Louisa Wall: Former Black Fern and Labour MP on TJ Perenara voicing support for Hīkoi mō te Tiriti

There's belief from some that the All Blacks' support for Hīkoi mō te Tiriti is a call for unity.

As halfback TJ Perenara led the pre-test haka yesterday - he referenced the movement opposing the Treaty Principles Bill.

Former Black Fern and Labour MP Louisa Wall says the tradition has evolved over time.

She says it's a team decision who leads - and Perenara wouldn't have been acting alone.

"He obviously talked to his teammates and coach about what the purpose and intent was behind the haka, so that's their choice, surely."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
The only Drive show you can trust to ask the questions,
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Together due to Clan Drive with One New Zealand, Let's
get connected and news talk.

Speaker 2 (00:13):
As said, be good afternoon. It turns out the All
Blacks have edited the version of the Hukker that they
put on their social media accounts. So what's happened is
before uploading the video they have removed the controversial political
bit from TJ Panada at the start where he says
in Mari the sovereignty of the land, the people and
the Treaty of White Toungi remains. Former Blackfern and former
Labor Party MP Luisa wallers with me. Now, hey, Luisa

(00:37):
counter Heather, how do you feel about that?

Speaker 3 (00:40):
About the editing? Hmm, well, it's not been done before.
As far as I know, we never edit, hucker.

Speaker 2 (00:49):
Do you know whether they put the video up, got
the responses, took it down, edited and re uploaded or
is this just how they uploaded it in the first place.

Speaker 3 (00:57):
I presume it's how they uploaded it, which speaks the
question who made that decision? And I chose on my
social media platform to share Sky's version which was the
hooker as it was delivered for us Sunday morning, Saturday
night in Italy, which is what normally happens. Right, we
love the hacker.

Speaker 2 (01:16):
This suggests to me that they are already feeling the
heat or maybe regretting the course of action that they're
taken by saying yes to it.

Speaker 3 (01:23):
Yeah, somebody in there is. Obviously the players worked and
the management didn't seem to, so you know, I take
Razer on his word. He was pretty clear about what
the hooker, what was behind the hooker, and the purpose
of the hooker was to call for unity back home,
which is what we want when our team goes out
on the field, to be honest, we want to unify

(01:44):
team ready to do the business. So you know, TJ
was accorded that leadership responsibility. He's, from what I can see,
played eighty nine tests and that's what it was is
fifty eighth calling the hacker, so you know they trust
him to them.

Speaker 2 (02:00):
Louisa, do you think it's appropriate for him to have
done what he did given given that the hacker is
It feels like an all black supporter. It feels like
it's done on behalf of the whole country. And the
whole country is not in support of the he coy,
so is it appropriate then.

Speaker 3 (02:17):
Well, the whole country has been in supportive the Hoker
that has been performed by the All Blacks since nineteen
oh five. None of us have ever had editorial rights,
and there's been an evolution of the hooker over time,
and in fact we have two forms of the hacker.
But every year the team goes through a process of

(02:39):
determining how they will do the hocker, which is about
it's a tech hunger issue, and who has vested with
the responsibility to lead the hocker on behalf of the
All Blacks and TJ was vested with that leadership responsibility.
He obviously talked to his teammates and his coach and
others about what the purpose intent was behind the hooker.

(03:02):
So that's their choice. Surely, why should any of us
now have a problem with the hacker being led the
way it was?

Speaker 2 (03:11):
Luisa, thank you very much. I really appreciate it. Lewisa
will former Black Fern and also former Labor Party MP.

Speaker 1 (03:16):
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