Issue 91 - editorial

Tena ano tatou me nga mihi mo te Kirihimete me te tau hou.

The cherub in the photo is Te Mahia, my ninth mokopuna. He’s such a big part of our lives, it’s hard to imagine life without him.

Of course there are many ‘Te Mahias’ around the country. They are our future. But what sort of future are they heading into? Our cover story looks at the work of people who are trying to create a better future for the many little ones who are not quite so lucky as Te Mahia.

From future to past. I’ve just clicked over 42 years working in the media. When I began there was no Mana, no Te Karere, iwi or Maori radio, no Maori Television. These came about after a great deal of struggle and toll on lives. The same can be said for Treaty settlements, hauora, iwi authorities, kura kaupapa, kohanga reo, a Maori Party and so on.

So how much progress have we really made in those years?

The maelstrom of publicity surrounding Hone Harawira’s decision to leave a hui in Austria, to head across the border to Paris for a sightseeing trip and the furore after Buddy Mikaere’s releasing of the emails was fierce, but probably more so than necessary. It’s possible to say that the language Hone used was extravagant and intemperate. But many, maybe most Maori might agree with the sentiments behind that language.

I liken what Hone said - stripping away the swear words - to what Don Brash said at Orewa about Maori. As Pakeha opinion fell in behind Brash’s comments, I felt increasingly despondent. Was this really what Pakeha felt about us? Could they not see or want to acknowledge that Maori had been seriously shortchanged following the signing of the Waitangi Treaty; that the playing field had been tilted in favour of Pakeha and that it was time to even it up a bit?

There is no doubt that Hone Harawira can be a very annoying guy; there’s no denying that on a good day he is unstoppable. There is also no doubt that the flow of words that followed his actions has caused great damage to the party he says he doesn’t want to leave.

The Maori Party is in fact the party with the widest spread of membership, ranging from the extremely conservative who will be deeply disappointed by his comments, to the most radical, who will always support him. In the middle support will vary.

I spent some time with a cross section of blokes whose views were interesting. One said he saw the email exchange as a bit like a vigorous debate between two people on a car trip and that’s where it should have stayed. Others suggested it must have been a slow news week and others weren’t surprised, even by the language - after all that was just Hone and his upbringing.

If I read the tea leaves right, the Paris trip and abusive emails are not the only reason why Tariana Turia believes Hone should leave the caucus and maybe the party. There is a hint that this is the straw that might have broken the camel’s back. But likewise I read into her co-leader’s comments that Hone will probably return to the fold - with conditions attached.

In 40 years’ time if Te Mahia ever reads this, what will he have seen in his lifetime? Will there still be a Maori Party in Parliament? Will the sorts of outbursts like Hone’s and Don Brash’s be things of the past? Will climate change have made life on earth unbearable? Will the Mayor of the Auckland supercity be his cousin Nepia capping off his career as an All Black?

In the meantime have a happy and safe summer. On my last day at St Stephen’s the principal ‘Joe’ Lewis in his gruff way offered this advice to those of us departing. “Righto you blokes remember this, don’t go overboard over anything.”

Not bad advice really.

Kia ora