Evaluation: Northland has had an excellent look this Waitangi week on the events which can be vying for its votes in November and it’s laborious to think about any have left a stellar impression.
The acknowledged theme of the week was “Mō tātou, mā tātou” – for all of us, by all of us. Politicians spoke of kotahitanga, or unity. Maybe the very best identified whakataukī that speaks of this, and one favoured by politicians, is He waka eke noa – we’re all in the identical boat.
It’s a becoming whakataukī for Waitangi specifically, the place commemorations are marked with the paddling of Ngātokimatawhaorua, the world’s largest ceremonial waka. However those that watched this week’s actions carefully can be forgiven for pondering that, if we’re all in the identical boat, it’s a sinking one.
The week began off with the announcement by Labour MP Peeni Henare that he could be leaving politics earlier than the election. Henare had requested Labour chief Chris Hipkins to let him reveal his choice at Waitangi, when he might mark the event along with his Ngāpuhi whānau.
That put Hipkins in a troublesome place when he was requested about Henare’s leaving just a few hours earlier than the formal announcement. The Labour chief stumbled, refusing to reply whether or not Henare had his backing to run once more within the Tāmaki Makaurau citizens (implying, to some, that he didn’t have faith in Henare).
Solely after Henare’s official announcement landed might Hipkins start to clear the air. By then, it was too late. The bungled announcement had sparked up rumours about wrongdoing by both Henare or Labour, spruiked by NZ First’s Shane Jones who stated he would be taught “the entire story” from the “kumara vine”.
What was meant to be a life-altering choice made within the embrace of whānau changed into a large number with a touch of one thing darker. Retiring Labour MP Adrian Rurawhe, who equally made his announcement forward of Rātana celebrations in January, obtained aroha on the paepae from audio system at his marae. Henare obtained supportive feedback as effectively, however needed to watch as some audio system turned their ire on Labour for letting him down.
Jones, too, took the chance to have one other dig, telling Henare throughout his kōrero that “You’re not the primary Maori from Tai Tokerau to depart the Labour Get together, bro”. That obtained amusing from the gang, however would have prompted a cringe from Henare who (not like Jones) has made clear he’s sticking with the Labour whānau.
All that has left Labour with a (repairable) breach to its beneficial relationship with Ngāpuhi and the remainder of Te Tai Tokerau.
That doesn’t imply, nevertheless, that Māori will flock to the opposite conventional contender within the seat. Te Pāti Māori has botched its personal hononga (connection) with Ngāpuhi and the north to a far larger diploma than Labour has.
The continued saga over Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi noticed but extra painful developments over Waitangi week. Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi made conciliatory noises in his kōrero throughout the political pōwhiri, telling Kapa-Kingi’s son Eru (one other speaker on Thursday) that this was the fitting discussion board to air frustrations and considerations. He additionally apologised for declining an invite to satisfy with Ngāpuhi final yr, to debate the issues within the occasion.
Nevertheless, that olive department was successfully slapped to the bottom by what occurred subsequent. When Te Pāti Māori rose following Waititi’s kōrero to ship a haka, his spouse Kiri Tamihere-Waititi (additionally the occasion’s common supervisor and the daughter of its president, John Tamihere) approached the hau kāinga and Eru Kapa-Kingi specifically, gesturing in the direction of him. Because the haka ended, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi stood and instructed her, “Hoki atu”, that means “return”.
This was seen as an aggressive motion by Ngāpuhi and others. Jones referred to as it “marae tradition at an incandescent stage” whereas, extra worryingly for Te Pāti Māori, iwi leaders stated explicitly that it had damaged their relationship with the occasion.
Mane Tahere, the iwi chair, instructed the NZ Herald the haka was the “nail within the coffin” for a lot of voters.
“They clearly have misinterpret the room. Except one thing drastic occurs between now and November, sadly, they’ve misplaced Te Tai Tokerau seat,” he stated.
Pita Tipene, former chair of the Waitangi Belief and chair of Ngāti Hine, made related remarks to the Herald.
“I didn’t suppose it was acceptable in any respect. Conflicting messages [are] popping out of Te Pāti Māori and the individuals of Te Tai Tokerau have actually had sufficient,” he stated.
Maybe all it will result in an surprising triumph within the coming election for the Greens, who used Waitangi to strengthen their relationship with Labour by way of a joint leaders’ stand-up and to announce 4 wāhine Māori who will run in Māori electorates. Amongst them had been present record MP Hūhana Lyndon, who has robust connections within the north and can run for Te Tai Tokerau.
Or it might see Kapa-Kingi returned to Parliament, not as a member of Te Pāti Māori however as an unbiased. In the course of the political pōwhiri, she stated she wasn’t going anyplace and was dedicated to working once more in Te Tai Tokerau.
It’s, nevertheless, unlikely to end in a lot of a lift for the Authorities. Though Thursday’s pōwhiri was quieter than in years previous, with solely a handful of hecklers and a half-hearted protest, the response to Act Get together chief and Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour was a lot stronger and extra destructive throughout the often apolitical daybreak ceremony on Friday morning.
Every political chief current was given the chance to rise and browse a prayer, karakia or biblical passage. When Seymour, who represented each Act and the Authorities, stood and the massive display broadcasting the ceremony to a number of hundred members of the general public depicted him, the response was fast and loud.
Seymour was booed so loudly from the garden past Te Whare Rūnanga that it was troublesome to listen to him converse. Hecklers shouted “shut up”, “f**ok off” (repeatedly, to applause) and “he’s an fool”. Bishop Te Kito Pikaahu stood and urged the gang to let Seymour converse, however was ignored.
The Deputy PM later put it right down to a “couple of muppets shouting at midnight” and stated the media shouldn’t exaggerate the response. Whereas that is perhaps a becoming description of his reception on Thursday, the response on Friday morning was way more widespread – and from a extra various viewers than those that would possibly take off work on a Thursday to attend a noon political pōwhiri.
Nor did Prime Minister Christopher Luxon ingratiate himself with the north, spending his speech on Thursday explaining the three articles of the Treaty of Waitangi to the members of the Waitangi Nationwide Belief. As with Seymour, he obtained little heckling throughout his speech. The most important response got here not when he mentioned legislation and order, nor financial coverage, however when he talked about Schooling Minister Erica Stanford by title.
That will trace at which of the Authorities insurance policies accused of being “anti-Māori” are literally resonating (negatively) with Māori voters. There was little kōrero concerning the Marine and Coastal Space Act amendments handed final yr, however the mere point out of Stanford was sufficient to summon anger over her course to take away te reo Māori phrases from college readers and her shock legislative amendments to take away the requirement that college boards give impact to the Treaty.
Over the 24 hours following the political pōwhiri, almost all the occasion leaders left city. Winston Peters went first, returning dwelling as he often does as quickly as he completed talking. Luxon left later that afternoon, to spend Waitangi Day itself in Auckland.
Seymour attended the daybreak ceremony as the one occasion chief from the coalition, then left after a brief collection of media interviews. Hipkins watched a part of the annual Waitangi waka ceremony, wandered via the competition markets for an hour after which obtained in a automobile sure for Auckland’s Waititi marae. The Greens co-leaders, for what it’s value, had been nonetheless round.
Did anybody have a lot to indicate for it? It’s actually a query Northland could also be asking itself, after per week of political bungling, scandal and scorn.
Because the MPs headed dwelling or on to different kaupapa, locals obtained on with having fun with the day. The solar was shining (not like the depressing drizzle that endured via the political day), tamariki ran laughing via the competition stalls, kaumātua sat in tenting chairs within the shade watching on.
One man, sitting on the railing on the Waitangi bridge watching the nice waka Ngātokimatawhaorua paddle previous, requested his good friend, “Are the politicians gone but?”
“I hope so, bro,” the good friend replied.
