Wheeler’s Corner
“Connecting Citizens Who Care“. Every Monday
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21: 13th May 2018
1. If you want something you’ve never
had, then you’ve got to do something you’ve never done. Voltaire.
This self-proclaimed so-called academic had
the audacity to get up from his place as a guest debater and depart the scene
because he did not want to listen to the introduction that was to be presented
in Te Reo Māori.
It was the rudest and most
ignorant behaviour I have ever witnessed by a grown up adult so-called educated
person. [If my child had acted like that I would have cancelled his pocket
money]
This is the very same person who
believes that NO Māori actually exists, who believes that there should be no Māori seats in our Parliament. So the very thought that a massive majority of
Palmerston North City Councillors’ and Manawatu District Councillors’ could
vote to introduce a Māori ward just makes him see red!
He reinforced his strange, weird
even outdated beliefs when he stated and I quote:
“Others may call me racist… and I don’t mind that, I know I’m not
racist… because I married a part-Chinese…” he said during his explanation [yet
again] of his so-called historical background.
He also said,
“That a poll had been taken of Palmerston North people and that they do
not support Māori Wards, the poll was taken for The NZ Center for Political Research, read below regarding the
history of Mike Butler and that organisation.
Not that, those meaningless bits of information
added to the reasons why he supported race based behaviours in keeping Maori
from the council table via a Māori Ward: the democratic process that could be
used by local government, after all when all the political parties in NZ,
including NZ First support the Māori electorates why not do the same for local
government? What the hell are they scared of…your guess is as good as mine.
Hobson’s Pledge that great bunch
of ex-political has-beens were willing to pay yet more money to fly to
Palmerston North their show pony [Casey Costello] from Auckland for an hour and
a half meeting adding yet more money to the thousands [if not hundreds of
thousands] they have already spent nationally;
Fortunately for us fog kept her
grounded in Auckland, but unfortunately she was replaced by yet another has- been who they
drafted in from Hastings or some such distant place. That’s the thing about
Hobsons Pledge its membership here in PN seems to consist solely of one person:
They don’t seem to want to speak out, they didn’t turn up to push their case at
the various council hearings on the issue. Their advertising has all been authorised
by strange people from Auckland and Hastings.
Below is the Manawatu Standards
report on the Massey event.
Replacement Mike Butler is/was rather
a strange kettle of fish: And every word he uttered proved this to be true: to
get a Māori view of him. Go to:
To get Mike Butler’s view of
himself check out the NZ Centre for Political Research: https://www.nzcpr.com/author/mike-butler/
2. I met some wonderful people at the Massey Forum on Māori Wards it was
an honour to listen to the speakers for and against, I must admit there were
only three who spoke out against and two of them were at the top table
[Esslemont and Butler].
I am white, and I felt really proud
of the fact that the bulk of those present were willing to listen and to learn
what Māori felt about the issue. Especially because the issue in reality only affects
those who have freely under our legal system enrolled on the Māori roll.
Those speaking for Māori Wards
seemed to accept that sharing is more progressive than progressing down the
same old path which has led to the imbalance in our social statistics.
They,
judging by their comments during question time, seemed to have reached the
point of comprehending that together around the table is better and more
progressive than treating Māori as simply guests to be invited from time to
time according to the whims of the majority.
After all we formally do this to
suit our rural voters to ensure that the urbanites don’t swamp their voices.
I accept that those who came
before me have via our legal processes over time developed a workable political
process [the Waitangi Tribunal] that means sharing our combined wealth as a nation
via our parliamentary and local government processes.
The key for me is the word ‘Together’
we the majority cannot and must not tell the minority what is best for them. This
issue is not a race issue; together around the table is what the treaty that
gave birth to our nation is all about…we decided that Māori representation is
both fair and just in our society and we practice it in our national elections. Lets do the same in our cities and regions.
If Māori decide to move onto the
general roll, so be it, but it should be Māori that make that choice. If you
think along these lines, then you should be happy to support Māori Wards in
local government.
I hope you will. I have already voted accordingly
If you want something you’ve never
had, then you’ve got to do something you’ve never done. Voltaire.
Peter J Wheeler
2 comments:
By Email From Alison Mildon:
Thanks for your email, all of which I support in relation to the desirability of having the certainty of a "Maori voice" on Council.
However, I was puzzled by one statement, and think I've raised this misconception before.....Not only is it wrong, but in influencing perceptions it fosters that difficult matter known as the urban/rural divide
After all we formally do this to suit our rural voters to ensure that the urbanites don’t swamp their voices.
I of course wish this was the case, but I'm afraid that baby got thrown out with the bath water and rural voters lost the chance to have a dedicated voice at the Council table when wards were abolished. At that point any dedicated rural voice was lost ......
Rural voters were deemed to have all the representation they needed from whatever Councillors were elected, this although urban voters far outnumber rural voters, and many if not the majority are ignorant of the fact that the "Pamerston North City" boundaries extend far beyond their urban world.
Also, many are quite ignorant of the range of issues relating to the rural sector, except perhaps when it comes to loudly complaining about the specific things perceived as bad - because perceptions are influenced by what is read, and seen on television, and this is often selective, and not necessarily true or balanced.
Furthermore, in our city-wide elections the chance of a candidate from the rural sector gaining a seat is diminished because name recognition counts for a lot - numbers of urban voters, lack of understanding of rural issues, and a louder urban voice does lessen the chances of gaining rural representation on council.
In the current set-up the urban voice is always in a position to "swamp" the rural voice. Rural voters just have to trust to the election of independently minded councillors - people who are prepared to look beyond urban boundaries to understand and fairly represent any issues particular to the rural sector.
However, that's the situation we've got and I'm not asking that you take it up as one of the matters you raise through your mail-out, but I guess I do hope you would stop suggesting that the system currently in place for our district gives some kind of special opportunity to rural voters, when it doesn't, and not only that, to use something that isn't the case as a reason to support the push for a Maori ward..
Not a rant or grudge: just a nudge!
All best
Alison
Alison later added:
Hi Peter
No I don't mind at all because my comments are intended to provide some clarity.
Also, I hope it didn't read as a moan at you because all the matters you raise are very important, and whatever side of a fence readers might sit on you bring attention to difficult issues and questions.
I wonder if what brought about the confusion (and I think I've made a correct interpretation of this), is that the process by which wards in general (including rural wards) can be brought into being by voters within a territorial authority is different from the process by which Maori wards can be achieved, and the latter is much more difficult to bring about because there's a layer of opportunity for those against the idea to stop it that doesn't exist for wards in general. Something that could surely be perceived as unfair and discriminatory.
Is that your understanding? That process makes it harder to get the introduction of Maori Wards across the line than other kinds of wards....
Cheers
Alison
And I agree with Alison completely...PN was stupid to drop the ward system and the quicker they return to a ward system the better we shall all be.
Just to be clear here: Mr Esslemont left the debate while the welcome was given and then came back in? I agree with the stopping pocket money comment.
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