I think one of two things may happen. TPM will sort out its internal splits and will not be affected at all in its polling, or it won't get itself sorted and will implode under the pressure of all the egos involved, to the extent that it fractures. However, over at all looms the spectre of John Tamahere who is not going to go quietly, if at all. Judging TPM by Pakeha mores and processes is irrelevant, they just do not operate within the same parameters. Remember how embedded the tentacles of Nanaia Mahuta's relatives were in some of the operations in her patronage. While i do not favour TPM and its grandstanding I'm sad that they have not matured into a party to be taken seriously.
Naniah Mahuta and her family dealings with He Puapua, co-governance and 3 waters, were the same sort of entitled nepotism as what is happening with TPM and, in my view, more sinister as she was a cabinet minister. TPM are behaving more like Stalin and Mao; they preach freedom for the workers but live like fuedal lords - Greens are not far behind.
Just need some Maoris with integrity to take over. There must be some around! I wonder if Uncle Whata ever took notice of what was going on in the first version of TPM. I sometimes wonder if he was sheltered/excluded from the games (under tariana, pita & flavell/harawira or whether he took part in it. I love Uncle (still w us) I hope he would have been able to stop this. WTH wrong w Maoris nowadays? 😂 You know if tradition was taken seriously, kaupapa, tikanga etc at the highest levels there wouldn't be this mess. Integrity is a beautiful thing Mr T.
Thing is there are some really great ethical and switched on Maoril leaders - lots of them. Unfortunately there are, like everywhere, some decietful toe rags. The difference them is that if a non maori was to do what TPM have done they would be booted from parliament and likely jailed. TPM and some Labour politicians seem to get a free pass because those in power seem to think it is racist to call them out. You are correct integrity is beautiful and I care not one jot as to the race of the person becuase integrity and honesty are universal values.
The only thing that's different is they've emailed the dirt out to members. I'm pretty sure the accusations could be leveled at politicians and parties anyway. I remember the dodgy players in the former Maori party under tariana and pita and Mana too. Actually I think the Maori party was worse than Mana. Same with the Greens. All familiar. I'm not sure announcing it to the membership is very useful. I suppose it could provide an opportunity for serious members to get to work on cleaning the thing up. I still believe there's a place for an innovative Maori party or at least an innovative, civil-revolutionary 'Maori values' based organisation that works outside parliament with the people - whoever we are - to influence voting at elections.
"What’s at stake here is not just one party’s fortunes, but the credibility of Māori representation in politics".
I don't see how you can draw that conclusion. Is the credibility of European representation in politics determined by the behaviour of ACT, National or Labour Members of Parliament? Parties come and parties go. People and communities carry on.
"If TPM implodes due to internal integrity failures, it could set back Māori political progress by years"
It could, but it probably would not. Maori are politically agile. They have moved between the Young Maori Party, Labour, New Zealand First, the Maori Party, Mana Party and Te Pati Maori with hardly the bat of an eyelid. The real conclusion to be drawn from this en masse party hopping by the Maori population is that the colonialist system has a great deal of difficulty accommodating legitimate Maori aspirations. In fact I would go further and argue that the colonialist system is inherently incapable of delivering on those aspirations.
At some point Maori may abandon colonialist politics altogether. That would not be a setback. If signalling a return to rangatiratanga, as it almost certainly would, it would be progress of the most significant order.
In my own opinion, TPM leadership may be overly concerned about the impression that various incidents are creating among non-Maori. To others, Eru Kapa-Kingi's altercation with parliament's security guards was unremarkable. The security guards and the administrators of parliament did not respond in the manner of tikanga Maori. Of course they didn't. They are trained in a colonialist tikanga. We have a long way to go before this kind of incident can be handled sensibly by the colonialist administration. Similarly the comments made by Takuta Ferris and John Tamihere in relation to the Tamaki makaurau by-election made valid points, which were lost in the outpouring of indignation, real or feigned, by colonialist politicians and journalists.
We should not get too precious about such incidents which are a predictable outcome of the present awkward synthesis of Maori and colonialist culture around the parliamentary system of government.
Nepotism is formally sanctified in one pillar of the colonialist constitution (the British monarchy) and deplored everywhere else - especially when Maori are involved. Yet whanaungatanga is an essential element of Maoritanga.
Nepotism becomes an issue when Maori engaged in the workings of the colonialist state follow their normal and traditional whanau based social practices. Such conflicts between Maori custom and the protocols of colonialism are an inevitable result of the unnatural synthesis of Maori and colonialist systems of sociopolitical organisation within parliament and local councils, in the form or Maori seats, Maori wards and Maori political parties such as Te Pati Maori.
I am not so upset by the ructions within TPM as Bryce appears to be, but still I personally believe that it would be better to completely vacate the colonialist political structure rather than to persist with these chimaera which cause such dissension.
A sensible Maori political organisation is needed. One that focuses initially solely on the economic health of people, all New Zealand. Cultural, identity - incl. often loony stuff = at best an impediment - at least without a firm economic basis/foundation. There's no progress without decent life, e g. somewhere (healthy and beautiful) to live, (delicious, nutritious) food to eat, (well made, beautiful) clothing to wear, and something to hope for (meaning, dignity, highest quality of knowledge/training). That's what much of our NZ population needs/wants and deserves. In this little paradise it must be possible.
I think one of two things may happen. TPM will sort out its internal splits and will not be affected at all in its polling, or it won't get itself sorted and will implode under the pressure of all the egos involved, to the extent that it fractures. However, over at all looms the spectre of John Tamahere who is not going to go quietly, if at all. Judging TPM by Pakeha mores and processes is irrelevant, they just do not operate within the same parameters. Remember how embedded the tentacles of Nanaia Mahuta's relatives were in some of the operations in her patronage. While i do not favour TPM and its grandstanding I'm sad that they have not matured into a party to be taken seriously.
Naniah Mahuta and her family dealings with He Puapua, co-governance and 3 waters, were the same sort of entitled nepotism as what is happening with TPM and, in my view, more sinister as she was a cabinet minister. TPM are behaving more like Stalin and Mao; they preach freedom for the workers but live like fuedal lords - Greens are not far behind.
Just need some Maoris with integrity to take over. There must be some around! I wonder if Uncle Whata ever took notice of what was going on in the first version of TPM. I sometimes wonder if he was sheltered/excluded from the games (under tariana, pita & flavell/harawira or whether he took part in it. I love Uncle (still w us) I hope he would have been able to stop this. WTH wrong w Maoris nowadays? 😂 You know if tradition was taken seriously, kaupapa, tikanga etc at the highest levels there wouldn't be this mess. Integrity is a beautiful thing Mr T.
Good point Seann,
Thing is there are some really great ethical and switched on Maoril leaders - lots of them. Unfortunately there are, like everywhere, some decietful toe rags. The difference them is that if a non maori was to do what TPM have done they would be booted from parliament and likely jailed. TPM and some Labour politicians seem to get a free pass because those in power seem to think it is racist to call them out. You are correct integrity is beautiful and I care not one jot as to the race of the person becuase integrity and honesty are universal values.
I fear there isn't one politician who is at least prepared to learn from their mistakes. Re TPM = some sort of soft coup might be in order.
The only thing that's different is they've emailed the dirt out to members. I'm pretty sure the accusations could be leveled at politicians and parties anyway. I remember the dodgy players in the former Maori party under tariana and pita and Mana too. Actually I think the Maori party was worse than Mana. Same with the Greens. All familiar. I'm not sure announcing it to the membership is very useful. I suppose it could provide an opportunity for serious members to get to work on cleaning the thing up. I still believe there's a place for an innovative Maori party or at least an innovative, civil-revolutionary 'Maori values' based organisation that works outside parliament with the people - whoever we are - to influence voting at elections.
"What’s at stake here is not just one party’s fortunes, but the credibility of Māori representation in politics".
I don't see how you can draw that conclusion. Is the credibility of European representation in politics determined by the behaviour of ACT, National or Labour Members of Parliament? Parties come and parties go. People and communities carry on.
"If TPM implodes due to internal integrity failures, it could set back Māori political progress by years"
It could, but it probably would not. Maori are politically agile. They have moved between the Young Maori Party, Labour, New Zealand First, the Maori Party, Mana Party and Te Pati Maori with hardly the bat of an eyelid. The real conclusion to be drawn from this en masse party hopping by the Maori population is that the colonialist system has a great deal of difficulty accommodating legitimate Maori aspirations. In fact I would go further and argue that the colonialist system is inherently incapable of delivering on those aspirations.
At some point Maori may abandon colonialist politics altogether. That would not be a setback. If signalling a return to rangatiratanga, as it almost certainly would, it would be progress of the most significant order.
In my own opinion, TPM leadership may be overly concerned about the impression that various incidents are creating among non-Maori. To others, Eru Kapa-Kingi's altercation with parliament's security guards was unremarkable. The security guards and the administrators of parliament did not respond in the manner of tikanga Maori. Of course they didn't. They are trained in a colonialist tikanga. We have a long way to go before this kind of incident can be handled sensibly by the colonialist administration. Similarly the comments made by Takuta Ferris and John Tamihere in relation to the Tamaki makaurau by-election made valid points, which were lost in the outpouring of indignation, real or feigned, by colonialist politicians and journalists.
We should not get too precious about such incidents which are a predictable outcome of the present awkward synthesis of Maori and colonialist culture around the parliamentary system of government.
Nepotism is formally sanctified in one pillar of the colonialist constitution (the British monarchy) and deplored everywhere else - especially when Maori are involved. Yet whanaungatanga is an essential element of Maoritanga.
Nepotism becomes an issue when Maori engaged in the workings of the colonialist state follow their normal and traditional whanau based social practices. Such conflicts between Maori custom and the protocols of colonialism are an inevitable result of the unnatural synthesis of Maori and colonialist systems of sociopolitical organisation within parliament and local councils, in the form or Maori seats, Maori wards and Maori political parties such as Te Pati Maori.
I am not so upset by the ructions within TPM as Bryce appears to be, but still I personally believe that it would be better to completely vacate the colonialist political structure rather than to persist with these chimaera which cause such dissension.
A sensible Maori political organisation is needed. One that focuses initially solely on the economic health of people, all New Zealand. Cultural, identity - incl. often loony stuff = at best an impediment - at least without a firm economic basis/foundation. There's no progress without decent life, e g. somewhere (healthy and beautiful) to live, (delicious, nutritious) food to eat, (well made, beautiful) clothing to wear, and something to hope for (meaning, dignity, highest quality of knowledge/training). That's what much of our NZ population needs/wants and deserves. In this little paradise it must be possible.