They are a recognition that the Maori Nation (whose independence was recognised by the Crown in 1835) retained certain collective rights while at the same time being integrated into the British Empire as outlined in the Treaty.

These rights include a guaranteed representation in the New Zealand parliament.

Brash certainly hit a nerve with white New Zealand. I think it is a case of whites in this country feeling jealous because they feel that they are not able to freely express a strong sense of ethnic group identity in the same way that they see other ethnic groups (especially Maori) doing.

It is phrased in the terms of “one law for all”, but the reality is that the law is never equal for everybody and probably nobody would want that anyway. For example, look at how the law treats you differently depending on whether you are a child or an adult, a prisoner or a non-prisoner, someone judged to be “sane” and another judged to be “insane”, etc.

Racial harmony will come about when everyone is committed to the basic underlying unity of the human Species and at the same time allowing people to freely express themselves as a racial or ethnic collective if they feel so inclined.

Why does the discussion fall back into this “race-based” trap over and over again ?

Why is a simplistic and inaccurate National Party slogan such a successful trigger, seemingly able to turn our brains off ?

Are we/they (the Pakeha majority) really so ignorant of our history … or are we/they just plain selfish and greedy?

Eredwen

Bloggers and politicians have been in apocalyptic mood over Brash’s frankly rather timid proposal to end some race-based funding, to review some race-based government departments, and to speed up the Waitangi gravy train.

The welfarism and governm…

And most of the rest are themselves of multi-ethnic identity, itself a consequence of two centuries of intermarriage. As a consequence, a majority of Maori children grow up today with a non-Maori parent.”

Adding together Maori and their relatives and friends, it seems that the Nats may have given up on rather more votes than they intended

I don’t believe that Don Brash is “calling for equality for all New Zealanders”. Looking at National’s other policies, “leveling the playing field for all” does NOT seem to be the general theme.

There are two issues that I find worth thinking about here.

Firstly Maori historical rights are rights of “inheritance” not of “race”.
If the Pakeha majority is now able to ignore or overturn Maori historical rights because there are more Pakeha, what affect would that have on our country, now and in the future?

Secondly, this issue would not have been raised by National if Maori seats were safely in National’s hands. Thus this stance seems to be more like self-centred political expedience, rather than idealism, to me!

Eeredwen

We wouldn’t be asked to worry about Don Brash’s idealism, and his concern about us “all being New Zealanders” etc etc if voters in Maori Electorates could be relied upon to vote a few National candidates into Parliament from time to time …

Eredwen