Tommy Kapai: This could come back to haunt

Kim Dotcom

The theatre of politics is the best show in town when we get down to the business end of an election, and right now the players in this political theatre are scripting and gifting us a show that could be a beauty by the time the curtain goes up and the fat lady starts to sing.

Locally we have two Guys about to put their names up in lights hoping to play a part in the show stopper on opening night in September, while over the Mamaku we have Tamati Coffey, the colorful ex-What Now television presenter, coming out for labour.

Nationally, there are more strange bedfellows coming together and there will be plenty more throwing their hats in the ring before the final programme is printed.

But the show stopper could well be Hone Harawira and his Mana Party hooking up with Kim Dotcom to form The Internet Party.

Party theme song could be the Kohanga Reo classic Pukeko in a Punga Tree but then again Kohanga Reo have their own side show going on right now, that should not be dumped on the back porch of Hekia Parata to sort out. Only the Rangatira who have held the putea strings for far too long can do that.

Or perhaps a knee slapping rendition of Edelweiss could be the winning waiata for the Internet Party? Somehow the lyrics "small and white - clean and bright" don't paint the picture that both Hone and Kim would want to try to sell to an audience up north and down south.

In some far out, far north way, juxtaposing these two giants side by side makes symbiotic sense, as they could both benefit from each other. Sure Mana and money don't sit well in the same sentence or song but they could solicit seats in a show or voters for a political party.

Here's the kicker for me with Kim and his rorohiko (computer) party that Hone has obviously worked out, where others have not.

The dawning of digital democracy is only an election away and these two brothers to other mothers is a reunion that could well trigger a flood of votes, from the one million Kiwis that could have and should have voted at the last election - but did not.

To scoop up 500 of these turned off but tuned in voters on the first day of setting your net is something all political parties should be sitting up and taking notice of.

There is a youth quake of kiwi kids who are free independent thinkers, who understand the environment and how to protect it, who can korero Maori and know their whakapapa about the injustices of the past and how they can be redressed, and, above all, who understand the political process and how it can trigger change.

No political party should ignore these demographics nor should they think the pen is mightier than the keyboard when registering a vote.

Sorting out a campaign manager won't be easy. Kim could offer up Bonnie Lam, a director and long- time spokesperson of Megaupload.

Hone had Matt McCarten but he waka jumped so Mr Minto moment could be his fix-it man.

When discussing their potential retreat to put together a party policy manifesto the korero could be a playwright's dream.

"You want to come up north to my bush camp big fulla - plenty of good kai and korero up there"

To which Kim replied "your camp or mine camp it's all the same to me bro."

But don't be fooled. Either man didn't get where they are today on tito and jellybeans as the late Barry Crump would have us believe of all politicians.

My ancestors in the Maori Battalion would be doing the haka in their grave right about now.

Mana is an earned privilege. It cannot be begged, borrowed or brought.

Nor can it be sold, and the perception that Hone is selling out is what Maori are now coming to terms with.

Kim Dotcom for savvy Maori voters could quickly become Kimikimi Dotcom and given the literal translation of Kimikimi is way out, way off, figment of one's imagination, then this far north far out connection could come back to haunt Hone on opening show night - much more so than his co-star Kim.

broblack@xtra.co.nz

Tommy Kapai is a Tauranga author and writer.