Andrew Dickens: It's been a remarkable week for Māori

Now seeing as I am a 60 year old white guy, some will consider my comments inherently racist, but I am allowed my opinion just as you are allowed yours. 

Opinions are like bums - we all have one, so why fight it?

Firstly, the coming out of the Māori Queen. 

One thing is for sure, Māori do this customary and ceremonial stuff well. The attendees are seeing history, a young Queen about to take leadership. 

But I’m always amazed at the one year silence thing. Sure you’re getting the lay of the land and forming your ideas for your reign and paying respect to your predecessor, but come on. 

It seems to me that the year's silence gives the courtiers more power over affairs of state. When the cats away the mice will play. 

Now to the Tamaki Makaurau by-election. 

I couldn’t believe how many voters got the City Council Elections and the by-election to be a Member of Parliament confused.  

One person on telly wondered if Oriini Kaipara was running for Mayor. And you wonder why we get strange governments and councils. 

The candidates also ran chaotic campaigns.   

Oriini Kaipara had a shocker. Claiming her party, who have not been in government since 2017, had repealed laws. No they did not - back then they were support partners and so not able to repeal laws. 

Then she had to grab her phone to check policy while Jack Tame looked on quizzically. 

Then she said her Labour opponent should be Prime Minister of New Zealand, which must have raised the eyebrows of Rawiri and Debbie.

I understand Oriini's appeal. She’s young and smart. She was a respected journalist, and she has the Māori Party sartorial style. Fine alternative statement clothes - they always looked like they’ve been styled by Zambesi.

But it’s not what you look like or seem, it’s what you say. She seems underdone and would get better with more time. 

Then there’s Peeni Henare. A product of Māori's hierarchical society where a lot of weight is given to your family, your whakapapa, and your journey. 

He’s always been mentioned as a future Prime Minister. It seems like it’s owed and not to be earned. If he loses this one it’s over, because you can’t be a Prime Minister if you couldn’t win a Māori electorate. Twice.

He also had a shocker going against the gang patch law having to be corrected by Chippy. Also I didn’t need to see him working out with David Letele, I want to know what he thinks, not how he sweats 

You know I don’t think I could vote for either if I could.  But I can’t. I’m not allowed to. And that seems to be how the electorate feel with indications of a terrible turnout this weekend. 

And that’s a bad thing. If you respect the treaty, if you’ve chosen to be on a Māori roll, then you owe your people to use that privilege, or right if you prefer. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's been a remarkable week in the Malori world. So
I thought i'd give a few of my own opinions.
And seeing as I am a sixty year old white guy,
so I'm going to consider my comments inherently racist and
no matter what I say, but I am allowed my opinion,
just as you're allowed Yours opinions are like bums. We
all have one, so I fight it. So firstly, from
to al Maori, the coming out of the Maori Queen

(00:21):
this week. One thing is for sure, Malory do this
customary and ceremonial stuff. Well, the attendees are seeing history.
A young queen is about to take leadership. It's pretty amazing.
But I'm always amazed at this one year's silence thing,
which happens after the death of your predecessor. Sure, okay,
I get it to you're paying respects, you're getting the
lay of the land, you're forming your ideas for your

(00:42):
bigin you're paying respect to two the guy who came
before you. But come on, a year seems to me
that the year's silence gives the kirk courtiers more power
over the affairs of the Maori state. And when the
cats are away, the mice will play, but that's just
my opinion. Now to the Tamakimikodo election. I couldn't believe
how many voters got the city council elections and the

(01:04):
by election confused. One person on Telly wondered if Orni
Kuiper was running for mayor, and you wonder, then why
we get such strange governments and councils Because people are
not involved, they're not into it, and the candidates ran
chaotic campaigns or any Kuiper had a shocker. She claimed
her party, who have not been in government since twenty seventeen,

(01:25):
had repealed laws. No, they did not, even when they
were back as a support partner back in twenty seventeen.
They were a support partner and not able to repeal laws,
So what was that about. Then she had to grab
her phone to check policy while Jack Tame looked on quizzically.
Then she said her Labor opponent should be the Prime
Minister of New Zealand, which I mean, how did Ravli

(01:45):
and Debbie feel about that? She's backing the guy from
the other side. I understand Orini's appeal. She's young and
she's smart. She was a respected journalist and she's got
the Maori party sartorial style, fine alternative statement clothes. You
know that this party always looks like they've been styled
by Zambezi. But it's not what you look like or

(02:06):
what you're seeing, it's what you say. And she seems
underdone and will get better with more time. It's too
soon for her than this. Penny Henale a product of
Maldi's hierarchical society, where a lot of weight is given
to your family, your fucka pappa and your journey. And
he's always been mentioned as a future prime minister. It
seems like it's owed and not to be earned. And

(02:28):
you know, if he loses this one, it's over as
a prime minister, Penny, because you can't be prime minister
if you can't win your seat twice. And he also
had a shock of going against the gang patch law
and he had to be corrected by Chippy. Also, I
didn't need to see him working out with David Littelly
the butterbean. You know, I want to know what he thinks,
not how he sweats. So you know, I don't think
I could vote for either of the candidates, but I can't.

(02:51):
I'm not allowed to. And you know what, though, that
seems to be how the electric feels with indications of
a terrible turnout this week, and that really breaks my heart.
That is a bad thing to Mari and the Toommackimikodo
by election. If you respect the treaty, if you have
been chosen to be on a Maori roll, then you

(03:11):
owe your people to use that privilege of the vote.
Or could I call it a rite? For more from
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