Well said Rob Colmore from Hairini , Richard Prince, Welcome Bay and Hylton Rhodes,Tauranga. (last week's Letters )
People need to be aware of just what has gone on and still is going on between the Government and the Maori Party.
It's common knowledge that 99% of Politicians would 'sell their Grandmothers' just to stay in power.
And that's just what this and previous Governments are doing, 'selling out to the Maori Party'.
It's not enough that millions upon millions has been paid out (both directly in cash and indirectly in the way of assets) to Maori tribes over the past 20 or so years, for all types of claims and grievances, both genuine and imagined. Why then does this country have a huge imbalance of Maoris in Jail,in Gangs, sick in hospitals,and doing abysmally in education?
The most positive areas for Maori are Rugby/rugby league, performing Hakas,paddling wakas, playing guitars,growing dope or following either Pita Sharples or Hone Hawawira, in the Grievance Industry. Just watch any Crimewatch or Fisheries programme on TV and you'll see that if the Maori equation was taken out there wouldn't be a programme!
What's happened to all the money that was supposed to help improve the Maori lot? No doubt the 'Fat Cats' at the top have done very well,but what about the rank and file? Kentucky Fried chicken,McDonalds and the booze shops are no doubt doing well.
Back in 1995 the Government(Labour), put a Fiscal Cap on Treaty settlements to the tune of 1 Billion dollars. Of course Maori rejected that amount and simply asked for more on an ongoing basis. They got their wish.Just Google 'Treaty of Waitangi Settlements' on the Net and you'll see exactly how much has been paid out. To date Settlements far exceed 1 Billion when you count some of the huge State Assets given back to Maori, (Fisheries and Forests come to mind).And yet Maori are still not satisfied.
I doubt they ever will be. They now have claims pending on the water, the air and shortly it'll probably be the Sun,Moon and all the Stars! You have to understand, this IS NOT ABOUT THE $$$$$'s, it's Cultural and therefore an Indigenous right of ownership - Yea Right!!!
These radical Maoris now demanding their language be made compulsory in schools, cut rate or free shares on State asset sales,
free insulation in housing, Maori seats in both local body and National politics, the list goes on and on, are nothing more than a bunch of cunning theives who are in the process of taking the Government to the cleaners.
Maoris already get dispensations and special 'cultural sensitivity' treatment in almost all walks of life, and have done for quite some time now.I know that from first hand knowledge. BUT,all of this special treatment and huge payouts is nowhere near enough, they now want the New Zealand Constitution changed and the Treaty of Waitangi to be enshrined as a founding document! The next step will be a mandatory Maori PM, or better still Governor General, wait, we've already got him.Jerry got to where he is on merit though I would think and good on him.
As far as I'm aware though, our Constitution already takes into consideration the original Treaty's intent,(one people, one Monarch & all under one Flag).
Problem is we're not talking about the original Treaty, oh no, it's been manipulated,misinterpreted and generally hijacked over the last few yrs.There have been many sticky fingers meddling with the Treaty since 1975 when the Labour Govt introduced the Treaty of Waitangi Act. It's just been 'Open up the Coffers' and we'll give you as much as you want, for any type of claim or grievance.Just give us your vote in return.
The Treaty has become very flexible and can mean whatever Maori wish it to mean.Anyone can be a Maori, just name a tribe, get yourself a bone earring and a Tat,preferably on the face to show manor,learn the Haka,kiss with your nose and you're in mate.What a scam.
As for getting financially set-up just call a Hui, stage a march, yell and scream and intimidate Politicians and you're half way there. Then simply engage smart Lawyers,(Pakehas in the main) &(using the Taxpayer's money already paid out no doubt), and hold the Govt of the day to ransom. Maoris have become expert at 'inducing guilt'into Governments when it comes to claims and grievances.They are,and always have been an intelligent and cunning race of people.They must think Pakehas are dumb, and I have to agree, the ones who have written this stupid legislation over the past 40 odd yrs are.
All this to the huge cost of the rest of hard working New Zealanders.
I know what would happen if I went to Ireland (place of my ancestors) and put a claim in because of the way the English treated the Irish going back centuries.People with Scottish ancestory would no doubt get the same answer! F..k off!!!
I am 3rd generation Kiwi,I've served 20 yrs in the NZ Armed forces,alongside good Maori mates,& farmed for 25 yrs so I reckon I have as much a claim to this land as any Maori I know.BUT,because I'm not Maori,I don't qualify, I have to pay my way, just like the rest of us. It's not good enough that I enjoy Fish and Chips along with most Maoris I know.Is that not Racism?
I don't entirely blame Maori, I blame successive Governments who have never had the guts to draw a line in the sand, take onboard the majority of ordinary New Zealanders' opinions and submissions say enough is enough, we're all New Zealanders and we are all equal.
David LANGE may have had a silver tongue & been a good orator, stopped nuclear warships visiting etc etc, and some say not a bad PM either,but he and his Ministers sure as hell have caused major long-term damage to NZ Race Relations when they 'opened this Maori can of worms' .Of course the introduction of MMP certainly hasn't helped but nobody at the time would have thought MMP would help the cunning Radical Maori cause as it no doubt has.

Pete Kelly
Te Puna