Breaking Views: Breaking Views Update: Week of 12.5.24

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Saturday, May 18, 2024

Breaking Views Update: Week of 12.5.24







Saturday May 18, 2024 

News:
Iwi pledges to use only te reo Māori to communicate with Govt

A south Taranaki iwi will use only te reo Māori when corresponding or speaking with central government officials from now on and hopes other iwi and kaupapa Māori organisations will follow suit.

In a media release, the Ngāruahine iwi trust said its board and employees would all seek to use te reo when engaging with the Government. "If all our speakers across the motu utilised te reo Māori in their engagement with government, this will demonstrate demand for te reo Māori services in real terms and cause resourcing pressure on the overall government policy agenda," chair Emma Gardiner said....
See full article HERE

Karitane site gains recognition
A headland in Karitāne has become the first Māori heritage site in Otago to be officially recognised for its storytelling and significant history.

Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki chairman Matapura Ellison said the site was significant as it was previously Te Pā a Te Wera (the village of Te Wera), the Ruahikihiki chief who fought with his cousin Taoka over the headland, known as Huriawa Peninsula.

"They fell out, in a rather big way, and it had an impact on the whole push of Ngāi Tahu into the South."

Representatives from Heritage New Zealand, the Department of Conservation, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage and Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki gathered at the Huriawa Peninsula yesterday to unveil the new pou (post), which marked the peninsula as an official Tohu Whenua site.....
See full article HERE

Māori members controversially sidelined in airport share votes
“We’re going to do it without Māoris [sic],” Mayor Wayne Brown said, in exasperation.

“Seeing as you didn’t like them,” he said, looking at two councillors. “But we will, we are going to do it without Māoris [sic]. Although there is a Māori left here who is not going to respect the other Māoris [sic] who were here before.”

His extraordinary comments came at the second of two big meetings at which Auckland councillors had to approve the 10-year budget, or Long-Term Plan. The transfer and likely sale of the council’s shares in Auckland Airport was a politically-charged part of Brown’s plan....
See full article HERE

Mark Mitchell wants to work with Māori to help rehabilitate Māori inmates
“The $78m investment is prisoners on remand who haven’t had programmes. We are focussed on getting inmates real life skills and qualifications and the best fighting chance to rejoin society.”

Mitchell said this is where Māori and iwi organisation can play a huge part.

“Maori and iwi have a huge and critical part to play,” he said.

“And I welcome as much engagement and leadership with iwi, hapu and Māori as possible because they are stakeholders and we all want people to come out of the justice system positive and not be recycled back through the prisons.....
See full article HERE

ACC Downgrades Safeguarding Māori From Injury And Sexual Violence
The PSA is concerned that ACC’s huge overhaul is proposing to remove specialist roles dedicated to helping Māori avoid injury and sexual violence.

"Māori health outcomes will worsen if ACC carries out its proposal to cut a number of dedicated roles in injury prevention, including sexual violence education," said Janice Panoho Te Kaihautū Māori for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.....
See full article HERE

Tribunal best placed to judge treaty breaches
Green Party Māori spokesperson Huhana Lyndon says the Waitangi Tribunal is sticking to its original purpose to call out modern breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

ACT leader David Seymour has accused the tribunal of becoming increasingly activist as it schedules multiple urgent hearings into Government actions, including ACT’s push to remove the section 7AA Treaty of Waitangi provision from the Oranga Tamariki Act.

Ms Lyndon says the tribunal has shown it has a purpose beyond historical claims.

“The Government of today is threatening to review its purpose and to refocus it but actually the refocusing they’re doing it, they’re doing it right now and it’s modern day breaches of Te Tiriti,” she says....
See full article HERE

Waitangi Tribunal releases damning report on Māori ward reversal
The Waitangi Tribunal has slammed the Government’s planned Māori ward legislation - saying it breached the Treaty and calling for it to stop and allow proper consultation.

In the findings of its urgent inquiry, the Tribunal found the Crown breached the Treaty by prioritising coalition agreement commitments and “completely failing” to consult with Māori.

The Crown had failed to protect Māori rights and interests by ignoring the desires and actions of Māori for dedicated local representation, through Māori wards, the Tribunal said.

It recommended the planned law changes be halted in order for proper consultation between the Crown and Māori to take place.....
See full article HERE

Manawatū Māori ward defended against government ‘overreach’
The virtues of the Ngaā Tapuae o Matangi seat for both the council and community were passionately defended, as a reply to central government efforts to undermine Māori wards was deliberated on Thursday.

Mayor Helen Worboys said she opposed government interference in district matters.

While Māori wards were not a “one-size-fits-all” option for all regions, in Manawatū their retention would respect the district’s heritage and further the need for equity and participation, and the need for council and iwi to move forward together.

Though the council was unanimous in deciding to make a submission to the select commission, there were differing views over its content.

An earlier vote on a motion declaring the council’s opposition to central government mandating binding referenda on local government representation gave a better indication of councillors’ position on Māori wards.

That motion was passed seven votes to two.....
See full article HERE

Articles:
Graham Adams: TVNZ hīkoi documentary needs a sequel.

Gerry Eckhoff: Metiria Turei’s column

Propaganda:
'Increasingly activist' Waitangi Tribunal faces its future under renewed attack from senior ministers

Pou Tangata National Iwi Chairs Forum Oppose Repeal Of Section 7AA  

This Breaking Views Update monitors race relations in the media on a weekly basis. New material is added regularly. If you would like to send Letters to the Editor in response to any of these articles, most media addresses can be found HERE

Friday May 17, 2024

News:
Children's Minister wants to work with Māori - despite working to scrap Treaty obligations
Minister for Children Karen Chhour wants Oranga Tamiriki to establish more partnerships with Māori, despite introducing a bill to Parliament removing their obligation to do so.

One of those obligations was the establishment of partnerships with iwi and Māori organisations, which Chhour said she would continue to support.

She had already met with several stakeholders to assure them their partnership would continue, she said.....
See full article HERE

Māori and Pasifika face discrimination over police’s use of biometric data - expert
There is a real risk of discrimination against Māori and Pasifika with police’s expanding use of biometric data, a Māori technology and data ethicist says.

Meanwhile, the police have just finished destroying thousands of unlawfully obtained fingerprints, ordered by the Privacy Commissioner.

Dr Karaitiana Taiuru, a leading Māori AI and data ethicist, told RNZ that people of colour were unfairly discriminated against by biometric technology used by police.

“We’ve already seen a history of Māori being fingerprinted and photographed at such high proportions and the police didn’t actually have a right to take that data in the first place....
See full article HERE

New school lunch model could cut out kaupapa Māori suppliers
A Whanganui school lunch contractor says kaupapa Māori suppliers could be out of the picture under the Government’s new free school lunch model.

A spokesperson for a trust contracted by the Ministry of Education to supply school lunches in Whanganui said the new model could disadvantage smaller-scale suppliers, such as kaupapa Māori providers.....
See full article HERE

Whāriki Stands Up Against Racism Towards Māori Businesses
Whāriki, an advocate for Māori businesses, is speaking out against the increasing racial discrimination faced by pakihi Māori entrepreneurs.

Research reveals a troubling reality: Māori experience more discrimination than any other ethnic group in Aotearoa. Shockingly, 37.6% of Māori individuals endure racial discrimination in their lifetime, with 1 in 4 feeling less confident due to racism. Even more alarming, Wāhine Māori are 3.1 times more likely to face racism than other women....
See full article HERE

Rotorua Mayor embarks on mentorship with new Tuia representative
Rotorua Mayor Tania Tapsell has started the Tuia leadership programme with her newest Tuia representative, Maringi James.

Tuia is a national leadership programme for young Māori in communities throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. The programme involves local Mayors selecting rangatahi (youth) Māori from their district to mentor on a one-to-one basis, to encourage and enhance leadership skills.....
See full article HERE

Indigenous view needed for sustainable cities
A Māori planner says tāngata whenua knowledge is integral to creating more resilient communities.

Amanda Yates, an associate professor at the Auckland University of Technology’s school of architecture, is the narrator for a short film in on environmental issues in city planning showing at this month’s Resene Architecture and Design Film Festival.

She says tāngata whenua here and abroad want more ecologically designed cities....
See full article HERE

Māori war veterans seek compensation for post-war injustices
The second part of a Waitangi Tribunal hearing took place today at Takahiwai marae in Northland.

The Wai 2500 Military Veterans Kaupapa Inquiry focuses on the grievances of Māori military veterans and aims to investigate whether the Crown’s treatment of Māori veterans post-war was a breach of the Treaty of Waitangi.

Esme Sherwin was at the hearing held inside the whare, with whānau, current personnel and veterans in attendance. She gave a presentation, highlighting the residual effects of the war for not only the veterans but their families also....
See full article HERE

Articles:
Simon O'Connor: Love, culture, and the Waitangi Tribunal  

Thursday May 16, 2024

News:
DIA warned Government Māori wards U-turn could breach Bill of Rights
Department Internal Affairs warned the Government that new Māori wards legislation could conflict with the Bill of Rights Act and may "raise issues of discrimination on the basis of ethnicity".

A briefing to Local Government Minister Simeon Brown dated December 5, 2023, said reinstating binding polls potentially cancelling council Māori wards would likely be unpopular, and have wider implications.

"If the poll provisions are only added to the process for establishing Māori wards this may raise issues of discrimination on the basis of ethnicity under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990."

A briefing paper dated January 18 this year again warned the legislation could "conflict" with the Bill of Rights Act, and "may be found to be inconsistent with the Treaty"....
See full article HERE

‘New era of co-governance’: New bridge opens up over Manganui Gorge
Part of the Taranaki Crossing Project, a new 100-metre-long suspension bridge has formally opened 49.5 metres over the Manganui Gorge, after being blessed by Ngāti Ruanui, who also contributed artwork to it.

Located within Te Papakura o Taranaki, the project was spearheaded by Ngā Iwi o Taranaki, DoC, and Kānoa, with more than 100 guests attending today’s special ceremony after construction started late last year.

Te Runanga o Ngāti Ruanui Trust deputy tumu W’akaae Ngapari Nui said it marked a new era of co-governance for the maunga.....
See full article HERE

No return to white ages says Kapa-Kingi
Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi says reaction to her statement that the Government was on a mission to exterminate Māori shows she struck a nerve.

The Maori Party MP’s comment that calls for a colour blind Oranga Tamariki was just another word for white supremacy was condemned by Government parties.

She urges Maori to get organised because power rests outside parliament with the people.....
See full article HERE

Embedding mātauranga Māori within programmes - The SAE story
Tertiary education organisations (TEOs) are at various stages in their journey to weave mātauranga Māori into non-mātauranga Māori programmes of learning. NZQA has met with some TEOs to talk with them about how they have been able to do this. We have named this project He Muka Herenga Tāngata and it is part of a larger body of work called Insights papers. Insights papers have a particular focus on equity issues, good practice and bringing to life administrative data that will support education system improvement.....
See full article HERE

Articles:
Gary Judd KC: Sequal to Real reason Waitangi Tribunal could not summons Chhour

Propaganda:
Tackling human waste on New Zealand’s highest mountain

Culture hungry tourists flock to Māori attractions  

Wednesday May 15, 2024 

News:
Iwi write letter to King Charles over Treaty
They would be giving King Charles a reminder of the agreement of Te Tiriti and how he needed to keep this government in line, she said.

"We still look to Charles III to do something about his government. We have just finished drafting a letter to him, reminding him of the undertakings of his ancestors, the very sacred undertaking of his ancestors and to therefore say something to his government about the fact that they cannot behave the way they are because they bring shame, they bring all sorts of disrespect on the head of the Crown," Mutu said.

"We still look to King Charles III, we look to Queen Elizabeth II in the same way, to stop the lawless behaviour of the Pākēhas. And that's all we're dealing with here, is the lawless behaviour, ongoing lawless behaviour of Pākēhas in this country."

The Treaty could change so much to a point where iwi might not be able to pursue their historical claims, she said.....
See full article HERE

Waitangi Tribunal orders priority inquiry into scrapping of Māori Health Authority
Despite the bill to disestablish the Māori Health Authority having been passed through Parliament, the Waitangi Tribunal has ruled the matter is not over and agreed to a priority inquiry to be heard on the matter later this year.

Lead claimants Lady Tureiti Moxon and Janice Kuka, who filed the Wai 3307 Te Aka Whai Ora (Māori Health Authority) Urgent Claim, have been notified their claim meets the criteria for a ‘Priority Inquiry’ to be scheduled for October 2024, subject to the tribunal panel’s availability....
See full article HERE

Structured literacy could aid Māori students in mainstream schools - teacher
The government's move to introduce structured literacy has the potential to lift reading and writing levels among Māori students in mainstream schools, says an English teacher who is Māori.

The government wants all state schools to teach structured literacy from next year and is spending $67 million to train teachers and pay for resources.

It's a method which uses sounds and phonics to break down and understand words, and was praised by the Education Minister for its use in kura kaupapa.....
See full article HERE

Chhour evades tribunal grilling with 7AA bill tabling
The Government has introduced legislation to repeal section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act, on the same day the Court of Appeal ruled the Waitangi Tribunal had the right to make Children’s Minister and bill sponsor Karen Chhour appear before it.

Now the bill is before parliament the tribunal no longer has jurisdiction, but lawyer Annette Sykes says the ruling was a win for her Ngati Pikiao claimants and sets an important precedent for future claims.....
See full article HERE

Rapid population growth causes council ward rethink
The status of the two Ngāi Tahu councillors is not being considered in the consultation, as this is subject to central Government legislation.

ECan voted not to establish a separate Māori ward last year, after consulting with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and Papatipu Rūnanga.....
See full article HERE

Karen Chhour and the Waitangi Tribunal: PM, David Seymour respond to latest court ruling
The Government is weighing up whether to appeal a court decision ruling in favour of the Waitangi Tribunal’s summoning of Children’s Minister Karen Chhour.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told Newstalk ZB’s Mike Hosking Breakfast this morning that the Government was working through the finding and would take advice on whether to appeal it.

“The substantive issue here is we are very united and strongly aligned around the fact that we don’t believe that section 7AA is the right thing. We think the primacy of a child is important over and above their cultural needs,” Luxon said.

Seymour said the Waitangi Tribunal had “almost set itself up as a kind of House of Lords instead of helping heal some of the grievances of our past”, such as iwi settlements.

“Ultimately, there is a serious question of what is the purpose of the Waitangi Tribunal once every hapū in New Zealand has settled. I think that question needs to be openly debated.”

Although the Waitangi Tribunal’s inquiry has ended and it has released its report, lawyer Graeme Edgeler said the Court of Appeal’s decision is important because provided a case law and set a precedent for future cases.

“The Court of Appeal decisions shows [a] future Commission of Inquiry (such as the Waitangi Tribunal) have the powers to summons ministers.”...
See full article HERE

He Raranga Muka: New $10k scholarships support upcoming Māori data scientists
Seven tauira Māori are the first recipients of a new $10,000 scholarship (He Raranga Muka) as part of a with, by and for-iwi Māori programme helping to grow capability and community in the data space for iwi Māori.

The scholarships are one of seven data analytics capability and capacity-building initiatives developed by Te Kāhui Raraunga through Te Mana Whakatipu — a programme that’s building iwi Māori data capability and capacity across the motu....
See full article HERE

Gang unit will disproportionately affect Māori and Pasifika, Te Pāti Māori say
Te Pāti Māori says the national gang unit announced today will disproportionately affect Māori and Pasifika, while Labour has called it a 'rebrand' of what it had already set up.

"Being tough on gangs is just addressing the system, but they've got to be honest about the root cause of gangs. It's well-known that gangs are a product of the state from the 70s and 80s," Ferris said.

"And until a government owns up to that responsibility and starts investing back into those communities, and raising those communities up out of the impoverished states that they live in, giving people hope and aspiration, you're never going to fix the problem. You're actually going to exacerbate the problem."...
See full article HERE

Propaganda:
Should tikanga Māori be taught in law schools?

Some say the Treaty of Waitangi divides NZ – a new survey suggests the opposite is true  

Tuesday May 14, 2024 

News:
Minister encourages DOC to use te reo Māori "everywhere and anywhere", despite Government position
Conservation Minister Tama Potaka is defending advice to the Department of Conservation to use te reo Māori “everywhere and anywhere”, despite contradicting the Government’s official position.

Documents released to Newstalk ZB under the Official Information Act show the Minister encouraged the use of te reo within the department, including providing advice for email greetings and signoffs.

The email sent from Potaka’s office in November states the “Minister's preferences” for emails include greetings in te reo, with staff advised to use “Tēnā koe / koutou, and the sign off “Mauriora”.

A leadership update from January this year details the Ministers priorities, stating “He expects all leaders to be role models. Te Reo can be used everywhere and anywhere.".....
See full article HERE

Trail access uncertainty worries mountain bikers
A long-term deal for mountainbiking access to key Nelson trails is urgently needed, say biking leaders.

An interim access agreement between the Nelson City Council and Ngāti Koata, which owns land that hosts 80% of Nelson’s main trails, expires at the end of June.

In 2020 the council agreed to an $80,000 one-year grant to Ngāti Koata for access to the recreational trails on the iwi-owned land which is largely leased for forestry. The access agreement has been rolled over for several years while a long-term deal was pursued.....
See full article HERE

Port Of Auckland’s New Pasifika Role A “Milestone”
Vanessa and Paul will work closely and support one another in improving career progressions for Pasifika and Māori port workers.

“What Māori and tangata Pasifika culture have in common is we all manaaki and taukoto each other in our mahi and what we are striving for,” says Paul. “It is like a marae and it’s important Māori and Pasifika outcomes work together and advance the kaupapa for each. That’s our strength.”....
See full article HERE

Co-location brings social work to marae
Site manager and Te Ati Awa Social Services head Maraea Ropata says the agency moved a year ago into the Waiwhetu headquarters of Te Rūnanganui o Te Āti Awa because its previous location, spread over a multi-storey building, wasn’t fit for purpose.

She says there is more of a treaty relationship, with social workers positioned closer to iwi and community networks.....
See full article HERE

Court of Appeal overturns decision blocking Waitangi Tribunal summons for Children's Minister Karen Chhour
The Court of Appeal has overturned a High Court decision which blocked a summons order from the Waitangi Tribunal for Children's Minister Karen Chhour.

At the same time, a bill proposing the repeal of section 7AA from the Oranga Tamariki Act has been introduced to Parliament, meaning the Tribunal no longer has jurisdiction over the case.

In its ruling, the court acknowledged the importance of the Waitangi Tribunal's role in inquiry into legislation that is inconsistent with the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi and that the minister had relevant evidence to give to the Tribunal....
See full article HERE

ACT Responds To Court Of Appeal Decision
Responding to the Court of Appeal finding in favour of the Waitangi Tribunal in its action against Children's Minister Karen Chhour, ACT Justice spokesperson Todd Stephenson says:

“The Waitangi Tribunal has gone well beyond its brief and has become increasingly activist. It’s tried to become a source of authority in its own right. The Tribunal appears to regard itself as a parallel government that can intervene in the elected Government’s policymaking process.....
See full article HERE

First Of Long Term Plan Hearings Hosted At A Marae, A First For Regional Council
A successful day is how Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council's Chair has described the first day of Long Term Plan hearings held at Huria Marae last week.

Last Friday was the first time Toi Moana had held Long Term Plan hearings on a Marae. Councillors heard from individuals and groups who travelled from across the region including Iwi, Tauranga City Council Commissioners and the Tauranga Business Chamber.

Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council Chair Doug Leeder said the uptake was overwhelmingly positive and showed democracy in action.....
See full article HERE

Propaganda:
Joel Maxwell: I've never seen an anti-word government before

Māori lawyers back controversial tikanga study for law students as Parliament asked to veto the course 

Monday May 13, 2024  

News:
Councillor questions $70,000 spend on te reo Māori app for staff
A $70,000 app to help Hamilton City Council staff with te reo has one councillor calling for closer scrutiny of "pet projects" as ratepayers face an unprecedented rates rise.

He Pou Koorero – an app "designed to help people on their te reo journey" – will be launched this month and was funded by the city council.

Councillor Geoff Taylor said Hamilton ratepayers were facing a 19.9% rate rise, increasing to 80% over five years and spending on non-core services should be suspended for three years.

He called the app a luxury at a time when ratepayers were in a cost of living crisis and facing the biggest rate increase in two decades......
See full article HERE

Proposed repeal of OTA section designed to improve Māori children outcomes breaches treaty - Tribunal
The Waitangi Tribunal’s urgent inquiry into the proposed repeal of section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act - designed to improve the outcomes for Māori children in state care - has found clear breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi.

The government is planning to repeal Treaty obligations from the Oranga Tamariki Act.

However, a Waitangi Tribunal report said it would cause harm to vulnerable children.....
See full article HERE

Māori significant sites defended
Poutini Ngāi Tahu has defended Māori sites of significance after the Grey District called for them to be cut from the West Coast’s proposed unitary district plan.

Important sites and areas for Māori are granted greater recognition and protections under the proposed combined plan for the Buller, Grey and Westland District Councils — referred to as Te Tai o Poutini Plan (TTPP).....
See full article HERE


Sunday May 12, 2024

News:
Has the time come for Epuni School to become Te Puni?

Lower Hutt’s Epuni School is considering a name change that more accurately reflects the correct spelling of paramount chief Hōniana Te Puni.

The possible name change came after the Wellington City Council corrected Epuni St in Aro Valley to Hōniana Te Puni St, in honour of the Te Āti Awa leader who played a major role in the development of early Wellington.

The Geographic Board is also currently considering a proposal to correct the spelling of Petone.....
See full article HERE

Court of Appeal rejects sovereign citizen appeal by Auckland instructor Chris Wiremu, who hit students
Wiremu was a respected instructor of the Māori martial art known as mau rākau. It appears from multiple court documents obtained by the Herald that he would have in all likelihood received a discharge without conviction and perhaps permanent name suppression for the charges had it not been for one thing: his refusal to co-operate with court officials based on an indigenous spin on the controversial “sovereign citizen” defence popularised by conspiracy theorists in US courtrooms.

“I fully understand that there’s these laws that are presented in front of me, however, where are those laws that are consistent with my ancestors?”....
See full article HERE

Hundreds of Māori student nurses gather for 34th national annual hui
Hundreds of budding Māori nurses gathered at their national hui in Auckland last week, where some outlined their concerns about an already stretched nursing workforce....
See full article HERE

Articles:
Dr Michael Bassett: Welcome to the current welfare mess.  

This Breaking Views Update monitors race relations in the media on a weekly basis. New material is added regularly. If you would like to send Letters to the Editor in response to any of these articles, most media addresses can be found HERE

23 comments:

robert arthur said...

It is amazing how cloth eared the early colonists were, failing to pick up the perfect diction of the maori. Ensign Best in his book heard the Wairarapa as "Wyderop" or somesuch. I wonder if his 1840s pig (taonga) hunter maori acomplices would have recognised the current laboured pronunciation.

Anonymous said...

How do we know it was Te Puni? Maori didn't have a written language. And whose diction is permanently perfect? And just maybe the usual practice of maori in the Hutt area was to drop the T. There were many local styles of maori- think East Coasters who skip the H sound, southern maori who use K instead of NG ( Waitaki v Waitangi).

Even in the bizarre world of maori language and contrivances, what is wrong with a little linguistic colour? Or should I write color?

Robert arthur said...

Re 13th. The $70,000 spend by Hamilton Council is just the obvious cost. There is all the time spent digesting the course. All work time extended by consideration and application of the course will not be charged to it. The more it is encouraged the more te reo will be used, especially by trace maori, adding to further costs in time wasting confusion, including of the external public. Local maori history could be easily covered by some basic in house publication strictly edited to keep it factual and concise and to exclude recently "remembered"/conjured folklore.

hughvane said...

Re first item in this latest release ... Te Reo can be used everywhere and anywhere.

The devil is in the detail. Mr Potaka says "can be used", not "must". I heartily approve of the use of Te Reo in a parallel sense, but English must remain the principal language of all govt depts.

Robert arthur said...

The Court of Appeal decision seems to me in keeping with th maximise work for the profession principle which seems to characterise the legal indsutry.

Anonymous said...

Hugh Vane: JRR Tolkien made up a language. I think that should be the alternative in NZ. Will you support me in having this rolled out? It is at least as valid as mock maori. I am sure Mr Potaka could learn it. And there is already a NZ director's movie trilogy to give us context and cultural guidance. With a kiwi accent spin, we could make it uniquely ours.

Ray S said...

The Court of Appeal has opened the door to ministers being 'summoned' to each and every investigation the WT wishes.
As for the court saying that the proposed legislation is inconsistant with the 'principles' of the TOW in itself makes a mockery of both the WOT and the Court of Appeal.
To make such a ruling the court must know what the principles are.
To rule on undefined 'principles' is a sham of the first water.

How can the courts be trusted to rule with total impartiality in any matter relating to Maori.

The government must support Acts proposed bill.

hughvane said...

In response to a person who IDs as 'Anonymous', L L Zamnehoff of Poland invented Esperanto in 1887. Perhaps we could use that as an intra-national language (he said facetiously) to avoid vested interest in either English-only, Te Reo-only, or a mishmash of the two .

A colleague in the late 1960s tried hard but unsuccessfully to convince us to learn Esperanto as a living and useful language.

I regularly use Martian when I drop something on the floor, or something heavy on my foot - would that qualify?

Anonymous said...

So Waitangi Tribunal is now the highest judicial body in NZ.

No doubt they will now claim the authority to override any court decision they choose to and substitute their own position.

Clearly they are on their way to overriding Parliament.

Robert Arthur said...

Re 14th . Maori will now have to work hard to prevent or sabotage promising maori children going to non maori homes with consequent risk of damning relative statistical success

Anonymous said...

I can buy as many spray cans as needed to redress this sign issue.
Will it be noticed amongst the proliferation of Maori based graffiti smeared across every vertical surface ?

Anonymous said...


But ACT and the WT and the Appeals Court in their place today - by just going to Parliament with the OT Bill.

Facts
This is the right of the elected government.
Parliament is above the courts.
The WT is NOT a court.

Thank you Minister Chhour.

Anonymous said...

I only hope King Charles and his advisers keep well clear of commenting on or meddling in NZ affairs and totally ignore the iwi letter.

Robert Arthur said...

Re 14th.Potaka says "Effective communication with users of public services is important for good govt. Increasingly that wil be in te reo maori". Two statements mutually exclusive
"I expect DOC staff to effectively communicate with maori and all NZers in the language that is suitable to the user." If maori suits the user spouting, then they wont be effectively communication with me.
I presume Potaka was selected as an m.p. by the same mechanism that produces maori local body wards; voters all terrified of cancellatiomn.

Robert Arthur said...

re 16th.One is not born with such vile language skills as Kapa-Kingi. Presumably she learned and honed whilst imagining decolonisation at some state funded insurgency centre (marae).

Anonymous said...

There are lots of word salads from the person writing the letter to charles but nothing about what it is they actually want. If it is a return to tribal law and the removal of democracy, then just say so. And what do they expect charles to do? Monarchy does interfere with politics.

Robert Arthur said...

re 17th If applying police effort to those proven to disproportionately originate crime is seen as discrimination, then tough. When their behaviour matches the norm perhaps a case. Scrapping all the fongeprints and photos is a monstrous waste of resources. It would be better if all fingerprints were recorded at census, licence renewal, benefit application etc.
And if persons discriminate against maori business, there are a myriad Council and other policies which favour employment of maori both directly and as consultants and contractors. Of course many now discriminate against maori women. Who wants to deal with a prospective Ngarewa-Packer or Kapa-Kingi devoting time and effort to to esatblishing discord?

Anonymous said...

Some one please explain what this partnership nonsense is. Sounds elitist and ipso facto selective to me. What about those left out?

Robert Arthur said...

re 18 and the Taranaki tribe make work for maori ineficiency creating scheme of using te reo for all govt communication "Hoatu he koromatua tango te waewae"

Anonymous said...

Eh bros, we gonna speak maori. Whuck me dats a good wun. Dose whities won't get it eh? Den dey can't kill us eh?

( apologies to NZers who take pride in being NZers and don't kowtow to fake histories, fake facts and fake languages.)

Doug Longmire said...

Re First item:-
If the iwi insist on speaking only in Reo, the government in turn needs to adopt a policy of only "speaking" to the iwi in sign language !!

Robert Arthur said...

in reply to early anonymous of 18th, Xi jinping will likley intervene to ensure one particularly industrious group is included in governement.

Hazel Modisett said...

How soon we forget history.
I picked up Te Reo fairly easily as a young child & remember two things about its use. Firstly, being cracked by an uncles Tokotoko for speaking English inside my aunties house & secondly, having the language ritually beaten out of me with the edge of a ruler across my knuckles for speaking it at Primary School in the 60s. Nowadays, if somebody speaks to me in Maori, I respond in Mexican Spanish, with a selection of colourful expletives thrown in to add to the poetry.
Outside of ceremonial use on the Marae, I see no valid use for a language that less than 170,000 people on the entire planet can speak fluently & I do not include the muppets on the news spouting their well rehearsed platitudes in order to earn brownie points with their wokester friends on the left (pun intended).
To all those who would force a language on me that has zero relevance to my everyday life, I offer a heartfelt & sincere "beso mi culo pendejo !" & a "tin a cocoa car tire"...