Post by Kiwi Frontline on May 6, 2016 7:52:41 GMT 12
The Northern Advocate 6/5/16 (Also abridged in NZ Herald 6/5/16 Short & Sweet section)
STRIDENT RACISM
Nick Smith asked on Radio New Zealand: “How do we ensure that iwi are involved in the decision-making process around freshwater?” The only legitimate answer is: “We don’t.”
There is nothing in the Treaty of Waitangi or anywhere else which gives Maori tribes any right to be involved. To give tribes any involvement in the decision-making process which is not granted to others is strident racism.
GEOFF PARKER
Kamo
Wairarapa Times-Age 6/5/16
MAORI RULING TOO RUSHED
There has been an interesting reaction to my decision to vote against the proposal to have two iwi representatives appointed by committee to the Masterton District Council. There have been some who have seen it as an insult to Maori and others who have seen it as standing up for pakeha sick of what they consider to be “tokenism”.
In truth my decision was based on the fact that councillors had less than 24 hours to digest what was being proposed and I felt it made no sense to rush into a vote on such a radical change over which consultation with the wider public had been virtually nil. The democratic process deserved better than that.
It also seemed to me that with the local body elections just a few months away it would have been more prudent to spend that time consulting with the community before recommending the next course of action — if any — to the new council.
GARY CAFFELL
Masterton
Southland Times 6/5/16
PROTECTING CHILDREN
Child Youth and Family (CYF) is a racist institution and iwi should be given the right to care for children in state care, former Maori Party leader Tariana Turia says.
Dame Tariana is known for using her tongue as her taiaha and wasted no time sharing her thoughts.
Maori comprise 60 per cent of children in CYF care.
Dame Tariana believes there is an unconscious bias in CYF system. ‘‘I have to say institutional racism is rife right throughout government agencies including CYF.
‘‘The whole way in which they view certain groups of people, their attitudes against those groups of people and the way they use their power against those groups of people, is horrendous.
‘‘Here we have an organisation that has been failing for many, many years, miserably for that reason, iwi should be given statutory rights to care and protect their children where they can, by removing tamariki away from their kainga, their whakapapa, its only going to perpetuate the problem.’’
For that reason, she said, iwi should be given statutory rights to care and protect their children where they can.
Well they can’t. I see a complete and utter disconnect in her statements, the iwi had the statutory rights in the first place by the very nature of their birth into the iwi, then the iwi failed them which led them to placed in CYF care.
CYF doesn’t pick on a certain demographic, that demographic presents itself by its behaviour to CYF, a person concerned for the welfare of the children has contacted CYF. Empirical evidence for the year 2015 shows how many benefit babies there are relative to total births, (being a benefit baby means relying on apparent or care givers benefit) by the end of their birth year most will become reliant nearer to their birth date rather than their first birthday, many will go on to experience long term deprivation.
Child poverty is largely (thought not exclusively ) the result of benefit babies, the worst areas are those with the high Maori populations Gisborne and Northland, of all benefit babies 54 per cent have a Maori parent or care giver.
Almost three quarters of benefit babies are on a single parent benefit, that’s the nub of the problem, a lack of two committed parents prepared to take financial responsibility for having a child
Dealing with data rather than tainted racist emotion presented show this malaise has its roots within it own demographic.
P E-M
Hamilton
STRIDENT RACISM
Nick Smith asked on Radio New Zealand: “How do we ensure that iwi are involved in the decision-making process around freshwater?” The only legitimate answer is: “We don’t.”
There is nothing in the Treaty of Waitangi or anywhere else which gives Maori tribes any right to be involved. To give tribes any involvement in the decision-making process which is not granted to others is strident racism.
GEOFF PARKER
Kamo
Wairarapa Times-Age 6/5/16
MAORI RULING TOO RUSHED
There has been an interesting reaction to my decision to vote against the proposal to have two iwi representatives appointed by committee to the Masterton District Council. There have been some who have seen it as an insult to Maori and others who have seen it as standing up for pakeha sick of what they consider to be “tokenism”.
In truth my decision was based on the fact that councillors had less than 24 hours to digest what was being proposed and I felt it made no sense to rush into a vote on such a radical change over which consultation with the wider public had been virtually nil. The democratic process deserved better than that.
It also seemed to me that with the local body elections just a few months away it would have been more prudent to spend that time consulting with the community before recommending the next course of action — if any — to the new council.
GARY CAFFELL
Masterton
Southland Times 6/5/16
PROTECTING CHILDREN
Child Youth and Family (CYF) is a racist institution and iwi should be given the right to care for children in state care, former Maori Party leader Tariana Turia says.
Dame Tariana is known for using her tongue as her taiaha and wasted no time sharing her thoughts.
Maori comprise 60 per cent of children in CYF care.
Dame Tariana believes there is an unconscious bias in CYF system. ‘‘I have to say institutional racism is rife right throughout government agencies including CYF.
‘‘The whole way in which they view certain groups of people, their attitudes against those groups of people and the way they use their power against those groups of people, is horrendous.
‘‘Here we have an organisation that has been failing for many, many years, miserably for that reason, iwi should be given statutory rights to care and protect their children where they can, by removing tamariki away from their kainga, their whakapapa, its only going to perpetuate the problem.’’
For that reason, she said, iwi should be given statutory rights to care and protect their children where they can.
Well they can’t. I see a complete and utter disconnect in her statements, the iwi had the statutory rights in the first place by the very nature of their birth into the iwi, then the iwi failed them which led them to placed in CYF care.
CYF doesn’t pick on a certain demographic, that demographic presents itself by its behaviour to CYF, a person concerned for the welfare of the children has contacted CYF. Empirical evidence for the year 2015 shows how many benefit babies there are relative to total births, (being a benefit baby means relying on apparent or care givers benefit) by the end of their birth year most will become reliant nearer to their birth date rather than their first birthday, many will go on to experience long term deprivation.
Child poverty is largely (thought not exclusively ) the result of benefit babies, the worst areas are those with the high Maori populations Gisborne and Northland, of all benefit babies 54 per cent have a Maori parent or care giver.
Almost three quarters of benefit babies are on a single parent benefit, that’s the nub of the problem, a lack of two committed parents prepared to take financial responsibility for having a child
Dealing with data rather than tainted racist emotion presented show this malaise has its roots within it own demographic.
P E-M
Hamilton