Issue 94 - Editorial

Half time score

It’s coming up to half time in the current Parliamentary term and probably not a bad time to see how the Maori Party – in its role as a coalition partner in the Government – is getting on. I still think they deserve full marks for joining the Government – that’s why people go into Parliament - to get into government to make positive changes. It’s a remarkable achievement for a party after only one term; the Greens know what it’s like to have bashed away in opposition for four terms and never made the Treasury benches.

But after that, tangible meaningful changes at flax roots level are difficult to find.
Tax cuts good for high income earners haven’t benefited many Maori. Working for Families continued by this government doesn’t do anything for out-of-work families. An increase in GST isn’t going to help low income families. Getting tough on gangs or petty criminals without getting to the root cause of offending simply throws income or potential income earners into jail.

Before last election a disproportionately high number of Maori children were living in poverty and so far nothing has changed their circumstances for the better. There have been no tangible measures to get the education authorities doing what they are paid to do which is to make sure that our children get their due – a good education.

I know there will be some who will point me in another direction – like the Maori flag flying over the Auckland harbour bridge and at Parliament last Waitangi Day; to the government finally agreeing to adopt the DRIP (what an acronym!) and the fact that the Foreshore and Seabed Act will be repealed.

Of course there is a feel good factor about having your/our flag flying – but on one day and with no other recognition it’s hard to see how the poor people of Maraenui or Flaxmere in Hawkes Bay would get excited about that. The DRIP – yes the government will adopt it – but only where it doesn’t interfere with whatever domestic laws they choose to enact. So it’s a ‘show’ adoption, aimed mainly at the international audience to get us off the list of pariah nations – four former British colonies - who refused to sign up.

Again it will provide a feel good factor for some, but it won’t change life for the families in Maraenui into their fourth generation of living on the dole and where on any given day up to 89% of Maori school age children aren’t at school.

The Foreshore and Seabed Act (2004) has gone down in history as the trigger which saw the formation of the Maori Party. Taking steps to repeal that Act was one of the cornerstones of the coalition arrangement between National and the Maori Party.

The Ministerial panel set up to review the Act chaired by retired Justice Eddie Durie recommended repeal. Judge Durie’s group made four recommendations and had a preferred one, which ensured public access to the beaches and allowed hapu with longstanding connections with the foreshore and seabed to exercise their customary rights. It looked like a no-brainer to me. But it isn’t one of the solutions on offer.

Maori seats on the Auckland ‘super city’ council recommended in the report of the Royal Commission that looked into this matter have gone down the plughole too.

The Minister of Maori Affairs beat the Prime Minister in setting up a ‘Maori task force’ to find jobs to get Maori through the recession – but again nothing tangible has come out of that.

You will gather I think the half-time score doesn’t look too good.

But just before the half time whistle Tariana Turia has launched one of the party’s key policies, Whanau Ora, and that could be the game breaker; providing it is adequately explained, funded and produces results we can all see.

There are signs that National has started running scared of its sceptical supporters and is backsliding on negotiations like Tuhoe’s desire to have the Urewera National Park returned to them.

It was right to go into coalition but it’s time both parties recognised that if they want to be reelected, the Maori Party needs to have meaningful runs on the board to show the voters in places like Maraenui.

The Maori Party needs to work hard for those runs and National needs to realise that they need the Maori Party to be successful if they want to win the next election. Making the Maori Party look good means they will retain or even increase their number of seats. Not allowing them to look good means those votes will go back to Labour along with the Treasury benches and the brief opportunity
for real democratic representation for Maori in Parliament will be snuffed out.