Tamihere gets it right

by frog

After his outburst about his colleagues earlier this year, John Tamihere isn’t someone you’d want to rely on to bolster your arguments too often. However, when I read his comments in the Herald this morning about National’s positioning on race, I could only applaud. The story reads:

Mr Tamihere said: “There is resentment building in my community, from middle class Maori who are moving forward to the very conservative elders and pensioners.”

He said Maori still recalled Dr Brash’s attacks last year which included labelling Maori degrees as inferior to non-Maori, and warning employers not to employ Maori as they take more time off for funerals.

“He has criticised Maori powhiri and the Maori warrior, this stuff is very, very divisive and Maori have had enough.”

Mr Tamihere said the resentment was inflamed by ideas that Maori, at the bottom of most of the country’s negative social statistics, were labelled as enjoying unprecedented preference. “I know of thousands of Maori in Otara that would swap their ‘privilege’ with anyone in the National Party who wants to swap.

“On the campaign trail very conservative Maori have stated to me: ‘if National moves against the Treaty and our seats all hell will break loose.’ The Foreshore and Seabed Hikoi will be like a Sunday picnic.”

Mr Tamihere urged greater respect and fairness on Maori issues.

“We must pledge ourselves to the defence of our country’s Treaty and that the Maori seats be retained until the consent of those that have a constitutional right to them is achieved.”