May 5, 2011

Key insults Te Whanau a Apanui

The Prime Minister has meet with representatives from Te Whanau a Apanui and Ngati Porou. From Waatea News:

Ngati Porou and Te Whanau a Apanui representatives met Prime Minister John Key today in what Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples is hailing as an example of what can be done by being in government.

Waiariki MP Te Ururoa Flavell arranged the meeting so the iwi could express their concerns over oil prospecting off the East Coast by Brazilian company Petrobras.

Well, this sounds promising, but consider this from Stuff.co.nz:

A meeting with concerned East Coast iwi this afternoon will not change the Government's stance on coastal oil exploration in the area, Prime Minister John Key says.

So the Prime Minister will not budge. If so, what is the point of the meeting? The Prime Minister’s position renders the meeting pointless. The meeting is not even symbolic when the main actor comes out and utterly disregards the possibility of progress.

Pita Sharples has hailed the meeting as an example of what can be achieved in government. However, nothing has been achieved. The Prime Minister has brushed iwi aside before they even walked in the door. The meeting is, at best, empty symbolism. A real achievement would be to influence the government’s position on the issue. Ultimately, the Maori Party appear determined to justify the criticism that they are merely making symbolic gains as opposed to substantive gains.

The Maori Party is in government to manipulate policy and pressure the government on Maori issues. The Maori Party is not in government to organise token gestures.   

To be fair, the Maori Party cannot influence what John Key says and kudos must go to Te Ururoa for organising the meeting (even though it is a farce). In reality no amount of discussion will deter the National Party; oil drilling is a Tory’s wet dream. Only a leftwing government will stop oil exploration and prevent oil drilling.     

4 comments:

  1. Perhaps the point of the meeting was courtesy and to show respect.
    I am glad he wont budge. The minerals belong to all NZers.
    A left wing govt is a disaster for all Maori.All they do is create a culture of dependence and that is what is holding us back.And I am Nga Puhi btw.
    Your use of the word "tory" shows your real agenda and I suspect you are just another trying to use Maori issues to advance your own agenda. Just like what we have had to put up with ever since the white man arrived.

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  2. I wholeheartedly agree with what you are saying Morgan, Anon this dependence you are talking about has switched from social welfare to corporate welfare. The right have a problem with a bi-election @ the cost of half a million but have no problem propping up a failed finance company @ 1.7 billion dollars. Our royalties for mineral mining are the lowest in the world, this country wont be accumulating the wealth. Thats left for the corporations like Petrobas but we get to clean up the mess if it all goes bad.

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  3. @ Anonymous - How is paying empty lip service showing respect? This is about the sum total of how John Key and the Nats engage with Maori - Hollow rhetoric. Fix up.

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