Maori wards ‘positive move’

The recent letters on the subject of Maori local body representation are deeply concerning. R Prince (The Weekend Sun, December 15) uses a lengthy quotation from a Dr Brian McDonnell to reinforce his argument. What Mr Prince failed to do was repeat the full text, which includes the Dr's reference 'Maori people have been marginalised in the past, and there are specific wrongs to be righted". Political marginalisation is one of those wrongs.

N Mayo similarly fails to justify his position. Relying instead on erroneous terminology such as apartheid and separatism, terms used by local representatives M Lally and M Murray-Benge, in a completely non-contextual way, in order to inflame passions. Surely we are better than this.

On a personal level I support a Maori ward. Not because it gives any advantage, but because it helps to reinstate justice. It takes nothing away from non-Maori, rather it adds different perspective and includes our co-founders in a meaningful way. N Mayo sees that as tokenism: he is right, but it's not the negative tokenism he implies, it is a positive move that will improve all outcomes for Maori and by extension all of us.

R Bell, Omanawa.

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7 comments

Maori wards ‘positive move’

Posted on 22-12-2017 19:37 | By crazyhorse

For who?, not maori, if the average maori person wanted this they would have been asked, the "special people" would have gone to the maori population of the Bay and asked for a mandate, did they?.self explanatory actually.


R. Bell's MO

Posted on 23-12-2017 15:45 | By Captain Sensible

That is R. Bell's MO.....denying maori privilege exists.....and then, in his next breath, trying to justify it!!!! Hilarious!


@ crazyhorse @ Captain

Posted on 01-01-2018 18:07 | By waxing

Do you know the provisions of the Local Government Act and please explain how you "know" that Maori weren't consulted? And how about responding unemotionally to the points R Bell makes in his last paragraph as to why he supports Maori wards?


Local Government Act

Posted on 03-01-2018 19:03 | By crazyhorse

The Local Government Act "telling" us that unelected maori will be put on council could be overturned just as quickly as it was introduced, it's only an act put in by lefty racists, another "act" pushed into law by a small minority of people who are pushing their own agenda or just plain f#####g stupid.


LOL!!!!

Posted on 03-01-2018 19:11 | By crazyhorse

Waxo, how about answering the question I asked, why didn't the people involved actually go to "their people" ask them what ""they"" wanted, did they want separatist seats on council?, the sorriest part of all of this is the last thing the treaty troughers want is well educated happy maori, why?, easy, no koha in a happy maori if your a trougher, a parasite on the taxpayers of NZ, remember grievance industry, not grievance process!..


Not special

Posted on 04-01-2018 13:10 | By Captain Sensible

White South Africa had laws giving preferential treatment one race, but just because it was law does not mean it was ok. Now, maori have laws giving them preferential privileges but the same still applies .....it is still NOT OK! So stop hiding behind racist laws and be responsible for your own lives...like the rest of us. None of us are any more special than the next part-race. Maori are NOT special...the sooner you accept that, the better.


@ Captain

Posted on 05-01-2018 14:04 | By waxing

Seems you're frustrated and angry that people don't support you either. Perhaps because you still haven't read the Preamble to the Treaty which says: " ....(Queen Victoria)... regarding with Her Royal favour the Native Chiefs and Tribes of New Zealand and anxious to protect their just Rights and Property...". The subsequent racist actions were taken by the settlers' government conspiring to steal Maori land and deny Maori their rights. All this despite Queen Victoria's written instruction to Grey saying "you will honourably and scrupulously uphold the Treaty of Waitangi". So time you learnt your history properly without letting your own biases interfere. Maori are special. They are tangita whenua and the Treaty gave them special rights and protections so that New Zealand came under the British Crown as opposed to 5 other countries' competing for New Zealand to be theirs.


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