Post by Kiwi Frontline on May 31, 2016 18:23:07 GMT 12
DEMOCRACY AND TRIBALISM (NZCPR archives 17/11/13)
What is fascinating is that progressive discussion in Africa is advocating moving towards parliamentarianism while in New Zealand we, or a significant number of the politically influential, are seemingly unaware of the jewel that we have in our own parliamentary system, one established as early as 1852 and developed progressively since then. In that innocence, they are unaware of the threat to that system.
From the 1980s, the rather benign idea of recognising Maori culture in the wider society became a political biculturalism that has enabled a small but extremely influential group of retribalists to capture the moral high ground of social justice advocacy – but in their own interests.
(It shouldn’t be forgotten that the numbers of Maori in poverty has actually grown during the bicultural decades.)
On the way to elite status with its associated political power and economic wealth, the retribalists have successfully manipulated the rather naïve belief that social justice comes from cultural recognition – a belief which got support for biculturalism in the first place.
Biculturalism has a new political meaning but its ongoing support lies in the old cultural one. It now means that two so-called ‘ethnic’ groups have different political interests which should be recognised institutionally. This institutional recognition – beginning in education and health, began a veritable march into the heart of government. The re-interpretation of the treaty as a so-called ‘partnership’ is providing the mandate for the march into the institutions to become a march into the constitution. We see this in recent months with the assumption that ‘co-governance’ is the natural next step. The inclusion of Maori representatives on the Auckland City Council is based on this unquestioned assumption.
But what is the nature of the group that will be ‘co-governor’? What are the implications for New Zealand’s parliamentary democracy?….
Read Professor Elizabeth Rata's informative article > www.nzcpr.com/democracy-and-tribalism/
What is fascinating is that progressive discussion in Africa is advocating moving towards parliamentarianism while in New Zealand we, or a significant number of the politically influential, are seemingly unaware of the jewel that we have in our own parliamentary system, one established as early as 1852 and developed progressively since then. In that innocence, they are unaware of the threat to that system.
From the 1980s, the rather benign idea of recognising Maori culture in the wider society became a political biculturalism that has enabled a small but extremely influential group of retribalists to capture the moral high ground of social justice advocacy – but in their own interests.
(It shouldn’t be forgotten that the numbers of Maori in poverty has actually grown during the bicultural decades.)
On the way to elite status with its associated political power and economic wealth, the retribalists have successfully manipulated the rather naïve belief that social justice comes from cultural recognition – a belief which got support for biculturalism in the first place.
Biculturalism has a new political meaning but its ongoing support lies in the old cultural one. It now means that two so-called ‘ethnic’ groups have different political interests which should be recognised institutionally. This institutional recognition – beginning in education and health, began a veritable march into the heart of government. The re-interpretation of the treaty as a so-called ‘partnership’ is providing the mandate for the march into the institutions to become a march into the constitution. We see this in recent months with the assumption that ‘co-governance’ is the natural next step. The inclusion of Maori representatives on the Auckland City Council is based on this unquestioned assumption.
But what is the nature of the group that will be ‘co-governor’? What are the implications for New Zealand’s parliamentary democracy?….
Read Professor Elizabeth Rata's informative article > www.nzcpr.com/democracy-and-tribalism/