Mike's Minute: The issue the Govt promised to address

You’ll be aware of the Far North Council and their unelected Māori voting plan. 

It is of course a scandal, but more importantly it is part of the overall de-Māorification of the economy this current Government, in one form or another, promised to address. 

The fact this stuff is still going on proves they are failing. 

ACT’s Todd Stevenson the other day wrote to Public Service Minister Judith Collins asking about Māori names in government departments. She said there was a war on, and we had better things to do. Fair point? Or convenient excuse? 

The simple truth is what they promised and what has happened are two different things. 

Enter ACT, who are now promising to ban the Far North type of behaviour. Is that a double promise? Didn't you already say you would do that?  

Here is the problem with it:  

1) ACT aren’t running the Government; they are merely part of it. Unless they make it a bottom line, which they won’t, it may or may not see the light of day after the election.  

2) Given their well-promoted stance on race-based policy, going into another election having had the opportunity to fix it already, you have a credibility problem. 

And 3) My sense of this as a broad-based issue is it isn't what it once might have been. 

Personally, I find Māorification problematic. To give someone rules, or money, or decisions of names, or a job based on race is simply irrefutably wrong. 

But the fervour with which that was argued a couple of years ago doesn’t appear to be quite as white hot.  

Yes, there is a very vocal group who seem to have made it their raison d'être, but they are small and many of them are rabid, which makes the appeal of the overall argument to the broader populace less enticing. 

You might also argue that against this wall of determination was an even bigger wall of determination, i.e. those who believe in it, think it's good, who have held the line and carried on. 

And can I suggest that at this point, and the Far North Council are your gold star example, it is they who are the more successful of the two camps.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
You'll be aware, of course, of the Far North Council
and their unelected Maori voting plan. It is of course
a scandal, but more importantly it is part of the
overall demarification of the economy. This current government, in one
form or another, promised to address the fact this stuff
is still going on. I would have thought proves their failing.
Todd Stevenson from ACT the other day wrote to the
Public Services Minister due to Collins asking about Mara names

(00:21):
and government department. She said there was a war on
and we had better things to do. Is that a
fair point or is it a convenient excuse? Simple truth
is what they promised and what has happened are two
different things. Interact, who are now promising to ban Far
North type behavior? Now? Is that a double promise? Didn't
you already say you would do that? So here's the
problem with it. One. ACT aren't running the government, They're

(00:43):
merely part of it. Unless they make it a bottom line,
which they won't. It may or may not see the
light of day after the election too, given their well
promoted stance on race based policy. Going into another election
having had the opportunity to fix it already, you've got
a credibility problem, don't you. In three, my sense of
this as a broad based issue is it isn't what
it once might have been. I mean, personally, I find

(01:04):
morrification problematic. To give someone rules or money, or decisions
or names or jobs based on race is simply irrefutably wrong.
But the fervor with which that was argued a couple
of years ago doesn't appear to be quite as white hot.
I mean, yes, there's a very vocal group who seem
to have made it there I was on debt, but
there's small many of them a rabbit, which makes the

(01:24):
appeal of the overall argument to the broader populace less enticing.
You might also argue that against this wall of determination
was an even bigger wall of determination, i e. Those
who believe in it, think it's good, who have held
the line and carried on, and can I suggest that
at this point in the Far North Council lay a
gold star example, it is they who are the more

(01:44):
successful of the two camps. For more from the Mic
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