To overhang or not to overhang, that’s the question
National has a snowball’s chance in hell of creating an overhang for its nefarious need to lead Coalition Mark II.
Politics
Maori seats
The Tamaki Makaurau by election
With a very small turnout and half of the votes counted it appears that Orini Kaipara will win the Tamaki Makaurau by election.
Update: Peeni Henare has conceded.
Privileges Committee recommendations are partisan, indefensible and racist
The Privileges Committee recommendation for suspension of three Maori Party MPs for performing a haka in Parliament has been described as appearing to be partisan, indefensible and open to attacks of racism. Parliament’s response tomorrow will show how political the issue has become.
Local Councils Defy Central Government Agenda
94% of councils that have voted vote to retain Maori wards. Many of them are National background Councillors and previously urged Central Government to not push ahead with the legislation. The forced local referendums are now expected to cost ratepayers and take away from Council workloads
King Luxon Isn’t Wearing Any Clothes
While Luxon and Brown hand it to the Councils, a grassroots campaign is taking effect and the power is with the people. Warning: article contains satire.
What does the Government have against Māori wards?
The Government is moving with urgency to reverse Labour’s repeal of referenda for Māori wards on local councils.
The Government thinks that Local Government should determine what works best for them*
* unless they want to set up Maori wards.
Ratana and The Treaty of Waitangi
“My understanding is a guy came out as a prophet of his own religious movement in the 1870s. And politicians feel a strange obligation to be there every year. I’ve never felt that.” David Seymour is shallow as a birdbath.
The Left Do Not Own Maori
Labour, the Greens and liberal parts of the media have not adjusted to the fact that liberal and Maori are different things.
What happened in the Maori seats
The final results in the Māori electorates clearly indicate that there was a great deal of strategic voting taking place.
What Do The Maori Party Want Anyway?
Since they’re touted as 2023’s electoral ‘Kingmakers’, it’s time to understand what the Maori Party really want.
Meka Whaitiri is moving to the Maori Party
Meka Whaitiri has quit Labour and confirmed that she will stand for the Maori Party in this year’s election. She intends to stay on as an MP and sit with the Maori Party.
Luxon blunders again
Chris Luxon has provided another example of his ineptness by suggesting in an MMP environment that a vote in a Maori Seat is worth more than a vote in an European seat.
The right bring out the big guns
This is day five of the post Ruthenasia era and the response from the right is really underwhelming. The most notable response is a comment by Peter Dunne questioning whether 11 year olds are ever interested in politics.
The Māori Party and the National Party
There were dramatic scenes in Parliament yesterday. Judith Collins chose to again attack Jacinda Ardern about the He Puapua report. And Māori Party Co leader Rawiri Waititi expressed his disgust at her race baiting in a uniquely New Zealand way.
Amandla …
David Seymour and Act have likened the institutional suppression of people based on the colour of their skin with a desire to ensure local government representation for Tangata Whenua.
Ending discrimination against Māori wards
The Government has introduced under urgency a bill that will change current law that allows for discriminatory attacks on the creation of Māori Wards.
Stuff apologises for decades of racist reporting
In a headline I thought I would never read this morning Stuff has apologised for decades of racist reporting, and has in its own words “grappled with the truth that our journalism has often unfairly portrayed Maori, ranging from racist to blinkered”.
Kelvin for DPM
Some thoughts on who the country’s Deputy Prime Minister should be.
2020 election campaign – 6 days to go
With six days to go to election day the campaigns have reached interesting stages although the underlying trends and events appear to be good for the left.
No mates Simon
The repercussions from Simon Bridges’ disastrous Waitangi performance continue to reverberate. His suggestions that Māori seats and the Waitangi Tribunal should be done away with have resulted in the Māori Party indicating it is more likely to support Labour after the election.
MMP Mark II*
What beats MMP? Open-list proportional representation with a low threshold would be a good option.
One obstacle to NZF + Labour removed
A significant and positive development late yesterday. Labour held firm on the Māori seats, and Peters has decided that a referendum is probably not a bottom line after all. This early progress bodes well for future negotiations.
Winston back flips on his abolish Maori seats bottom line
In the space of two days Winston has announced that a referendum on Maori seats would be a bottom line for a coalition but then it should be up to Maori if a change should occur. Update – make that a double backflip …
Why Labour’s Maori MPs opted out of the list
In a facebook post Meka Whaitiri has explained why Labour’s Maori Electorate MPs decided not to stand for list placements.
Greens launch nationwide Māori Caucus tour
The Green Party’s Māori Caucus is on a national outreach tour to engage with Māori communities, starting in Northland today.
Mana Māori truce didn’t last long
“A poisonous and destructive cancer” – that’s not something you say to your allies.
Labour’s Māori electorate MPs will not be on the list
In breaking news, Labour’s Māori electorate MPs to stand as electorate candidates only (not on the list).
White Man Behind a Desk – Indigenous Rights
We no longer need the Waitangi Tribunal because everything’s fine now. Right?
English on the Māori seats
Someone should ask English whether he still believes the opinions stated in the press release, and if not, why not?
Kaupapa Pākehā
What if we based our politics on relationships not power?
He Kawenata ki Waenga i Te Roopu MANA me Te Paati Māori
The agreement between the Mana Movement and the Māori Party.
The Greens in Te Tai Tokerau
Te Tai Tokerau looks to be a hotly contested seat in the 2017 general election, and the Greens are entering the fray there for the first time, with new candidate Godfrey Rudolph.
Māori politics – “don’t believe the hype”
Totally unexpected in an election year, but Te Ururoa Flavell is making a play for the Māori seats. Morgan Godfery has some thoughts on the hype.
He isn’t a racist because his ex wife is from Singapore
Don Brash and a group of other predominately privileged white males are complaining that Maori may also be receiving some privilege.