Embarrassing

Time For All Good Men To Come to the Aid of the Party

Sadly once again Maori have been tarred with ignominy, shame, and a loss of mana.  The few have shamed the entire race.  Waitangi Day is supposed to be a holiday celebrating the beginning of the New Zealand nation.  Traditionally, Waitangi plays host to the Prime Minister and a bevy of politicians.  In recent years it has become the pretext for airing of Maori grievances--of which there appear to be no end.

Waitangi and the Treaty Grounds fall within the tribal area of Ngapuhi tribe.  It has traditionally played the role of host for guests and visitors to the Treaty Grounds on Waitangi day.  Ngapuhi is a deeply divided group, bedevilled with internecine bickering and animosity.  At present it appears that the extremists and the radicals are in charge.

One blogger wrote, urging Key not to attend:

John, don't go to the Ti Ti (sic) Marae at Waitangi.    The lunatics have taken control of the asylum.   The debate in Maoridom over the TPPA has become irrational egged on by the lies pedaled by opponents of the agreement.   I doubt whether anyone at Ti Ti has bothered to do the hard yards and read the agreement.   If they had then the sort of canard being pedaled around the unwashed that the agreement could see Maori prisoners sent off-shore to serve their time in US and Aust prisons would be seen for what it is ... loony tunes stuff.

What has happened on the Marae is mirrored in the discord among Ngapuhi as to who has the mandate to negotiate their treaty claim(s) and you can see why. Their leadership has been highjacked by the likes of Kingi Tauroa, Sonny Tau, Hone Harawira, Margaret Mutu and the Popata brothers.   And so it is with the TPPA debate ... rationality has gone out the window.
   In their world there is no place for informed and peaceful discussion.   It's time for action and if action means forceful action then sobeit.   Ngapuhi have never been shrinking violets when it comes to violence.

More moderate leaders like Rude Taylor and Rahiri Dargaville have been sidelined.   Their mana counts for very little.   The radical element is in charge and, with tensions high and escalating, there is the potential for real violence and people could get hurt.  The PM does not need to put himself or his people at risk.   He is not dealing with rational people.   Better he leaves Ti Ti to the lunatics.    They are what they are and KDS rules supreme.  Nothing he can say or do will cause them to change their minds.

In fact, shortly after this piece was written the PM's office announced that this year the Prime Minister, John Key had decided that he would not attend Waitangi Day celebrations at Waitangi, but would likely visit celebrations and memorial activities elsewhere in the country.  It was a decision which increases his mana and public image.  It will be regarded by many throughout the country--including many Maori we believe--as a principled stand.

It is ironic that Maori stand to benefit hugely from the great fillip  in trade that will undoubtedly flow from the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement ("TPPA"), just signed in Auckland.  Tribal ownership of businesses has increased remarkably over the past thirty years: many of Maori businesses are agriculturally orientated and export increasing amounts of product to Asia.  TPPA will provide enormous benefits to Maori business in particular.  Yet Maori radicals, festooned with an invincible and profound ignorance, have decided that it is going to threaten Maori interests.  They have brought shame and embarrassment to many Maori.

The only way for Maori in general to prevent a loss of mana is to support publicly John Key's decision to boycott Ngapuhi, to speak out against the ignorance of those opposing TPPA, and to expose the folly of the Maori radicals for nursing manufactured, ignorant grievances.