Meka’s defection was more personal than political.
Being overlooked in Chippy’s last Cabinet reshuffle has ruffled her feathers and she left the flock.
It is very possible that Nanaia Mahuta will also be wooed.
The Labour Māori Caucus were blindsided by the decision and there is genuine sadness at this outcome but far more importantly this is a true test of the leadership of both Labour and Māori Party that the two of them can work together because if rancour spills out from this the way we are seeing with the slow motion train wreck inside the Greens right now, it will be the kiss of death for the election.
It is urgent that the Māori Labour Caucus and the Māori Party behave with respect for each other in this because if they give the Right any opportunity to hold up any conflict as a sure sign they could not work together in Government, the 2023 election falls to pieces.
Meka has initiated a defection that could trigger one more with Nanaia, but Labour and the Māori Party can not disintegrate into the infighting the Green factions find themselves in or the voters will punish them.
This is the moment and this is the test, if Labour and the Māori Party can navigate these waters with dignity then they look like they can work constructively together and that makes an election win possible.
In other news, Barry Soper just learned to count…
A commentator is predicting Meka Whaitiri’s ditching of the Labour Party for Te Pāti Māori will actually benefit another political party – New Zealand First.
…as The Daily Blog has been pointing out for about a year, the 2023 election will be decided upon by who middle NZ fears most, a far right National/ACT Government or a Labour/Green/Māori Party Government.
This seems to be news to Bazza, whose sudden realisation of a Labour/Green/Māori Party has him stammering in fear by suggesting the other possibility TDB has suggested which is National cutting an Epsom cup of tea deal in Northland.
Folks you can read it here first or wait for Bazza in 12 months time.
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Leaving Labour or National fora junior coalition partner pretty much precludes any of the big jobs/major ministries, so why would anyone do it?
Maybe a values thing or a revenge move.
OTOH, it could be strategic. Push the Labour party to not run anyone in the seat in order to ensure a leftist victory. I dont mean this to sound race oriented but Maori were great soldiers not just because of their aggression and physical prowess but because they have considerable strategic nous.
If so, its a great move – it’s saying we arent content to just be an also ran junior partner.
This defection now means that every right wing nut and their hobby horse will start screaming for the abolition of Maori electoral seats. Great.
Oh, you mean the “right wing nut jobs” in the Royal Commission that said there was n ok justification for them with MMP
ACT NZ has it as policy! and Natzos have not had the guts to say that deep down that they agree.
These seats are weird though aren’t they? Electoral commission ruled that with MMP there was no longer a need, representation of Maori interests and politicians in Parliament since then illustrates that.
The initial point of these seats was amongst other things:
1) gerrymandering to ensure that Europeans wouldn’t be outnumbered in certain areas
2) to allow Maori to vote when at the time only landed people could vote as Maori at the time owned land predominately as a collective.
We have universal suffrage (currently) so why do we need a seat system that is both gerrymandering and also only relevant when land is a precursor to voting rights and a certain group holds land collectively? Most Maori don’t hold land collectively now, nor is being landed relevant to voting rights…
I feel this may be made out to be more than it is and I think that there has been previous election years where Maori MP’s in the Labour Party have left and joined the Maori Party. It isn’t that unusual.
Daniel Lang Not unusual, but the manner in which she did it, with no prior signalling, and with her party leader overseas, was discourteous and sneaky. But the massive He Puapua agenda was developed secretly by the Ardern government unbeknown even to her own Deputy PM, which may be where Meka learned to behave this way.
Underhand may be the current dialectic, exemplified also by the Greens who not only hate huge chunks of the populace who they want votes from, but, each other, which is easily understandable. The whole damn lot of them blatantly misrepresented the Albert Park women bashing as a celebration of love and inclusion, so expecting basic good manners may be too big an ask.
Well said.
100% Snow White
I think what is being overlooked here is the covid pandemic and the effect that it has had on most people, politicians included, and this was evidently one of the factors considered when our previous prime minister decided to resign.
You’re dreaming mate. Even the left think its a crock http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2023/05/parliament-needs-to-be-subject-to-oia.html?m=1
I am all for increased transparency in Parliament
The previous PM’s biggie covid error was smiling when she agreed that she was creating ‘ a two-tier’ society.
Snow white this country was founded on a two- tier society we saw that when our Maori soldiers came back from the war how poorly them and their whanau were treated. And now we have a multicultural society and that has been weaponised against the tangata whenua who have had no input into immigration despite being a TOW partner.
Her one fingered salute to Labour and the taxpayer stinks of bratish self indulgence and the way it was done just plain stupidity. And so disrespectful. Imagine if Phil Twyford, whose been dumped, and highly unlikely to return to the cabinet fold, defected to whoever for people of European decent only. And with the PM finding out via social media! The progressive left would be inconsolable at the sheer racism, at least.
I couldn’t care less if others of Labour’s Maori caucus joined the other race based party, Willie only uses Labour as a vehicle for his cause and when its use is suboptimal, he’ll quit it in a heartbeat. It seems to me this government have been backed into a corner by threats not dissimilar to Meka’s defection by this caucus within a caucus. To borrow Meka’s word, Labour need to be “emancipated” from them if it stands a chance of reforming as a major party some point in the future.
I think you gravely overestimate the attraction of TPM as some sort of coalition because they simply couldn’t be relied upon, nor trusted and definitely not to the advancement of this country!
Soper, one of the true degenerates of the Parliamentary Press Gallery.
A relentless and aggressive misogynist, a psychopathic love for all things tory.
My my there’s some grumpy bum people on this site, who cares if Mekas has switched alliances the world hasn’t caved in, and people need to stop making a mountain out of a molehill. And some people are showing how racist they are (because they have had it all there way for too long) when they say our millionaires will leave the country if the left block get in power this lot are acting like petulant kids when they don’t get there way.
covid is pa. It’s not so much what she’s done, many of us are beyond caring about the sociopaths in the Beehive, it’s the way in which she did it. There’s little excuse for politicians showcasing bad manners, and race doesn’t come into it at all- nobody brought up race when Muldoon behaved politically impetuously.
You might care that Meka defected if you are in her electorate and vote for her cause she was labour, not cause you wanted her as an mp
I am in her electorate, and I did vote for her (Meka), and I will split my vote this election and hopefully so will many others if they have any brains.
Only 24 comments in and the racist card is played. Can anything Maori be discussed without labeling everyone a racist? Or are Maori only allowed to comment on New Zealand constitutional matters?
PS
Their refers to people, there refers to a place. I guess it is racist to correct spelling mistakes?
Meanwhile Chippy travels to a faraway land to eat sausage with the king and later, if he brings more tax money from his brothers and sisters for weapons, turkish delight.
I didn’t realise Whaitiri was the Hawkes Bay disaster relief minister. Jesus wept, talk a out putting one’s self before community. People are going it very hard down there, she abandons them. What a disgraceful woman!
Both the Left Block and the right block are going to need a Hand brake. It’s all setting up nicely for NZ First to be King Maker – that’s what Middle NZ needs right now. Some common sense.
And she will be aware of that Nathan, but this is an MMP environment where parties need friends/alliances as your aware the reason why National didn’t get in last time as they had none and why the Māori party got ousted because they had the wrong ones (friends that is)
And she will be aware of that Nathan, but this is an MMP environment where parties need friends/alliances as your aware the reason why National didn’t get in last time as they had none and why the Māori party got ousted because they had the wrong ones (friends that is)
Once again Ada you are spot on.
Te Pati Maori, are fundamental agains deals with the nats, more probable, we need help Meka, to understand this parliaments rules and we are not out of our depth, in our culture, but the depth of parliaments rules.
Bommer, dont give the game away, thanks not printing.
Snow white this country was founded on a two- tier society we saw that when our Maori soldiers came back from the war how poorly them and their whanau were treated. And now we have a multicultural society and that has been weaponised against the tangata whenua who have had no input into immigration despite being a TOW partner.
Snow white this country was founded on a two- tier society we saw that when our Maori soldiers came back from the war how poorly them and their whanau were treated. And now we have a multicultural society and that has been weaponised against the tangata whenua who have had no input into immigration despite being a TOW partner.
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