It’s OK for the Waitangi Tribunal, Māori activists and the previous Labour Government to force us into Māori separatism but anyone not in favour will have their arguments labelled race-fuelled rhetoric.
Winston Peters’ was the undeserved recipient of that label in the House last week.
Greens Co-Leader Chloe Swarbrick asked Winston Peters “…does he consider it constructive to open a six-month select committee process on the Treaty Principles Bill when experts such as Dayle Takitimu have said it is “stirring up race-fuelled rhetoric in this country”?
This led to a short discussion about who is the country’s current expert on the Treaty. According to Tākuta Ferris that would be Dayle Takitimu. Anyone know who she is? I didn’t either, but Google tells me she’s a Gisborne-based Māori activist. No surprises there. (See: Hansard, NZ Parliament)
Another favourite divider of the country is the surreptitious infliction on te reo on us, particularly in education. I call it bullying.
Why should we adopt it? Reasons given by te reo advocates include:
1. Protect and revitalise Māori culture;
2. Key part of Māori identity;
3. Unify Māori;
4. Unify the nation;
5. Improve relationships between the Crown and Māori.
I argue we could achieve all the above points without te reo.
But there’s a better reason for te reo, and it’s one they won’t talk about because it amounts to bullying: te reo is used as a political tool wielded by activists on their opponents. Don’t debate – just bash your opponents over the head.
The Greens are riding the te reo horse after their previous ride dropped dead (that would be man-made climate change) but speak out against them and your arguments are ‘race-fuelled rhetoric’.
If politicians did what they are appointed to do, New Zealanders would have been asked before having te reo foisted on them.
I am fed up to the eyeballs with being told how to think!
A clear mandate was given at the last election to the coalition Government to mothball Māori separatism, remove reference to the Treaty Principles from legislation and erase their intrusion into every element of NZ life.
While the coalition Government drags its heels on reversing separatism, the Greens ride that horse for all it’s worth, which means te reo entrenchment.
As Te Wiki o te Reo Māori approaches, the government is considering deprioritising teaching te reo Māori in our schools.
“Te Reo Māori is a taonga unique to Aotearoa we must protect and empower at all costs,” says the Green Party’s Education spokesperson, Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan.
“Our indigenous language provides us all with an opportunity to connect and engage with the very essence of Aotearoa and deepen our understanding of Te Ao Māori. An Aotearoa that upholds and embraces Te Tiriti is one that allows te reo to flourish.
Mirage News
Preschools are fairly writhing with te reo, with questionable success, illustrated by the following tale.
“What are you doing?” said a family member to my four year old granddaughter.
She looked up from her drawing and answered “Mahi”.
“What’s that?” the family member asked.
My granddaughter shrugged her shoulders, she didn’t know.
“Work” the family member tells her “Why don’t you just say ‘work’?”
My granddaughter mulls this over saying out loud “Work, it’s work” as she continues drawing.
I think NZ has gone nuts: it’s the only explanation.
I’m tired of te reo: it’s glaring down from every wall of my local library, jumping off media pages (the same idiots who changed New Zealand’s name to Aotearoa without public consultation or consent) and still evident in tardy government departments, despite them being told to cease and desist.
My personal response to having te reo shoved up my nose is to reject it altogether. I won’t learn it, speak it or acknowledge people who speak te reo to me.
Make te reo unsustainable by refusing to succumb. Let’s see how the activists and silly afficionados like that!
