tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687643215117543088.post6258225870617675531..comments2023-12-21T23:44:40.324+13:00Comments on Maui Street: The Green Party and MāoriMorgan Godferyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16151402259122819244noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687643215117543088.post-54214470685948326472013-08-24T10:05:59.201+12:002013-08-24T10:05:59.201+12:00Kia ora Jack,
I hear what you're saying and ...Kia ora Jack, <br /><br />I hear what you're saying and I don't doubt Green sincerity towards kaupapa Maori. <br /><br />In my view it's about voter perception. <br /><br />I know I harped on earlier about Maori conservatism in the electorate. <br /><br />While I think there's truth to that, the real point I wanted to make was the lack of development of Maori liberalism.<br /><br />I think the high amount of non-participation of Maori in elections plays a big role.<br /><br />A lot of those non-participants are young people who can't be bothered registering or voting.<br /><br />But there's also a large chunk who have been eligible to vote for at least the last 5-6 MMP elections (some even longer) and still aren't registered. <br /><br />It wouldn't be an issue if the actual numbers were low. Admittedly I don't have the figures but I would suggest the amount of Maori who fall into these two categories would be enough to gain an extra Maori seat, possibly two.<br /><br />For any party let alone one like the Greens, it would be a huge challenge trying to get those non-voters involved. Granted, parties like the Maori Party and Mana have had periodical recruitment-registration drives to get more people to ballot boxes (the recent Ikaroa-Rawhiti byelection was an example).<br /><br />I think their success was limited though, possibly because of self-interest - only targeting short-term gains (votes) and not long-term benefits (constituency building). <br /><br />Constituency building is where a modern liberal Maori movement can be built. <br /><br />I don't want to go into it right now (I'll only end up writing forever) other than to say I think it's not fully developed. <br /><br />But I think there's an opportunity in the Maori seats to change that and it lies in the untapped 40+% of Maori who don't and/or haven't ever voted. <br /><br />All that's required is investment. <br /><br />Manaia C<br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687643215117543088.post-13979413978924157992013-08-23T15:09:15.491+12:002013-08-23T15:09:15.491+12:00Kia ora Manaia
You raise some good points.
In m...Kia ora Manaia <br /><br />You raise some good points.<br /><br />In my view the Greens go further than other liberals do in their affirmation of and commitment to kaupapa Māori, and especially to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. <br /><br />The foundations of the New Zealand Green Party's ideology are very similar to the foundations of kaupapa Māori. The fundamental Māori concepts of whakapapa, mauri, mana whenua, mana moana and hapai i te pani me te rawakore are the cornerstone values of my world view as both a Māori and as a Green. <br /><br />Indeed many in the Green Party see the future of the party as a political embodiment of the intended Treaty partnership, a movement that works in harmony with both tangata whenua and tangta tiriti.<br /><br />There is work to be done in strengthening the practical ties between Te Ao Māori and the Greens but in my view the the conservatism in Te Ao Māori that you speak of is no longer entirely resistant of the Greens. Also, a younger, more liberal demographic is the future of our people anyway.<br /><br />The Greens are seen by many Māori as the way of the future. The other political parties have tried and on the most part have failed to make significant gains for our people.<br /><br />You are right that party votes in the Māori seats don't amount to a huge block overall. But they can make a difference for a party of the Greens size (as was evident in 2005). Also, many Māori are enrolled in general seats, so a commitment to kauapapa Māori isn't important only in the Māori seats.<br /><br />Agree completely re non-voters.Jack McDonaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16156105867554444192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8687643215117543088.post-4750754613426329682013-08-23T00:54:47.557+12:002013-08-23T00:54:47.557+12:00The Greens are like every other liberal Pakeha mov...The Greens are like every other liberal Pakeha movement. They can declare support for kaupapa Maori on an intellectual basis. Not too sure about on a practical level. Most of conservative Te Ao Maori feels that way too. <br /><br />So why bother chasing votes in the Maori seats? It's a 3-way struggle for electorate votes between Labour and the 2 kaupapa Maori parties. Party vote in the Maori seats is redundant (less than 3% of the total party vote available nationwide?) because it's spread amongst several contesting parties, therefore is diluted. <br /><br />The only real vote-gathering opportunity available in the Maori seats is the 40% plus of voters who either aren't registered and/or don't bother to vote. Breaking through and reconnecting the disconnected. That's the big issue for all parties wanting Maori votes. <br /><br />Manaia C (sorry not registered)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com