It has become a pattern with National governments that when they have a deeply unpopular policy to drive through they use Maori to provide political cover.
So it is with the government’s plans to begin the biggest privatisation in New Zealand history – the sale of state houses. The first stage involves selling up to 1500 such homes in Tauranga (1140) and Invercargill (370) where the government believes local resistance will be weaker.
To dampen opposition the government has given the right of first refusal to iwi groups in these areas.
The Herald reported last week:
“Consultation confirmed Ngāti Ranginui has 115 Right of First Refusal (RFR) properties within the Tauranga proposed transaction area and Ngāi Tahu has three RFR properties within the Invercargill proposed transaction area.
“These properties will be excluded from the open and competitive commercial process. We are working directly with Ngāti Ranginui and Ngaī Tahu on how to include the properties within the SHRP [social housing reform programme]. The discussions will focus on realising both the Government’s RFR obligations as well as the objectives of the SHRP.”
Among the other contenders to buy these houses are reported to be:
The country’s biggest non-government social housing provider, IHC-owned Accessible Properties, confirmed today that it is still keen to buy all the available houses in Tauranga, although it is not interested in Invercargill.
Two iwi organisations are also registered community housing providers in Tauranga: Nga Potiki a Tamapahore Trust and Mangatawa-Papamoa Blocks Inc, both representing Maori in the Papamoa area. A trustee of both trusts, Victoria Kingi, has said in the past that they were keen to buy 149 state houses in their rohe, and that they were interested in joining a collective approach for the wider area.
It’s understandable for iwi to consider such deals as they are so used to being ignored or excluded from national and local decision making on anything and everything.
But the government’s reasons have nothing to do with recognising Maori as tangata whenua or respecting the partnership established through the Treaty of Waitangi. Instead it’s a cynical politically-patronising move to reduce heat on National which knows Labour will be reluctant to criticise iwi too heavily because of Labour’s own sordid history over the foreshore and seabed among other things.
It’s all a cover for big corporate involvement – whether through Horizon Housing or Compass from Australia or the disgraced multinational SERCO (the latest to say they want to help manage former state houses – for a fat fee of course)
Meanwhile Maori continue to struggle at the bottom of National’s heap in situations which include Housing New Zealand’s shamefully poor housing – run down by successive governments. National has blood on its hands from last year’s death of toddler Emma-Lita Bourne – and responsibility for serious illnesses such as Te Ao Marama Wensor’s seven-year-old son Iriah as reported last week.
Iwi leaders might be flavour of the month for National but low-income iwi members suffer the same brutal outcomes as all low-income tenants and families across the country.
Taking part in buying these houses means taking part in the destruction of state housing which under National would once again become the responsibility of churches and charities just as it was a hundred years ago.
Paula Bennett, Nick Smith and Bill English are every bit as despicable as the self-righteous, miserly characters who inhabit Charles Dickens’ novels of Victorian England.
Thanks for that John. This is disgusting on so many levels.
Greed and lack of ethics behind these smiling elitist politicians in denial and ripping off the lower class folks yet again. Great Job Paula ! You should be proud to be such a giving puppet to your lying master.
Using Maori’s to achieve their end game and Serco eventually gaining is just so wrong and I am ashamed of our current government.
The usual racist, patronising thoughts of the extreme left. Do you not think we Maori can actually think for ourselves? Why do you persist in believing that we need the services of a white man to tell us what we should do, think, believe?
The extreme left show the same racist attitudes in their (rightful) condemnation of the US behavior in Iraq, yet totally ignore the millions of atrocities in black. Well Minto you may consider black peoples lives dont matter, but mine does!
Please stop spouting our racist attitudes under the cover of ‘concern’.
Oh dear. You need some serious academic help, my friend.
And you think, Peter, that your are not racist nor patronizing ? ? ? ? ?
What the US did in Iraq is worth tons of condemnation because it was way beyond wrong on so many levels.
Someone needs a history lesson that you will not get with most of the main stream media. You have clearly mis-judged the ” left ” – BIG TIME ! !
No, it is fine that John Minto reports on Maori Affaires. Because I said so
sadly most white left believe they are speaking for maori & do tend to over think things for us as they mistakingly assume humbleness for ignorance & meekness for weakness: pai te wa whakairo … for we have a whakatauki which say … a te wa … it will come … it did not mean that we sit by and let anything come, but means … the process is in place and has been set in stone: 1) when they created the treaty & constitution of 1835: They had it WRITTEN INTO ENGLISH COMMON LAW 1836: therefore in reallity ET IT IN IRON as the hardest substance of that period: Believe me John: DO YOU WANT TO HOLD THESE CRIMINALS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CRIMES THEY ARE COMMITTING AGAINST OUR PEOPLE & OUR COUNTRY: TREASON IS A HANGABLE OFFENCE: THESE SMILING ASSASINS ARE SMILING BECAUSE YOU ARE PLAYING THEIR GAME BY & with THEIR RULES & TALKING TO THE PUPPETS: TIKANGA MAORI … IN LAW/LORE … ARE TALKING TO THE PUPPET MASTERS AS IN 1831-1836 & 1839-1846 & 1901-1919 & 1987-1993/1995/2005/2015. do you think the things these people are doing is new to our people … our ancestors have been resisting these corrupt money changers for OVER 200 YEARS & we were successful. TE TIRITI 1835-1840 IS THAT LEGACY: IT BINDS THE CROWN UK. THEN IN TURN BINDS ALL QE2 CROWN CONTRACTORS TO TE TIRITI BY TE TURE WHENUA MAORI LAND ACT 1995. THE NSW&NZ PARLIAMENTS ARE ONLY COMPANY CONTRACTORS WHO ARE ABOUT TO BE WOUND UP BY THE CROWN UK. THE CROWN UK ARE LOYAL TO THEIR KINGS LAWS & WITH THE CONTRACT TIRITI O 1840: THIS IS THEIR PATHWAY TO ESTABLISHING THEIR CREDIT EXCHANGE FOR THEIR BANKING & FINANCIAL ARM OUTSIDE OF THE ROTHCHILD FAMILY BANKING CORPORATIONS … PLEASE JOHN MINTO KNOW THIS WHEN YOU SPEAK TO US AS TO WHAT WE NEED … ALL WE NEED IS FOR PEOPLE TO LISTEN TO WHAT WE ARE REALLY SAYING & LET US SHOW YOU WHERE YOUR REAKL POWER LIE ….. ANEI KE ANA TE KAUPAPA E TIKA (here is the operation of truthful way) …. KAUE U WAREWARE (do not forget) TO KORERO O NGAI TUPUNA (the words of our ancestors) …. HE WHENUA (aland) … HE WHENUA (a land) … TE TAONGA TUKU O IHOWA (the treasured gift of Jehovah)
You were not the first peoples to arrive in these islands. You ate the Maorioris and hide evidence that others where here before you.
Some Maori’s want to own everything under the sun. Own the water; own the air; own the land and beaches. Sure the British were idiots, violent and disgusting and we taxpayers here in NZ are, have and will continue to pay for their greed and massive mistakes towards the Maori’s. Clearly their are debts owed.
Subtle racism exists everywhere ! ! ! and clearly your hatred and racism towards WHITE LEFTIES is obvious. I despise the word Pakeha and cringe every time I hear that racist and degrading word.
We are all one here and we need to start acting like we care for ourselves and our neighbors more and end so much racism and hatred.
Yes….and that’s how they operate….
Patronisng , isn’t it…
jOHN kEY the Forex heist man . Still at it after all these years. Still doing the same sort of subversion’s he did when he was the right hand man of Andrew Kreiger a few decades back.
The leopard doesn’t change its spots.
Watch your backs , Iwi…he’s coming to get you as well.
” Oliver had not been within the walls of the workhouse a quarter of an hour; and had scarcely completed the demolition of a second slice of bread; when Mr. Bumble, who had handed him over to the care of an old woman, returned; and, telling him it was a board night, informed him that the board had said he was to appear before it forthwith.
Not having a very clearly defined notion of what a live board was, Oliver was rather astounded by this intelligence, and was not quite certain whether he ought to laugh or cry. He had no time to think about the matter, however; for Mr. Bumble gave him a tap on the head, with his cane, to wake him up: and another on the back to make him lively: and bidding him to follow, conducted him into a large whitewashed room, where eight or ten fat gentlemen were sitting round a table. At the top of the table, seated in an arm-chair rather higher than the rest, was a particularly fat gentleman with a very round, red face.
‘Bow to the board,’ said Bumble. Oliver brushed away two or three tears that were lingering in his eyes; and seeing no board but the table, fortunately bowed to that.
‘What’s your name, boy?’ said the gentleman in the high chair.
Oliver was frightened at the sight of so many gentlemen, which made him tremble; and the beadle gave him another tap behind, which made him cry; and these two causes made him answer in a very low and hesitating voice; whereupon a gentleman in a white waistcoat said he was a fool. Which was a capital way of raising his spirits, and putting him quite at his ease.
‘Boy,’ said the gentleman in the high chair, ‘listen to me. You know you’re an orphan, I suppose?’
‘What’s that, sir?’ inquired poor Oliver.
‘The boy is a fool – I thought he was,’ said the gentleman in the white waistcoat.
‘Hush!’ said the gentleman who had spoken first. ‘You know you’ve got no father or mother, and that you were brought up by the parish don’t you?’
‘Yes, sir,’ replied Oliver, weeping bitterly.
‘What are you crying for?’ inquired the gentleman in the white waistcoat. And to be sure it was very extraordinary. What could the boy be crying for?
‘I hope you say your prayers every night,’ said another gentleman in a gruff voice; ‘and pray for the people who feed you, and take care of you – like a Christian.’
‘Yes, sir,’ stammered the boy. The gentleman who spoke last was unconsciously right. It would have been very like a Christian, and a marvellously good Christian, too, if Oliver had prayed for the people who fed and took care of him. But he hadn’t, because nobody had taught him.
‘Well! You have come here to be educated, and taught a useful trade,’ said the red-faced gentleman in the high chair.
‘So you’ll begin to pick oakum to-morrow morning at six o’clock,’ added the surly one in the white waistcoat.
For the combination of both these blessings in the one simple process of picking oakum, Oliver bowed low by the direction of the beadle, and was then hurried away to a large ward: where, on a rough hard bed, he sobbed himself to sleep. What a noble illustration of the tender laws of England. They let paupers go to sleep!
Poor Oliver! He little thought, as he lay sleeping in happy unconsciousness of all around him, that the board had that very day arrived at a decision which would exercise the most material influence over all his future fortunes. But they had. ”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aUGLJicck8
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Our forebears came to God’s own to escape the 19c free market hell of extreme poverty, patronage and deprivation in miserable Blighty but we have traitors who wish to bring it all back. You want a fair deal, MORE!?
It has long ago come to my attention, that the National Party led government is very happy in working with “corporate” Maori business and various other Maori business interest groups and players. Hence they have no problems to sign many settlements with various Iwi, as they know, they have managed to create a divided Maoridom, same as a whole New Zealand population, which serves their purposes of “divide and rule”.
Give some a few “deals”, contracts or perks, and they will be grateful for that, and pursue their various own interests, not those of the collective population.
So it goes, and naturally, unsurprisingly, they do the same with the privatisation of “social housing”.
If this goes ahead, we will have a large patchwork of various “social housing” providers all over the country, only to some degree bound to follow the same rules, but then engaging in business and housing management, which will involve on-selling some stakes, to developers, and “re-investing” earnings, as they see fit, possibly in blocks of cramped little apartments and the likes, multilevel, with NO gardens, hardly any storage or access to outdoor areas.
This will be the future of “social housing”, new ghettos, housing that will also in future be neglected, because many promises will be broken, as the operators and managers will run out of funds and neglect the stock, same as previous and the present government have done with Housing NZ stock.
How else can they “compete” and offer “cheaper” housing, but by undercutting, side lining, cutting corners and all such means, as hosing does cost a bit, and if the state and developer cannot bother investing, who else will honestly do so?
Shame on Nats and their lackeys, and shame on Maori Party for backing this government.
Key will be dealing with all the Brown Collar Maori’s, ie the big kahunas.
Hopefully these Iwi will do their due diligence and do not get sold a pup!
Apart from sheer stupidity and incompetence as economic managers, that National in reality represent in spades, there can be no reason why the NZ Government cannot properly run the state housing organisation with great results.
All I can see from their privatisation of state houses is it is simply part of their economic long term plan. Stay in power and try to balance the books (while sort of) by selling assets, meanwhile enriching the few who are part of this swindle.
National have contributed in no small way to the demise of Solid Energy and are doing their level best to stuff Landcorp (See Rod Orams article yesterday in the Sunday Star Times). so why not Housing NZ?
I agree completely, the return to church and charity run social housing or worse the likes of SERCO is so retrograde it defies words. Why does anyone want an uncivilised society in the 21st century that this will bring?
It is true that National and their voters do not care about anyone but their own greedy arses!
Until that arse drops out of the housing markets and the economy – which it shows every inclination of doing according to various sources in the Herald and other publications today.
Then the built up hype of the Double Dipper from Dipton and shonkey jOHN kEY will be exposed for all to see.
Wont be a pretty sight.
At all.
National government = selling EVERYONE down the river.
Agreed @ Blake – a government to be ashamed of.
NZ For Sale, Last Kiwi Here Turn the Lights OFF.
I don’t think many New Zealanders really realise what has gone on in this country over the past 35 years.
I doubt whether our nett equity position has improved much, as we have disposed of many valuable income producing assets for absolute chicken feed.
I can see some Maori Iwi being fitted up with a heap of broken down houses sold at top dollar and Key and English laughing all the way to the Bank.
And — ” Fletcher Building ” — and — ” Placemakers ” as well.
Its typical Tory behavior of their class ridden society of Golden Utopia Victorian Britain. They want the Royal recognition & accolades while pandering to the elite with stepping over the misery of poverty that they create.
Lets not forget that NZ isnt immune from the elite child sex exploitation either, what happened to the court case of the Cabinet Ministers brother.
When Key retires with his Knighthood Nationals going to be divided and in opposition for a decade.
And the first thing once they are in opposition is to reverse that knighthood and then start holding a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the anti democratic actions of the jOHN kEY led nAtIoNaL pARtY.
You can expect that inquiry to take a full year with all of the skulduggery that’s been going on under this so called ‘ PM’ .
The invoice for costs of course would be sent to those so charged.
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