Whanganui Hui a joke...with police over kill.

Visit to Whanganui Hui re section 9 debate.

On a bright sunny day I climbed into my VW and headed off to Whanganui. I had planned to join up with other Mana supporters at the Nats weak attempt at so-called consultation. I wasn’t on my own, Mana supporters from Taranaki, Rangitikei and Whanganui lifted Mana numbers to around thirty.

It was an amazing sight, banners, and flags plus hand made signs abounded.

There were at least thirty Maori Wardens out front and tucked outback around twenty police, we were lucky there were no US Navy Seals or Helicopters or firearms [At least no visible ones].

Deputy PM Bill English arrived in his new super BMW and was quickly ushered indoors by Wi Gardner, who is much chubbier than when I knew him in the military as a young 2^nd Lt. He was always a Nat supporter even in those earlier days.

Paul Quin is silent for once!

Once the Hui got underway 15 minutes late and in front of around a hundred plus anti state asset sales people, which was notable by the non appearance of any Maori Party MP’s. I did notice lonely, silent and grumpy Paul Quin [pictured]…. The very vocal National List MP from the Hutt Valley, he was not at all vocal at this Hui…did he get back in?

It was very clear that no one in the room supported Bill English, nor did they believe what he had to say…the biggest thing missing in that room was trust…it simply did not exist, except maybe between Wi Gardner and Bill English…since Bill pays Wi’s wages that’s not hard to understand.

It was obvious that this mis-trust extended well beyond simply National ignoring clause nine in the SOE Act that enshrines Treaty of Waitangi rights in the Act. This deeply felt mis-trust dug deep into the Nats so-called plans relating to water and the protection of our waterways etc.

This mis-trust really driven home, firstly how stupid it was for the Maori Party to climb into bed and prostitute them-selves and secondly it surely proved that Hone Harawira was correct to step away from that strange love/financial relationship.

The Hui proved for me that the Maori Party leadership was acting like sparrows feeding off the crumbs swept onto the floor by the wealthy and greedy Nat diners…

Almost everyone was upset by the short time allowed for consultations and the fact that the Nats had kept the removal of clause 9 hidden during the election campaign…the most important question that wasn’t asked was, ‘Did the Maori Party members know about it before the election”…I don’t imagine we’ll ever get an answer to that question, why because that would take some honesty…and this Hui was anything but honest.