04-02-2024, 09:55 AM
I suspect he's hit the nail on the head & greed is at the core of this.
https://www.facebook.com/www.redsky.tv
"Waitangi day ought to be the day we celebrate the signing of the founding document of our nation. Some years it is a moment to pause to remember the things that unite us as a nation. But some years it emphasizes the things that divide us and this, sadly, is one of those years.
https://www.facebook.com/www.redsky.tv
"Waitangi day ought to be the day we celebrate the signing of the founding document of our nation. Some years it is a moment to pause to remember the things that unite us as a nation. But some years it emphasizes the things that divide us and this, sadly, is one of those years.
I took the time this morning to read David Seymour’s State of the Nation address in which he refers to why he is promoting his Treaty Principles Bill.
Broadly argues the idea of two peoples in partnership tangata whenua (land people) and tangata tiriti (Treaty people) ..
“…is incompatible with the fundamental democratic value that all citizens are equal under the law.” And that ..`” This divisive idea has been fuelled by unelected bureaucrats and judges promoting a ‘partnership’ interpretation of our founding document.”
Well, just taking that last sentence first , he conveniently forgets that it was an elected Parliament that set up the Waitangi Tribunal in 1975 as a response to growing protest over the current and historical treatment of Māori in society.
Māori were NOT being treated as equal under the law that’s why for example there was a huge land march to Parliament calling a halt to sales of remaining Māori land.
Secondly Seymour needs to explain how the idea of partnership is incompatible with democracy when he himself is in political partnership with two other leaders to form the current government.
What then is Seymour’s motive in promoting his bill?Is it purely philosophical as he would have us believe?
Or should we read his desire to re-evaluate the Treaty in the context of his other policies stated in his address… that “business is a force for good “ and there should be less government in our lives.
So is his desire for us to debate the Treaty because it is a problem for the greedy?
For one thing it gets in the way of selling the rest of our country to overseas interests - a process that has been slowly eroding our national sovereignty since the introduction of neoliberal economics in 1984 an economic theory that spawned the politics of selfishness.
So, nothing wrong with partnership and democracy Mr Seymour which you know that from your own experience.
And debate of this significance ought to to arise from facts not falsehoods such as the partnership idea "being promoted by unelected officials" when it was an elected parliament that recognised the unequal treatment and grievances of Maori in establishing the Waitangi Tribunal."