Post by Kiwi Frontline on Dec 4, 2020 13:33:18 GMT 12
Roger Childs: DOES THE COUNTRY NEED A MAORI PARTY?
About 17% of the population calls itself Maori, but only 1.2% gave their vote to the Maori Party in this year’s election. This resulted in the Party getting two seats in the new parliament, but with more than 30 MPs having some Maori blood, does the ethnic group need a separate party to promote its interests?
Successive governments have been incredibly generous to those who call themselves Maori, for example more than 90 pieces of legislation make special mention of Maori culture and interests. Any financial announcements by the government invariably include an allocation for the tangata whenua. Before the start of lockdown in March $56 million was set aside for the group and the subsequent budget allocated $900 million to help Maori cope with Covid-19.
There is no Samoan Party, Indian Party or Irish party, so why have one for Maori? Of course it probably wouldn’t exist but for the seven separate parliamentary seats set aside for the group. This situation is in reality racist, undemocratic and in breach of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. It is racist because it discriminates against non-Maori ethnic groups who have no special rights of representation in parliament. It is undemocratic because our political system should be based on equality for all New Zealanders. And it is in breach of the UN Declaration because Article 1 states All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, and Article 21 says The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage ….....
breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/2020/12/roger-childs-does-country-need-maori.html
About 17% of the population calls itself Maori, but only 1.2% gave their vote to the Maori Party in this year’s election. This resulted in the Party getting two seats in the new parliament, but with more than 30 MPs having some Maori blood, does the ethnic group need a separate party to promote its interests?
Successive governments have been incredibly generous to those who call themselves Maori, for example more than 90 pieces of legislation make special mention of Maori culture and interests. Any financial announcements by the government invariably include an allocation for the tangata whenua. Before the start of lockdown in March $56 million was set aside for the group and the subsequent budget allocated $900 million to help Maori cope with Covid-19.
There is no Samoan Party, Indian Party or Irish party, so why have one for Maori? Of course it probably wouldn’t exist but for the seven separate parliamentary seats set aside for the group. This situation is in reality racist, undemocratic and in breach of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights. It is racist because it discriminates against non-Maori ethnic groups who have no special rights of representation in parliament. It is undemocratic because our political system should be based on equality for all New Zealanders. And it is in breach of the UN Declaration because Article 1 states All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights, and Article 21 says The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage ….....
breakingviewsnz.blogspot.com/2020/12/roger-childs-does-country-need-maori.html