Hon Jim Anderton

Member of Parliament for Wigram
Progressive Leader

27 November 2009
Media Statement

National’s third world way to govern

It’s hypocritical for the National Party to attack those who criticise its dodgy deal on emissions trading, Progressive MP Jim Anderton says.

“National needs to say if it still supports the concept of full and final Treaty settlements.

“It has gone from declaring an unrealistic timeframe for Treaty settlements, its leader declaring ‘The Treaty did not create a partnership’, and Gerry Brownlee calling a Maori member of parliament a ‘black fella’, to now accusing someone else of playing the race card if they oppose National’s deal.

“National has done a grace and favour deal that cannot be justified on its merit. That is a third world way to govern and has no place in New Zealand.

“Last year I raised in Cabinet my concern about re-opening Treaty settlements from the nineties to compensate for loss of value in forests that had been part of a Treaty settlement. My Labour colleagues agreed with me that if we had compensated in that way, we would never be able to achieve final settlement.

“National has now reversed its position. It did so to get a deal with the Maori Party on an emission trading scheme, and now it's trying to label as racist anyone who criticises the deal. That is dishonest and comes from a party that has done more than any other party in recent years to whip up racial tensions,” Jim Anderton said.

Examples of Gerry Brownlee’s record on race relations;

“Why is the Government continuing to negotiate with a group that will not accept the Crown’s ownership of the foreshore and seabed?” - In parliament, on Tuesday, May 31, 2005, about negotiations with Ngati Porou:

“National would change the foreshore law to prevent the Maori Land Court hearing customary rights cases and investigate axing the court altogether.” - NZ Herald, 18 April 2005.

“What I think is that there is a large amount of worry – considerable amount of worry among people about where all this is heading and where we fit into it, and much of that is about someone at some point proclaiming what it is to be a New Zealander.” - Agenda, 6 November 2004.

Called John Tamihere ‘black fella’ - 10 February 2004.

ENDS

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