There's an old saying in politics that you don't ask a question unless you already know the answer. The Government has been asking Maori about its asset sales programme, and it's unlikely that the answer being given is the one National wanted to hear. TVNZ's Te Karere has released a poll of 1000 Maori voters showing 88% oppose the Government's privatisation plans, and 70% don't think John Key provides good leadership on Maori issues. Also unsurprising was the 56% who didn't actually know whether new Labour leader David Shearer provides good leadership on Maori issues - see: Poll shows strong Maori opposition to asset sales. All of this shows why the Maori Party is almost daily seeking to distance itself from Government policies.
Stephen Franks has an interesting perspective on Section 9 of the SOE Act, as his law firm was involved at the time. He says that the section was 'a simple expedient, a fleeting appeasement expected to get the government through an awkwardness', and it was the courts who subsequently gave it meaning and teeth - see: Section 9 of the SOE Act - what Parliament thought it meant. British officials, however, probably said the same, at the time of the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.
The Herald has given MP Hone Harawira - who knows a thing or two about protests at Waitangi - a right of reply to the provocative Paul Holmes column, which Harawira says was 'mean, nasty and uncaring'. Harawira's response is articulate and considered, and makes a straightforward case as to why Maori still feel the need to protest at Waitangi 172 years on - see: Paul Holmes, Maori have plenty to protest.
Despite being one of the longest serving MPs, Lockwood Smith has shown a lack of political nous and management over the provision of electronic note taking for deaf Greens MP Mojo Mathers. As Amelia Romanos reports, Smith was forced to publicly defend his decision not to directly fund the $20,000-30,000 required, proclaiming that although he was sympathetic, he was bound by funding rules. His complaint that the Greens have politicised the issue is naive. Quite apart from the fact that the issue directly involves a Member of Parliament, disability access and services has long been a political issue.
Inevitably fingers were pointed at other expenditure from the same budget that taxpayers might regard as less of a priority, including 13,000 for a South American jaunt that included Smith and $8000 on parties - see: Andrea Vance and Danya Levy's Speaker refuses extra cash for deaf MP. In another opinion piece, Vance also tells Smith to Get on with it, and makes the point that 'Remember, this is the same Speaker who fought tooth and nail for MPs to hang on to their perks - he should show the same determination to fix this mess quickly'.
