Matua Kahurangi
Just a bloke sharing thoughts on New Zealand and the world beyond. No fluff, just honest takes.
ACT Leader David Seymour hit the nail on the head with his latest post about the Kapa-Kingis and Te Pāti Māori. When the party that constantly rails against ‘colonial’ systems suddenly runs to the very same system for protection, it exposes the hypocrisy at the heart of their politics.
Te Pāti Māori has spent years pushing for a tikanga-based legal framework and even a separate Māori Parliament. However, the moment internal conflict erupts, the Kapa-Kingis seek refuge in the so-called colonial courts. That is not a show of confidence in tikanga justice: it is an admission that New Zealand’s legal system, rooted in British law, works. It is fair, consistent and gives every voice, no matter who they are, a chance to be heard.
Seymour is right that the Western legal system is not perfect, but it is one of the fairest in the world. It is built on values that uphold democracy, individual rights and the rule of law. Those are principles that protect everyone, Māori and non-Māori, alike. Without them, New Zealand would descend into a patchwork of competing tribal laws, each claiming authority over the other.
The irony is that while Te Pāti Māori vilifies ‘colonialism’, they benefit from every one of its structures: the courts, parliament, education and welfare systems they constantly criticise. If they truly believed in their rhetoric, they would settle disputes through tikanga, not the High Court.
This article was originally published on the author’s Substack.
