Nanaia Mahuta's racist mentality regarding Maori wards is seriously disturbing.
To declare Maori ward seats fulfill a Treaty obligation is farcical deception.
Under Mahuta's decree I would be eligible to stand for a Maori ward seat or a general ward seat. Through descendancy rather than ability I am immediately advantaged.
Success would be probable given my prominent Maori heritage which I could milk to sway the voter, paired with an impressive whakapapa. I could cheat my way to success over pakeha on both counts.
This country needs a serious mentality shift. Maori are dealt a disservice with every hand out and leg-up.
Dame Whina Cooper strongly opposed separatism. She advocated unity, marriage and a respect between races. Upon her passing, Maori radicals peddled their separatism dogma and some misguided pakeha of power and influence jumped on the same waka compounding the problem.
I want people to focus on my individual attributes, not my skin colour. I refuse to tick a racist box when "New Zealander" is unifying and sufficient.
Of proud Maori descent, to call me racist is tiresome and rhetorical.
Maori don't need another hand-out of leg-up. We need a linking of arms on an equal basis.
Lana Te Wiata Wright, Ohauiti
7 comments
Thank you very much.
Posted on 05-02-2021 06:58 | By crazyhorse
Lana Te Wiata, I thank you with all my heart for writing that letter for all to read, what a wonderful place New Zealand Aotearoa would be if all thought like this, equality for all, but, self-responsibility and accept the fact we all have equal opportunities but that does not all ways equate to an equal outcome, separatism is divisive in any form and it grows by the day under this Labour Gov't!
A balance
Posted on 05-02-2021 09:23 | By KiwiDerek
Thank you for sharing your views on this. I think though it is possible to disagree. I can't help but wonder about this part of what you say: "Under Mahuta's decree I would be eligible to stand for a Maori ward seat or a general ward seat. Through descendancy rather than ability I am immediately advantaged. Success would be probable given my prominent Maori heritage which I could milk to sway the voter, paired with an impressive whakapapa." Isn't the whole problem the fact that whatever your heritage or whakapapa you would be unlikely to be elected in a general ward because the entire history of local government shows that pakeha-majority voters (which is voters nearly everywhere) will not vote to elect you.
It is important........
Posted on 05-02-2021 20:43 | By groutby
..to realise that most do not share separatist views at all in regard to Maori Wards and seats, but, decided on genuine ability be rewarded with such authority, whatever race, colour or creed. Lana, thank you or being one of so many who do not necessarily share views of some who have a 'the world owes me' mentality.....we all should contribute and form a great country without racial concerns. Now is the time to ge it right, but I don't think we have the knowledge of b***s to realise it.............
More balance
Posted on 06-02-2021 07:22 | By crazyhorse
Maori have got into councils all around NZ on merit, Ron Marks and Georgina Beyer in Carterton, the problem you have is, do Maori want separatist seats at the council table and once again, look at the caliber of the candidates lining for the job, and, might I say any other job, where there is a free meal, have you ever thought that Maori in Tauranga don't vote for these the Maori who stand for council because the actually don'tlike/want them?
Exactly
Posted on 06-02-2021 13:59 | By Astoreth
I have long thought that every leg-up, hand-out or general recognition that any sector of society is different to the rest is the basic driver of racism. Lana - as far as I can see, you couldn't be more correct; this country needs a major wake up alright. Starting at the top.
Lana is ignoring injustice
Posted on 06-02-2021 15:14 | By Peter Dey
Maori had $30 billion of land wrongfully taken by the government, and have had $3 billion paid in return. It took until 1975, 135 years after the Treaty, and as a result of other nations pointing out that we were a racist country, for the government to finally admit to the theft of Maori land and start making redress. For that 135 years Maori were continually discriminated against by Pakeha dominated governments. What Ms Wright describes as handouts for Maori are actually a pittance compared to the $30 billion of land stolen. The reason the government does not pay fair compensation including compensation for loss of Maori earnings is because the government knows that Pakeha voters would vote them out at the next election. Is that massive Pakeha racism? Justice for Maori needs fair representation. Anybody opposed to fair Maori representation is opposed to justice for Maori.
Lana,
Posted on 06-02-2021 15:41 | By R. Bell
there is something strange about your letter. First you claim Nanaia Mahuta is racist, then you claim such words are tiresome and rhetorical, when applied to you. Then you claim to have the ability to stand for either a Maori seat or a general seat, but the fact is you can't do both. More factual is that to sit for a Maori ward seat you have to be part of the Maori constituency, which you clearly are not. There is no "advantage" as you claim, in fact a Maori ward in Tauranga simply brings one representative to the table. That is one out of a dozen or more. Separatism does not apply, we already have all of the aspirations you claim Dame Whina stood for, with one exception, equality in representation, which you fail to mention. Believe me she would be a happy lady today.
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