KAPAI: Time to think for ourselves as we cast vote

During my Dad's day the thought of having your own political opinion or religious beliefs different to the faith of our forefathers was practically forbidden.
The old saying ``seen and not heard' was predominant in many New Zealand homes, especially Maori, and what Dad, Koro or tribal Aporo (priest) believed in, and whom they voted for, was sacrosanct and never to be questioned.
Thankfully those days are almost gone and the individual beliefs and political persuasion of free thinkers who aren't afraid to ask questions is a far fairer thermometer of our country's conscience.
I saw a snapshot of the old style of political persuasion tinged with religious influence last week, when I attended a meet the Maori candidates event over at Hungahungaturoa Marae in Matapihi.
Preaching the gospel of himself first was the minister of good news, and I am not talking Tamaki but Winitana. If my mother had been there she would have soaked up his seductive signal smile, his pin-striped politics and his Winston wand that promised anything and everything. My Mum is as loyal as a C Company soldier when it comes to Winston and I will never rain on the parade of her beliefs when we talk politics.
To spoil the spell that Winston had cast on his captive audience was tempting and my two questions would have begun by challenging him on the relevance of singing po kare kare ana up in North Korea or his mate John Rowles and the green green grass of home.
What I did find disconcerting was the way in which Winston danced his way around the room with rhetoric that had no answers to today's major problems of health, wealth and education for Maori.
Whatever it took to get a vote, Winston grabbed it like a solo guitarist looking for the other nine to make up his band of ten guitars.
Preaching from the comfort of his own table of supporters down on the floor he totally ignored the other candidates who spoke from the stage provided. For a few of us it came across as a purposefully orchestrated move to siphon maximum mileage from his generous audience.
Occasionally he would tautoko (eyebrow) his newfound running mate Mita Ririnui, but for me it was a lonely pipi trying to share a rock with a well-connected paua. A token gesture that did the very capable Minister from Maungatapu no favours at all.
Truth is Winston would do a deal with Hori Bop and promise him his tunnel if it meant more votes.
I wanted to ask Winston as Minister of Best Bets can he explain why the racing industry is the single largest recipient of Pokie Funds ($60 million last financial year) when the Gaming Trusts are supposedly set up to equally distribute funds back into the communities such as Tauranga Moana, where last year $30 million passed through its 600 machines.
My second patai was why 41 per cent of Maori cannot read, write or count by the time they reach the age of 10. Given this is a prerequisite to even making high school a worthwhile option later in life then why is the education system failing Maori? For my two bobs worth of political posturing education is the absolute answer to tomorrow's problems if we address them today, so let's start directing raupatu (Treaty claims) to this critical need.
If our tamariki can't read and write by the time they are 10 then they have already started to fall through the cracks and when they do get to high school they are going to be disruptive and disconnected.
This could well be the simple explanation for the madness up on Mauao or the cruel killing of little Nia.
So I guess the reading and the writing is on the wall for Winston in more ways than one. Will it be enough to show up with a Colgate smile and a few one-liners to win the votes of Tauranga Moana?
Maybe the putiputi each of the Maori candidates received at the end of the hui said it all.
National's Bridges received a small, young and strong-looking plant.
Labour's Ririnui received a well-balanced blossoming putiputi and the Maori Party's Flavell received a very native-looking putiputi about to come into full bloom. And Winitana received an impressive albeit past its best putiputi that had very little plumage and a solitary red hot flower poking its tongue out at everyone.
tommykapai@gmail.com