Post by Kiwi Frontline on Oct 14, 2016 5:06:53 GMT 12
Northern Advocate 14/10/16
MAORI VOTING
Comments by Kelvin Davis that the low number of Maori people elected to Northland councils is a problem that can be solved by more Maori people voting, is a sad commentary on how he views voters.
Mr Davis assumes that if more Maori people had voted more Maori candidates would have won, but that assumption is based on the belief that Maori vote for Maori. It is quite possible that a lot of Maori people voted for non-Maori candidates because they thought they would represent them better.
Council representatives should be there to represent all Northlanders, not just those who are of the same race or sex or age as them. Representation is not about identity. It is just as wrong to assume that a man cannot be represented by a woman or that a woman automatically represents all women, as it is to assume that only a Maori person can represent Maori people in a council.
A good council representative knows their community and should be able to represent it, whatever their gender or race.
Identity politics is a way of thinking with ancient roots in mankind's tribal history. It is an ugly mindset that lies behind such obscenities as collective punishment, clan feuding and apartheid. The idea that a particular race is special and needs special representation is offensive and outdated. Civilised modern societies have moved on from it. Kelvin Davis should too.
R G
Whangarei
Taranaki Daily News 14/10/16
MISTAKEN ON STATS
Your editorial about Don Brash's "Hobson pledge" is very topical. However the writer was mistaken when he says "Find any statistic about..... education and Maori languish at the bottom".
In fact, before the 1970s Maori education was given special treatment with extra staffing, extra capitation money, and effuse of materials and equipment direct from the Education Department.
Great efforts to give Maori communities superior education to enable them to be equal in all respects.
J M
New Plymouth
Wanganui Chronicle 14/10/16
PLACE NAMES
If your readers travel north along the bank of your river, they will see signs "Atene", "Koriniti", "Ranana" and "Hiruharama". This is outrageous. Since two of them are Greek and one Hebrew, they are not even in the right alphabet —while the other one should be "London".
It is all much more serious than leaving a dubious "H" out of the name of your fair city and gross default on the part of the NZ Geographic Board for failing to rule that the correct names must be adopted.
BRUCE MOON
Nelson
■ Editor's note: To be fair, the Maori names Atene, Koriniti and Hiruharama are adapted phonetically from the English language versions — Athens, Corinth and Jerusalem — rather than the original language versions (which sound more like Athina, Korinthos and Yerushalayim). Perhaps we should start by correcting the English versions to avoid offending speakers of the Greek and Hebrew reo.
Nelson Mail 13/10/16
BRASH DEFENCE
Fair-minded and informed readers will recognise that Rosemary McLeod’s lengthy rebuff of Don Brash and Colin Craig (Nelson Mail, October is nasty and inaccurate.
The Treaty of Waitangi was a straightforward document written by an ‘‘upright and plain-dealing’’ naval officer.
In essence it said that the chiefs agreed to cede sovereignty to the Queen and all Maori became fully entitled British subjects. What a boon for Maori slaves.
The ‘‘historians [who] have found it to be infinitely more complicated’’ are deluded.
Hongi Hika brought the biggest batch of weapons to New Zealand, not ‘‘us’’. Then he commenced slaughter and cannibalism on a massive scale on less fortunate Maori.
McLeod’s ‘‘settler landgrabbing’’ was actually eager selling by many chiefs who freely sold the South Island and much of the North Island before 1840 and did it all again afterwards.
So, yes, the European or British way is best – it is called democracy. Brash defends it for us.
BRUCE MOON
Nelson
Otago Daily Times 13/10/16
MINISTER REPLIES TO CRITICISM OF HIS ROLE IN BILL
EXACTLY when the programme to undermine democracy in New Zealand was first spawned is unclear. However, in recent years, the Attorney-general and Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Christopher Finlayson, has (wittingly or unwittingly) been an important instrument in its spectacular progress.
Mr Finlayson's hand in the Taranaki Tribes Settlement Bill is obvious. It's right there in the clause which hands political power over to the tribes by giving them six decision-making roles on the local authority, purely on the basis of their race — and without public voting.
If Mr Finlayson thinks that it is democratically acceptable to arbitrarily impose racially-selected appointments, then he believes in racial discrimination (which is both undemocratic and illegal) and furthermore, he either misunderstands democracy or disagrees with it.
Any of these cases disqualifies him from any kind of political position in a (supposed) democracy. He should resign immediately and seek some other line of work. McDonald's springs to mind.
C R
Northeast Valley
* [Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Christopher Finlayson replies: "I want to set out the correct position about iwi involvement in Taranaki local government.
Treaty settlement legislation provides for iwi representation on two standing committees of the Taranaki Regional Council, not on the council itself which retains ultimate decision-making power. The iwi of Taranaki and the Taranaki Regional Council have worked together to develop a robust framework for iwi representation on the policy and planning committee and the regulatory and consents committee. Iwi will be able to contribute to decisions about their region through these arrangements.
This benefits both regional council decision-making and the people of Taranaki. Input of key stakeholders into council decision-making is not a new concept. The policy and planning committee, for example, already has an external appointment from Federated Farmers.")
MAORI VOTING
Comments by Kelvin Davis that the low number of Maori people elected to Northland councils is a problem that can be solved by more Maori people voting, is a sad commentary on how he views voters.
Mr Davis assumes that if more Maori people had voted more Maori candidates would have won, but that assumption is based on the belief that Maori vote for Maori. It is quite possible that a lot of Maori people voted for non-Maori candidates because they thought they would represent them better.
Council representatives should be there to represent all Northlanders, not just those who are of the same race or sex or age as them. Representation is not about identity. It is just as wrong to assume that a man cannot be represented by a woman or that a woman automatically represents all women, as it is to assume that only a Maori person can represent Maori people in a council.
A good council representative knows their community and should be able to represent it, whatever their gender or race.
Identity politics is a way of thinking with ancient roots in mankind's tribal history. It is an ugly mindset that lies behind such obscenities as collective punishment, clan feuding and apartheid. The idea that a particular race is special and needs special representation is offensive and outdated. Civilised modern societies have moved on from it. Kelvin Davis should too.
R G
Whangarei
Taranaki Daily News 14/10/16
MISTAKEN ON STATS
Your editorial about Don Brash's "Hobson pledge" is very topical. However the writer was mistaken when he says "Find any statistic about..... education and Maori languish at the bottom".
In fact, before the 1970s Maori education was given special treatment with extra staffing, extra capitation money, and effuse of materials and equipment direct from the Education Department.
Great efforts to give Maori communities superior education to enable them to be equal in all respects.
J M
New Plymouth
Wanganui Chronicle 14/10/16
PLACE NAMES
If your readers travel north along the bank of your river, they will see signs "Atene", "Koriniti", "Ranana" and "Hiruharama". This is outrageous. Since two of them are Greek and one Hebrew, they are not even in the right alphabet —while the other one should be "London".
It is all much more serious than leaving a dubious "H" out of the name of your fair city and gross default on the part of the NZ Geographic Board for failing to rule that the correct names must be adopted.
BRUCE MOON
Nelson
■ Editor's note: To be fair, the Maori names Atene, Koriniti and Hiruharama are adapted phonetically from the English language versions — Athens, Corinth and Jerusalem — rather than the original language versions (which sound more like Athina, Korinthos and Yerushalayim). Perhaps we should start by correcting the English versions to avoid offending speakers of the Greek and Hebrew reo.
Nelson Mail 13/10/16
BRASH DEFENCE
Fair-minded and informed readers will recognise that Rosemary McLeod’s lengthy rebuff of Don Brash and Colin Craig (Nelson Mail, October is nasty and inaccurate.
The Treaty of Waitangi was a straightforward document written by an ‘‘upright and plain-dealing’’ naval officer.
In essence it said that the chiefs agreed to cede sovereignty to the Queen and all Maori became fully entitled British subjects. What a boon for Maori slaves.
The ‘‘historians [who] have found it to be infinitely more complicated’’ are deluded.
Hongi Hika brought the biggest batch of weapons to New Zealand, not ‘‘us’’. Then he commenced slaughter and cannibalism on a massive scale on less fortunate Maori.
McLeod’s ‘‘settler landgrabbing’’ was actually eager selling by many chiefs who freely sold the South Island and much of the North Island before 1840 and did it all again afterwards.
So, yes, the European or British way is best – it is called democracy. Brash defends it for us.
BRUCE MOON
Nelson
Otago Daily Times 13/10/16
MINISTER REPLIES TO CRITICISM OF HIS ROLE IN BILL
EXACTLY when the programme to undermine democracy in New Zealand was first spawned is unclear. However, in recent years, the Attorney-general and Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Christopher Finlayson, has (wittingly or unwittingly) been an important instrument in its spectacular progress.
Mr Finlayson's hand in the Taranaki Tribes Settlement Bill is obvious. It's right there in the clause which hands political power over to the tribes by giving them six decision-making roles on the local authority, purely on the basis of their race — and without public voting.
If Mr Finlayson thinks that it is democratically acceptable to arbitrarily impose racially-selected appointments, then he believes in racial discrimination (which is both undemocratic and illegal) and furthermore, he either misunderstands democracy or disagrees with it.
Any of these cases disqualifies him from any kind of political position in a (supposed) democracy. He should resign immediately and seek some other line of work. McDonald's springs to mind.
C R
Northeast Valley
* [Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Christopher Finlayson replies: "I want to set out the correct position about iwi involvement in Taranaki local government.
Treaty settlement legislation provides for iwi representation on two standing committees of the Taranaki Regional Council, not on the council itself which retains ultimate decision-making power. The iwi of Taranaki and the Taranaki Regional Council have worked together to develop a robust framework for iwi representation on the policy and planning committee and the regulatory and consents committee. Iwi will be able to contribute to decisions about their region through these arrangements.
This benefits both regional council decision-making and the people of Taranaki. Input of key stakeholders into council decision-making is not a new concept. The policy and planning committee, for example, already has an external appointment from Federated Farmers.")