WAATEA NEWS COLUMN: The new Foreshore and Seabed confiscation highlights how wrong Hobson’s Pledge advert was
In light of newly revealed comments that the National Government intends to limit Maori Customary Rights to a mere 5% of the coastline, the allegations made in the Hobson’s Pledge NZ Herald advert are more farcical and more disingenuous than ever.
The Hobson’s Pledge advert debate was not an argument over free speech, it was an argument over paid speech.
Hobson’s Pledge attempted to create a false narrative that amounted to ‘The Māoris are stealing the beaches’, when the Government is actually moving in the exact opposite direction by making the thresholds of Customary Right so unattainable that it only applies to 5% of the coastline!
Comments by Minister Goldsmith came to light as he assured corporate interests that his Government would cut back customary Māori rights to ensure those Seafood Interest profit margins are plump.
Let’s put aside for one moment the outrage that we should collectively feel that 2 Ministers of the Crown (Goldsmith and Shane Jones) are openly conspiring with Corporate Interests to undermine indigenous rights, and let’s focus instead on how Hobson’s Pledge was attempting to frame this as sovereignty under attack from Māori when it is the Crown doing all the attacking!
You can’t just buy media space to promote a falsehood and The NZ Herald, after a deluge of criticism, has stopped accepting adverts from Hobson’s Pledge, but the damage is already done.
Once again the white narrative is angry Māoris using special privilege to steal land when the exact opposite is true, White Privilege is angrily stealing the land and blaming Māori for not handing the theft over fast enough!
The double standard racism that is being applied to Māori aspiration is gasp inducing as are the fascist tactics being deployed to ensure the powerful interests of those making money trump human rights.
A Treaty needs to be honoured, not settled and there is no honour in what Goldsmith and Jones are promising the Seafood Industry.
Out of idle curiosity, how much money does the seafood/fishing industry pour into the open sewer that is New Zealand party politics?
Talley bros pour in a fair bit I would think ,their hobby is screwing others to fill their own pockets
Another example of another corrupt minister in this government .What an arsehole the four eyed ferrett is .
Shane Jones has been paid off. End of story.
What do expect from Hobson’s Wedge when you have the likes of filthy Costello in the ranks.
the dumb recreational fishermen will be the big losers here because the sea bed will lose its most vocal protectors .The rec fishers are another national party support group who were only too happy to jump on the anti Maori band wagon because they thought they were going to roll up all the beaches and take them away .What they dont realise is the only private beaches in NZ are owned by rich white pricks who think because they paid a few million for a water front house they should own the beach as well .Very soon the beaches will disappear under water or will be mined into oblivion.Fish stocks will be raped and pillaged for export and rec fishing will be banned .
We need 100% of the foreshore and seabed to be in customary title. Not just potentially in customary title, but actually in customary title. That is because under the colonialist regime only customary title can protect the resource and make it available to meet the needs of our own peoples, rather than being exploited for the benefit of foreigners. Failing that, the regime must go.