‘Toeing the line again! Aue taukuri e!’

Maori Party extends support to Labour Maori MPs

Tuesday 25 July 2006

The Maori Party is encouraging Labour Maori MPs to celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Maori by holding firm to the aspirations of tupuna rangatira, as articulated in Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

“Our thoughts are with the Maori caucus who are clearly not in favour of a Private Members Bill being submitted by NZ First, to eradicate all Treaty principles from legislation” said Te Ururoa Flavell.

“We were disappointed to read in today’s media, reports that Labour MPs Parekura Horomia and Nanaia Mahuta have concerns about the Bill, but are being told to ’toe the line’ by the Prime Minister” said Mr Flavell.

“We are cautious of the spin-machine” said Mr Flavell. “We have seen in the past how Labour’s Maori MPs are given permission to ‘huff and puff’ but not to blow the House down”.

“The Prime Minister must be told, that she is not in control of the natives anymore” said Mr Flavell.

“We congratulate her Foreign Affairs Minister for challenging her attempts to suppress his voice, by rejecting her offer of a ‘media minder’. We encourage the Labour Maori MPs to look to their Senior Maori statesman in Government, (Rt Hon Winston Peters) for advice about how to assert their views”.

“It’s the Foreshore and Seabed all over again” said Mr Flavell. “Maori MPs being forced to submit to the ruling majority; their voice rendered silent by the pressure for the Labour vote”.

The Labour-NZ First Coalition document states that Labour will support the NZ First Treaty Principles Bill going to select committee.

“As the only independent Maori voice in Parliament, we will be voicing our objections to this retrograde and divisive legislation in the strongest possible way” said Te Ururoa Flavell, Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations spokesperson for the Maori Party.

ENDS

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