Kerre Woodham: Who is Te Pati Māori to decide who's Māori enough?

Bloody hell. If there is anyone who is entitled to go on a little light trauma induced shoplifting spree, it would be ACT MP Karen Chhour. For those who don't know her background, Karen grew up in the state care system. She was elected to parliament as an ACT Party MP in 2020 with the goal of reforming Oranga Tamariki, having seen rather more of it than most of us have. Before politics, she was self-employed in the New Zealand made clothing industry. She's a mother of four and she's lived on Auckland's North Shore for the past 30 years. So just the sort of person you'd like to see in Parliament: life experience, lived experience, a mum, firm stake in the future of the country for her children, self-employed, hard worker. Exactly the sort of person you'd like to see.  

Well, we'd like to see. If you're a Māori Labour MP or a member of Te Pati Māori, oh no, you don't want Karen Chhour in Parliament. Because she might be Māori, but she's not the right sort of Māori, is she? For those people, it's not enough to whakapapa back. You have to be their sort of Māori. Which means that although we have a record number of Māori who have been elected to this Parliament on their merits, most of them got there because they were the best person for the job. There are 33 MPs of Māori descent across all of the six parties. Nine in Labour. Six in Te Pati Māori, six in the Greens, five in National, four in New Zealand First, three in ACT.  You would have to say that's a really good representation across all political viewpoints. But no. To the ones on the left, the ones on the right of the political spectrum do not count. They are simply not the right sort of Māori. And no one, it appears, is more wrong than Karen Chhour.  

Former Labour Deputy Leader, the late and unlamented Kelvin Davis said in 2022, Chhour needs to leave her “Pākehā world” and stop looking at the world through a “vanilla lens”. Willie Jackson urged her to cross the bridge, to come over from the Pākehā to the Māori. Labour MP Willow Jean Prime called her a “sellout” during the first reading of the Oranga Tamariki Amendment bill. A comment on social media from Te Pati Māori said Chhour had a “disconnection and disdain for her people”. “If it was done right, she would have been raised mildly, should have been raised being connected to her whakapapa and having a knowingness of her Māori tongue. Instead, she was raised Pākehā with a disconnection and disdain for her people”. “Karen and her experience is exactly why we need Section 7 AA”. Later, a Te Pati Māori MP said Chhour had been made a puppet by her party. What a pack of righteous offensive bigots. No wonder Karen Chhour is feeling under siege.  

“I can't control what the public is saying about my personal traits around being Māori enough or not being the right kind of traumatised person. Hearing it from other MP's that shouldn't be allowed. I'm still a person. I'm still a person and I feel like I'm getting that stripped away from me day by day in this place. I've had enough. I asked for an apology, that's all I wanted, and I didn't get one, and that is so disrespectful.” 

Yeah, it is. It's disrespectful and it's offensive. And will Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee do anything about it? Nope. He's not going to go down as one of the all-time greats, is he? ACT Party leader David Seymour says the speaker appears to be giving a green light to racial harassment in Parliament.  

So what is Māori enough? Is Dr. Shane Reti Māori enough? Good luck telling Shane Jones he's not Māori enough. James Meager gave a great maiden speech... oh, he's National, so he probably doesn't count. He is Māori, but on the right of the political spectrum, so probably not Māori enough. He said the left do not own Māori. They don't own the poor and they don't own the workers.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Careywood of Morning's podcast from News Talks.
He'd b.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Bloody hell. If there was any one who was entitled
to go on a little light traum or induced shop
lifting spree, it would be Act MP Karen Shaw. For
those who don't know her background, Karen grew up in
the state care system. She was elected to Parliament as

(00:33):
an Act Party MP in twenty twenty with the goal
of reforming Uranga Tamariki, having seen rather more of it
than most of us have before politics. She was self
employed in the New Zealand made clothing industry. She's a
mother of four and she's lived on Auckland's north shore
for the past thirty years. So just the sort of
person you'd like to see in parliament. Life experience, lived experience,

(00:59):
a mum, firmstake in the future of the country for
her children, self employed, hard worker, Exactly the sort of
person you'd like to see. What we'd like to see
if you're a Mary Labor MP or a member of
Tapati Mari. Oh no, you don't want Karenture in parliament

(01:21):
because she might be Maori, but she's not the right
sort of Mari. Is She? For those people. It's not
enough to fuck a papa back. You have to be
their sort of Marii, which means that although we have
a record number of mary who have been elected to

(01:41):
this Parliament on their merits, no most of them got
there because they were the best person for the job.
There are thirty three MPs of Marty descent across all
of the six parties, nine in Labor six and Tapatimari
six and the Greens five in National four in New
Zealand First three and Act. You would have to say

(02:03):
that's a really good representation across all political viewpoints. But
no to the ones on the left. The ones on
the right of the political spectrum do not count. They
are simply not the right sort of mari And no one,
it appears, is more wrong than Karen Schure. Former Labor

(02:26):
Deputy Leader the late and unlamented Calvin Davis said in
twenty twenty two Chure needs to leave her parquier world
and stop looking at the world through a vanilla lens.
Willie Jackson urged her to cross the bridge to come
over from the park Hou to the Maori. Labor MP

(02:46):
Willow gene Prime called her a sellout during the first
reading of the Old Anger Tamariki Amendment Bill. A comment
on social media from Tepati Mauri said Chure had a
disconnection and disdain for her people. If it was done right,
she would have been raised Mary. She'd have been raised
being connected to a fucker puppa and having a knowingness

(03:08):
of her Mauldi tongue. Instead, she was raised Pakia with
a disconnection and disdain for her people. Karen and her
experience is exactly why we need section seven double. A later,
Tati Maori MP said Sure had been made a puppet
by her party. What a pack of righteous, offensive bigots.

(03:33):
No wonder Karen Truura is feeling under siege.

Speaker 3 (03:36):
I can't control what the public is saying about my
personal traits around being maldy enough or not being the
right kind of traumatized person. Hearing it from other MPs
that shouldn't be allowed. I'm still a person. I'm still
a person, and I feel like I'm getting that stripped

(03:57):
away from me day by day in this place. I've
had enough. I asked for an apology, That's all I wanted,
and I didn't get one, and that respectful.

Speaker 2 (04:07):
Yeah it is. It's disrespectful and it's offensive and will
Speaker of the House Jerry Brownley do anything about it? Noop,
He's not going to go down as one of the
all time greats, is he act. Party leader David Seymour
says the Speaker appears to be giving a green light
to racial harassment in Parliament. So what is Maory enough?

(04:29):
Is doctor Shane Retti Mardy enough? Good luck telling Shane
Jones he's not Mary enough. James Meager gave a great
maiden speech. Oh, he's national, so he probably doesn't count.
He's Mary, But I'm the right at the political spectrum,
so probably not Mary enough. He said, the left do

(04:50):
not own Mary. They don't own the poor, and they
don't own the workers. No party and no ideology has
a right to claim ownership over anything or anyone. And
amen to that, James, I'm not Mary enough to say
what is Mary and what is not? I mean, I
have never and the time I've read about the history

(05:15):
of this country known or Mary to think the same way.
Ewe aren't united in their views, Hapoo aren't united. People
within Hapoo aren't united in their views. People and families
aren't united in their views. Who the hell, are Tepati

(05:36):
Mari and those sanc demonious merely mouthed asses on the
left to decide what it is to be Maori and
whether you're Mari enough. Surely being Mary enough is having
the confidence to know who you are, to decide how

(05:58):
you want to vote, to decide which ideology you best think.
We proved the lot of your people, which is why
you entered parliament. How very bloody dare they?

Speaker 1 (06:13):
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