ACT Will Hold National To New Clarity On Treaty

Tuesday 27 Jan 2004 Stephen Franks Press Releases -- Treaty of Waitangi & Maori Affairs

ACT New Zealand Maori Affairs Spokesman Stephen Franks today said he hoped that National Leader Don Brash's speech would show that National had come to its senses on the racism soaking every cell of Government.

"New Zealanders have long been crying out for a rejection of ethnic politics from one of the bigger parties," Mr Franks said.

"National spent 20 years colluding with Labour - and the Treaty industry - forcing discrimination into law, education, and Government agencies. National may now return to the ideals of its better years, when it passed the Race Relations Act banning racial discrimination.

"ACT won't let a National government renege again, to pander to appeasers who can't see that a principle like `no race-based law' must mean what it says. As we have learned, it is a principle that dies when an interest group gets itself an exception - however well meant.

"The test of National's new resolve is whether it will go past slogans and commit itself, with a timetable, to specific action. For example:

· If Dr Brash scoffs at the fake Treaty `principles', will National remove them from law once voters give us a majority? For ACT, I have consistently voted against them. Less than two months ago, National joined United and NZ First in voting for the Ngati Tama Settlement Bill, which repeated the term frequently - despite Winston Peters' supposed scorn for the `principles'. Only ACT puts its votes where its mouth is.

· If Dr Brash says the Treaty did not create a partnership, will he commit to removing references to the spurious `partnership' from the thousands of Government statements, charters, and employment contracts that insist on `recognising' it?

· When will National repeal Maori privilege provisions in the Local Government Act?

· Would National end race quotas for entry to university and other courses?

· Will National end consultation requirements that amount to de facto veto rights, and stop the extortion of consent fees?

· Will they end the patronising disabilities on `Maori land' and the special rates relief, and special tax rates for Maori businesses?

· If National rebuts the false claim that the Treaty requires the Crown to guarantee favourable outcomes for Maori, will it ensure the courts can't run their own agenda, and legislate to stop judges inventing `positive duties' to discriminate on a racial basis?

· Will they elevate the Treaty to its rightful place as a constitutional document, assuring Maori and pakeha of tolerant law and protected property rights? Will they guarantee what Labour will not:

a) Rights to use and deal with property freely - subject, of course, to not damaging your neighbours' property, or polluting the environment.

b) Rights to choose how your children will be educated.

c) Rights to express your religious and cultural views even if they offend the politically correct.

d) Rights to organise tribally, and to hold assets collectively as you wish, but at your own expense.

e) The right not to be forced to submit to cultural engineering by Maori, pakeha or any other group at all that can get its hands on the levers of the State.

"If so, National has learned the lessons since 1980. If not, ACT will be there to remind them. Whatever the case, ACT will be there to vote as we say we will," Mr Franks said.

ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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