Little to Suffer Big for Shafting Maori
Press Release: Sun 21 May 2017

“Andrew Little’s decision to shaft his Maori MPS will come back to haunt him”

MANA Leader Hone Harawira told the MANA AGM in Whangarei today “and Labour will suffer because of it”

“A few months ago Andrew Little said the Maori Party wasn’t a Kaupapa Maori party!”

Andrew can’t speak Maori, he can’t even pronounce it properly, and he hasn’t got a clue about what Kaupapa Maori is and yet he thinks he can make a Kaupapa Maori judgement on a Maori Party? The bloody fool.”
“Last year Andrew Little told his Maori MPs to shut up and not to speak in support of a Maori charter school, because he hates them” said Harawira “and then he gives Labour’s top Maori slot to Willie Jackson who has just built a Maori charter school in his backyard – go figure!”
“Does Kaupapa Maori mean you get to slap Maori down so you can look big Andrew?”

“And when Andrew Little dropped Willie Jackson in over the top of his Maori MPs, he didn’t even ask them about first. And why not? Because he doesn’t rate them. He treats them like shit”

“That’s what we call colonial arrogance Andrew - not Kaupapa Maori”

“Andrew Little lied when he told Willie he could get him a high list placing. Little got his ass kicked and Willie got shafted” said Harawira. “Andrew Little couldn’t get Willie into his top 5, he couldn’t get Willie into his top 10, he couldn’t even get Willie into his top 15. In fact he couldn’t even get Willie into his top 20! Andrew Little promised to put Willie on the taumata, and then laughed when Willie got booted out the back to do the dishes …”

“Is Kaupapa Maori when you promise a Maori one thing and then shaft him is it Andrew?

“Then Andrew Little said Labour would have ‘one women in every two’ and ‘one Maori in every five’. Really Andrew? So where was the Maori in the top 5? None. Top 10? None? Hell, there ain’t even any Maoris in Labour’s top 15!”

“Top marks on the women bit Andrew but a big fail on your Kaupapa Maori … again!”

“Andrew Little lied when he said his Maori MPs were “fearful of a high list place because they don't want to give the impression that they are kind of being held up by belts and braces”. Maori don’t talk like that Andrew, not even your Labour Maori MPs. I know …

“Shouldn’t you be telling the truth if you’re into Kaupapa Maori Andrew?”

“Andrew Little gets Phil Twyford to attack Ngati Paoa, then Tamaki Maori MP Peeni Henare’s name appears on a statement supporting it. But guess what? Peeni didn’t write that statement. You can tell. It doesn’t sound like him, it doesn’t speak to the concerns of the Maori community and it doesn’t address the issues from a Maori perspective – at all.”

“Does Kaupapa Maori mean getting another white guy to write shit in the name of your Maori MPs does it Andrew?”

“Then last week, another Labour Maori MP says Maori should run prisons. And Andrew Little tells him to shut his mouth … again”

“Does Kaupapa Maori mean a Pakeha telling a Maori to shut up on Maori issues does it Andrew?”

“Andrew Little is the gift that just keeps on giving. The more he tells his Maori MPs to shut up while he flounders on Maori issues, the more he loses credibility with Maori voters.

“But we don’t like Pakehas telling us what to do Andrew – none of us – not even your Maori MPs. So I’m calling you out (and you can call Willie in if you’re too scared). I’m challenging you in a debate on ‘Kaupapa Maori’. Anywhere, anytime, any audience, and to make it fair we’ll do it half in English and half in Maori. Ha!”

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