Invite has a sting in its tail

By RUTH BERRY political reporter

Invitation-short National Party Maori affairs spokesman Gerry Brownlee will still open Tame Iti's art exhibition next week, despite learning of a catch to his "star" billing.

The party's deputy leader agreed to open the exhibition in Auckland's Karangahape Rd on Tuesday after a request from Mr Iti at the launch of Maori Television last week.

Mr Brownlee, who got the portfolio after it was taken from Georgina Te Heuheu, admitted then that the television launch was one of the few Maori events he had been invited to.

But he was unaware until contacted by the Weekend Herald yesterday that the opening had been advertised as "Meet the Prick".

Asked yesterday whether this was a reference to Mr Brownlee, Mr Iti giggled and said, "Yeah, yeah, he's opening it".

The Tuhoe artist, activist and occasional comedian added: "It's not really him personally ... nothing personal against Gerry.

"But there is a twist to it, you know what I mean. My work is based on political issues about the trauma that people actually went through over 150 years. I'm inviting Gerry because he needs to see what I paint.

"The pricks are really the people that caused the atrocities."

But, he added, some of those oppressors had expressed ideas similar to those National was now espousing.

Some people might want to confront Mr Brownlee about the "stupid" things his party was saying, but Mr Iti was pleased he had taken up the challenge and said, "He'll be all right".

When first told of way the event was being advertised, Mr Brownlee signalled he might reconsider. But he then said he was "still happy to go and be there and more than happy to talk to people about our policies".

The billing "doesn't bother me too much - when you go into politics you've got to expect people will have some pretty strong views. One thing I'll say about Tame Iti is that you know exactly where he's coming from.

"He's probably at an entirely different end of the spectrum to me. But at least he shows a willingness to get into a dialogue over this stuff, which some people who consider themselves to be more reputable Maori leaders have shown a singular lack of willingness to do."

Asked if he was getting more invitations to Maori events, Mr Brownlee said, "There's a few more coming in, I must say."