Stuart Smith
National MP Kaikoura
It is ironic that ANZAC Day this year coincided with two pieces of legislation currently being considered by Parliament that will have a chilling effect on our democracy. One is the Canterbury Regional Council (Ngai Tahu Representation) Bill and the other is the Rotorua District Council (Representation Arrangements) Bill. Both of these Bills reduce the democratic rights of non-Maori in New Zealand. While they take different approaches, they are a major departure from the one person, one vote principle so many of our forebears fought and died for.
The Labour Government’s He Puapua agenda is behind these bills as well as their Three Waters and Maori Health Authority agendas, driven by the erroneous belief that co-governance is a requirement of the Treaty of Waitangi.
There is no doubt that the outcomes for Maori in health, education and household income are below where they should be. While Maori males have a shorter life expectancy than Pakeha males, Pakeha males also have a shorter life expectancy than Asian males. Furthermore, women live longer than men, but I am not aware of anybody calling for a radical restructure of the health sector to address this issue, and would not support it if there was.
Some of these disparities are genetic and some lifestyle, but one thing is certain: we will not improve the outcomes for some by reducing the rights of others, be that by ethnicity, gender or any other arbitrary grouping.
I believe this attempt to reinterpret the Treaty will chip away at our democracy. We all fundamentally believe in fairness and equal opportunity, but this will divide us, not bring us together.
Fortunately, a group of concerned citizens is taking legal action to challenge this radical interpretation of the Treaty which I support wholeheartedly. If we do not stand up for our democratic rights we will lose them. The importance of this case cannot be overstated. Silence will be taken as agreement. I urge you to think long and hard about how much you value democracy in New Zealand. If you do value one person one vote, stand up and oppose the direction that New Zealand is currently taking.
Here is the link to the Taxpayers Union website where you can find more information about the case: www.taxpayers.org.nz/water_users_group_legal_update
