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Monday, May 10, 2010

Update: Key finds a spine at last

The government has made it clear to negotiators embroiled in discussions over Urewera National Park that its
vesting in local iwi is ''unacceptable''

At last. The shiver has found a spine to run up. But I would never trust a politician desperate to retain control.
It comes as National comes under increasing pressure, including from rank and file, over concessions to the Maori Party including its endorsement of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, Tariana Turia's flagship Whanau Ora policy and tobacco taxes.

Too right. He may be starting to listen. Just starting, mind you.

The core support is telling him positive action is required. Easily bribed with trinkets the Maori Party has been brought, but the behind the scenes separatist stirrers are now fronting with their long held agendas, wanting their full cut and more.

Today we also witness another group stating the did not sign an English version of a treaty, so did not cede sovereignty. Eh?

Today, a rare well done Mr Key, but you really need to stop your back-door horse trading and forcefully tell the Hone's or the Tame Iti's of the world who is actually in charge of this country. Also that no land or seabed will be given to buy off those with ill-founded perceptions of sovereignty. That there will be no truck with those pushing for apartheid separatism or getting more handouts from the grievance industry.

I await the screams of foul from those who thought this one was in the bag at the 11th hour. No doubt the man coming on a UN junket will not be impressed. I wonder if the spine will be able support this surprising stand long term.

Update:

Maybe I was too quick off the mark in one of my comments about blogs not noticing.

Political Foxen and Roarprawn are both in a similar vein. Not PC also is onto the game. About bloody time some one put a stake in the ground. The farce has gone on too long, about 35 Treaty years too long. And to paraphrase the Foxen, Key would do well to cease blowing Maori bone.

7 comments:

KG said...

Perhaps Key was taken by surprise at the amount of anger out there. But I'd trust this latest pronouncement not one jot--a "compromise" agreement will be reached which will give the iwi most of what it's demanding. And it'll be promoted as a "win-win".
Watch this space!

PM of NZ said...

KG,

As politicians do, be it via focus groups or otherwise, he has reacted. And relatively quickly.

Key may have changed National's visible modus operandii away from Brash's Orewa I, but the fact remains that his core supporters are heartily sick of those wallowing in the grievance industry troughs. So over those that use the Treaty to massage guilt complexes.

Blogs and the MSM do not truly show the level of anger, but somehow the message is getting through. Key must have had his eared chewed off in the post-match on-on in Masterton over the weekend.

Anonymous said...

Do you think Tuhoe will be happy to be abused once again by Govt.?
Stolen Lands. Trouble with Key he is so shallow that he does even know his own countries history.
Ngai Tahu have got everything they have asked for and more, as have Tainui but those with justified claims are now consigned to the to hard basket because of the political jousting and foolishness of the National Party.
Quel surprise!

PM of NZ said...

"justified claims"?

Obviously not in Key's realm. Or in a lot of voters minds also.

"Do you think Tuhoe will be happy to be abused once again by Govt.? Stolen lands."

Making threats are we Anon?

KG said...

Sigh...it's always the anonymous cowards who make the stupidest comments.

KG said...

"stolen lands" my ass.
Does anybody seriously think that maori wouldn't have 'stolen" NZ from earlier setllers, had their been any?
oh, hang on...what about the Moriori?

And what about maori who willingly sold land (which in a lot of cases they'd gained by inter-tribal warfare) yet claimed compensation again and again in a long string of "full and final" settlements?

And while we're at it, how about some compensation to Europeans for the benefits of civilisation?

KG said...

From this morning's Stuff news:
"Mr Key said the Government still wanted to negotiate a settlement with Tuhoe and was going to work with the iwi to see if there was another proposal that was acceptable to both sides."

Of course, 'both sides' -according to Key -are Tuhoe and the government not Tuhoe and the NZ taxpayers.
He hasn't abandoned the plan to hand it over, merely decided to apply spin to what they always intended to do.