OPINION
The political rhetoric coming from Maori is increasingly violent in tone and attitude. Te Pati Maori are using words like revolution and images of guns, along with the beating of war drums in their online advertising.
They are promoting an organisation called Toitu Te Tiriti, and this is what they are talking about: an insurrection, revolution and overthrowing any government:
Shane Jones calls them ‘lunatics‘, which arguably is true, and ‘scallywags’, which is altogether too soft given the alarming manner they are carrying on.
New Zealand First Minister Shane Jones says Te Pati Maori organising a Budget Day call to action protest was “mobilising a militia of scallywags” and pushing people towards the “lunatic fringe”.
The Coalition Government is gearing up to release its first Budget on Thursday, but there are calls for Maori to take action to coincide with the day.
“Aotearoa, maranga mai! Enough is enough. The rangatira revolution is here,” an Instagram post shared by Toitu Te Tiriti said, adding that more information was to come.
“Our intent is to demonstrate the beginning of a unified Aotearoa response to the Government’s assault on tangata whenua and Te Tiriti o Waitangi,” its website added.
The message of a nationwide activation was jointly shared by Te Pati Maori and its co-leader Rawiri Waititi.
Newshub
The rhetoric from the Maori Party and Toitu te Tiriti is alarming. If it were far right lunatics wearing black shirts saying that, then Byron Clark and his pals in the Disinformation Project would be screaming that these white people were inciting a race war – which is precisely what the Maori Party and Toitu te Tiriti are actually supporting.
Yet there isn’t a peep out of them, nor any from the Human Rights Commission. No, it is left up to NZ First and Shane Jones to say something.
Aotearoa musician Stan Walker has also gotten behind the movement, sharing the post on his social media. Te Pati Maori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer shared flame emojis in the comments on this post.
But Jones has shared his disappointment at the planned Budget Day protest action.
Firstly, he told Newshub the imagery used in the campaign was dangerous.
“The symbol of the musket and colonial pistol – I think it reflects fossilised thinking. At one level it is quite dangerous to normalise guns but at another level it’s reflective in my view of outdated and moribund political analysis,” he said.
Jones said the imagery was “designed to provoke”.
”But given the easy access that the gangs have to guns, I just think that it offends New Zealand culture. It’s unnecessary,” he said.
Jones also said everyone was entitled to demonstrate their democratic right to protest but because of “ineptitude within Parliament”, naming Te Pati Maori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer specifically, this action was leading people “further towards the lunatic fringe”.
He criticised the role of Te Pati Maori in organising the call to action, saying it was Ngarewa-Packer “flying the white flag”.
“On the basis of ideas and political debate they’ve surrendered so now they’re seeking answers and drama and theatre and we can’t reply on the latter to pay the bills of day-to-day Maori households,” he said.
“The role of the Maori Party is in politics to challenge the Budget through the democratic process rather than mobilise a militia of scallywags.
“It’s not only sending negative signals through to the rangatahi, the young people, but it elevates lunatic fringe thinking which has got no place in modern New Zealand politics given the economic challenges that we face.
“Most Maori I know, they’re not interested in this spark-plug type politics, they’re concerned about the cost of power, the cost of housing, the challenges of employment and overcoming the obstacles that confront all Kiwis.This notion that by reprising colonial soap operas that we can rehabilitate modern day Maori households, sadly, is a moribund type of analysis and that’s what’s very disappointing in terms of their call to action.”
Jones said the call to action was not standing for anything, instead it was “continually moaning about everything”.
“There’ll always be a tiny element who are unwilling to accept the democratic outcome of the current Coalition, but look, I’d rather be in a Coalition of power than a militia of scallywags.”
Newshub
Shane Jones is not wrong, but his wording against these clowns is far too light in tone. Perhaps that was his design; an attempt to cool things down.
However, this sort of rhetoric is getting far too prevalent for my liking and it is only a matter of time before some Maori munter, after hours chuffing on a meth pipe, takes it all too literally and starts shooting up the main street of some town somewhere because ‘Pakeha stole my land, bro’.
This is getting dangerous and it is continuing to get traction.
I fear for my country.
Help Keep The BFD Alive
Expenses are growing, ad revenue is shrinking. Things have to change otherwise we will need to cut services. We don’t want to have to do that. It’s really up to you.
Registered before? Log in to use your saved details.
If you registered an account, please enter your details below to login. If this is your first time, proceed to the donation form.
Please share this article so others can discover The BFD.