Rt Hon Winston Peters

New Zealand First Leader

Member of Parliament for Northland
11 APRIL 2016

Māori Party Leading Its People Astray

The Māori Party’s latest call to establish Māori wards on every district council is simply further leading its people astray, says New Zealand First Leader and MP for Northland Rt Hon Winston Peters.

“Co-leader Te Ururoa Flavell is to present a petition to Parliament from New Plymouth Mayor Andrew Judd to create a Māori ward in New Plymouth.

“This petition is not supported by the New Plymouth people and found no favour in a big public meeting debate last year in which Mr Flavell’s colleague Marama Fox argued for it.

“There are numerous councils around New Zealand, with Māori, Pacific, Chinese and other ethnic backgrounds serving as councillors and mayors, who got there democratically and without tokenistic assistance.

“What the Māori Party advocate is separatism, second class citizenship, tokenism, pigeon holing, and privilege for a Māori elite whilst the mass majority of Māori get nothing from the party’s perverted view of how representation should work.

“The fact that some other political parties go along with the Māori Party on this demonstrates just how politically correct and warped some in this country are on what Māori need. Whether it be sport, culture, music or business none of the Māori participants are asking for special privileges or a handout.

“They know by their achievements that they can be equal, sometimes even better and it is that attitude which Māori need on the issue of representation and democracy. Anything short of this makes Māori second class and condemns them to the barren future of political puppetry which the Māori Party at present represents.

“It’s like the greatest half back in the world Aaron Smith saying don’t tackle me I’m a Māori.”

ENDS

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