Thursday, June 30, 2011

Macsyna King and Ian Wishart's Book

Just as the Coroner's hearing for the death of the Kahui twins was in its last days, Mr Wishart reveals his book about Macsyna. Perfect timing! Garuanteed to sell record numbers of copies. If he can get book shops to sell it. If they don't there's Trade Me and Australia. In spite of the facebook boycott Mr. Wishart can get around the "lynch mob" as he calls it. However there's a potential problem, which is the aftermath of the Coroner's findings. What if there's enough evidence from the hearing to prosecute Macsyna? One has to ask why she wasn't at home at the time in question? Surely her negligence of the twins was appalling, unforgiveable and since their births regular. Whatever Mr. Wishart gets for the story, it will be dirt money and an exploitation of the twins deaths. Horrible. Free speech? No. Ratshit journalism more like it. One thing's for sure. Mr. Wishart has set off another round of media frenzy to equal the first one. It will add nothing to an understanding of child abuse. But then that's never the purpose.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Mana Party 21% Haua Hoki (Don't Know) 20% Lab 11% Maori Party 4%

Looks like my cuzzies in the Haua Hoki Party are running Hone close. It really depends on whether they bother to vote or not. Only 63% voted in Tai Tokerau last time and as this is a by-election the turnout is likely to be under 50%. In other words Haua Hoki means, "I don't know if I'll bother." Let's hope they do bother. It's no use not voting and then complaining about the result after. According to these figures therefore it's a shoo in for Hone unless my cuzzies get their A into G and vote. He might still get in however depending on who they vote for but the result won't be as the French say a fait accompli.

There has been some comment about the negative effects Hone's whanau are having on the possible outcome especially what happened at the Maori Party meeting at Te Tii Marae, Waitangi and what happened at my home town Kaitaia outside the Dalmation Hall as the Maori Party were going in to have their hui. However by election day it will be forgotten; provided it's not repeated in any dramatic form. The Labor % is not impressive; only 11%. They need at least half of the Haua Hokis. They have not polled as well as I thought after getting some good vibes on my last trip home. As far as Horomona Tipene is concerned he and the party have an up hill battle. Of those in the running he is the least known although not in the north. Also he has a very short time to impress the electorate. I think it's too late for him.

So who would you have voted for had you been living at home, Atihana? Eerr. Haua hoki!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Is Ngati Kahu's Claim Settled? Not yet!

What is the problem? Apparently the Minister of Treaty settlements is not happy with the "partial settlement" proposal that includes cross claims from the rohe of our whanaunga such as Te Oneroa A Tohe, Te Aupouri Forest and Maungataniwha. I can see where he's coming from. He wants a full and final settlement and so do I. We have wasted enough time trying to get one. Surely it was obvious he wouldn't agree. The proposal as outlined in the Runanga's mail out was chock full for a "partial settlement." Briefly the structure of management was as follows:


Ngati kahu Iwi:
Nga Hapu Me Nga Marae O Mamaru Waka
Te Runanga A Iwi O Ngati Kahu

Secretariat Management

Various boards and Companies


In the space available I can't do the proposal justice but already it is obvious that such a one will be unwieldy and costly. Since the Runanga has turned down a substantial financial offer ($23m?) as part of the claim then there is no money to fund this edifice initially. The structure could be simplified and the Runanga deleted in favour of a Hapu Council:


ie
Ngati Kahu Iwi



Settlement Trust: 7 members elected by beneficiaries Holds ALL the Assets And establishes and funds the electoral process. This Trust has a fixed term of Two years to do the job. It becomes defunct and assets become those of the Council.
Kaunihera Or Hapu Council Of Ngati Kahu:
Once established it receives all the assets held by the Settlement Trust; elected by the beneficiaries for a four year term: 12 Members: elected by the beneficiaries of each hapu marae and 7 elected at large by the beneficiaries.


Council Appoints the Boards, Companies etc and Employs the Management and Administration. Note: A Commercial Arm must be separate and its kaupapa must be "Business".


The negotiators must go back to the five iwi forum to negotiate these cross claims on the basis of whanaungatanga, aroha and kotahitanga not to mention good faith. Compromises must be made and egoes set aside. That shouldn't be too hard for people who purport to come from Te Ao Maori. In the meantime like I said the opportunity cost of NOT settling gets bigger each day.















Thursday, June 2, 2011

Rugby World Cup: A circus or what?




Like most post WW Two boys I was rugby mad but living in a rural back water by the sea we did have heaps of other activities to interest us, winter and summer. We followed North Auckland and the NZ Maoris avidily. At Te Aute College it was one of three compulsory subjects; that, English and Maori at least to Form Four. Fron 155 boys between 1952-56 we managed to field eight teams regularly every Saturday on the train to Hastings. The First 15 had a number of rugby tours around the country. In my day we played in the curtainraiser for the Springbok-NZ Universities game at Athletic Park in 1956. Not a protester in sight. After a stint in Senior B rugby in Auckland and country rugby I more or less gave it up at the age of 24 except for stints of coaching school boy teams, selecting and finally coaching under 21 teams at Waikato University I gave it up and became a TV spectator. All this involvement was voluntary and for interest and enjoyment.


The big change came with pro-rugby and competitions like Super 14 and World Cups. The game it seems has become a corporate one where regional loyalties are lost in favour of Super Team franchises. Team names are now brand names like Hurricanes, Blues, Crusaders, Chiefs and Highlanders. It is globalized, glamorized, and celebrity-fied; vehicles for advertising and selling merchandise.Before long the Super 14 franchises will be sold. Rugby in fact has been homogenized much like a McDonalds menu. Frankly, this to me a country boy who was privileged to see Colin Meads getting ordered off on his home ground, is too much. The hype surrounding the World Cup therefore makes me sick of it already and I wish it would hurry up so we can focus on far more important things like who is going to govern us after it. It seems to me to be all part of the malaise NZ is in. In medieval Europe the rulers whenever the peasants were starving and beginning to revolt, used to invite a circus into town to entertain them and make them forget that they had no bread. In political and economic terms isn't that what NZ has become?