I think the Maori Party and MANA Party talks are a last gasp from the Maori Party fighting for political relevancy.
Their horrendous decision to turn their backs on their own supporters by cutting a deal with the National Party who employ the very economic system of injustice that crushes Maori aspirations first is simply too large a sin for them to continue carrying with any credibility.
This relationship between National and the Maori Party has always been a camouflage tactic by National, making the Government seem far more progressive than they really are. For the Maori Party, it’s been a shameful exercise in eating dead rat after dead rat for no real gains whatsoever for Maori.
The sudden need to talk by the Maori Party is generated by the fear that MANA and Labour could cut a deal between them to end the Maori Party in the Maori electorates. If a deal was struck between the Labour Party and MANA, it would severely blunt the growing Green aspirations in the Maori electorates. Forcing the Greens to waste resources in electorates they can’t win does have some appeal to Labour, in addition to ending another ally of the Government. If such a deal was cut, it would need to see vast amounts of resource guaranteed for the Maori Electorates so that voters could see real benefit from such maneuvering.
The desire for unity amongst the Maori electorate is deep so both Parties must look willing to listen and talk, but unless the Maori Party walk away from their failed and flawed support of this Government, they will find the political tides move sharply against them.
This recession has burnt Maori harder than most, real policies and real economic development is what are being demanded, if the Maori Party can’t provide that, they will become a political footnote rather than a political survivor.
I reckon the Maori Party is a goner. In a way I feel sad for that Party, because I do believe its leadership did its deal with a view to being able, by being close to power, to achieving something. Perhaps it did, at that, but let me, as a full blooded pakeha with no blood relatives of the Polynesian persuasion tell you: there is no limit that can be placed upon pakeha double-dealing, connivery and bad faith. Particularly when those pakeha have power and desire to keep it. Nineteenth century Maori found that out the hard way.
If the Maori Party wanted to retain a relevant political presence, they needed some time in this term (if not the previous) to draw a line in the sand somewhere, and, if National crossed that line, sever its ties altogether (even unto the Supply Vote). There have been in this term several opportunities for the Maori Party to draw such a line.
True, you pick your fights. But they needed only to draw one line to find out just how far National was prepared to go – and indeed to find out how firmly the Maori Party could make a stand. Actually the MP might well have gained a whole deal of credibility an it had made a firm and public stand against the government on some reasonably important issue. Better still had it been on an issue that affected all New Zealanders. Let us hope MANA will have that kind of will and determination (what little I’ve seen of that Party so far makes it a pretty good candidate for my vote come election time).
But power is a heady brew – even its aroma can be sufficiently beguiling. Look what happened to Tau Henare.
Double-dealing, backstabbing, lying like a flat fish, and various acts against culture and hospitality are in no way ‘pakeha’ (whatever that may mean in this present).
Fear and power-hunger are fairly common human traits after all.
The Maori Party remind me of the old days when a Maori guy would be invited to a party and handed a guitar in case there was a power cut. For this he got a few free beers, but none to take home for the whanau. He’s so happy to be at the party, he shuts up and plays.
Mana say “Go and have your party somewhere else and get off our land, white motherfuckers.” I stand with Mana. Pita Sharples stands there with his guitar, waiting…………..
Mana Movement is growing as rapidly its socialism combined with indigenous rights. Lets face it the Treaty of Waitangi is not going any where its going to be our founding national document for the next 1000 years. It will remain long after Labour,National,Maori,Mana and all political parties are long gone. Lets resolve the issues surrounding it NOW. Lets avoid racism and handing down this headache to future generations of New Zealanders. Mainstream party’s like Labour and National have proven incapable to resolving it with 2% Treaty settlements for colonial theft. I’m voting Mana so this colonial hangover isn’t around in 500 years from now.
>> Lets face it the Treaty of Waitangi is not going any where its going to be our founding national document for the next 1000 years. <<
Actually, the 1835 Declaration of Independence is the founding document, to which Te Tiriti o Waitangi is merely an addendum. The focus on "The Treaty" by the state has been a tactic to pay lip service to the injustice done to tangata whenua, while never acknowledging the limits of the NZ state's right to governorship, and the right of native born people of Aotearoa to govern themselves as independent whānau/ families, hapū/ communities, and iwi/ regions.
The Māori Party have illustrated the futility of asserting this right to self-determination within a framework imposed and maintained by the 1%. Remember Einstein's quote about doing the same thing over again and expecting different results? Time to replace parliamentary supremacy with federal democracy.
“This relationship between National and the Maori Party has always been a camouflage tactic by National” – so true and so obvious to everyone except the Maori Party
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