Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

Community 'under siege' says Waiariki MP

Te Ururoa Flavell,
Member of Parliament for Waiariki

Monday 15 October 2007

Community 'under siege' says Waiariki MP

The unprecedented police activity across the small rural Maori communities throughout the Urewera Valley has been described by Waiariki MP as placing a community in his electorate "under siege".

"Operation 'O-desk', as it unfolded this morning, has left school-children and families fearful" said Te Ururoa Flavell, Member of Parliament for Waiariki. "As reports came in to my electorate office, it became clear that some serious allegations are at the forefront of the events of today" said Flavell.

"It is not my place to comment on matters before the Court, but as Electorate MP for this region, I was alarmed to hear that children on the way to school had been upset by the police armed roadblock in Ruatoki" said Flavell.

"One of the suspects was greatly distressed to have been arrested in front of his mokopuna" said Flavell. "How do whanau taking their children to kura or kohanga reo, explain to them the presence of the armed defenders squad?"

"The Maori families living in my electorate feel unduly harassed by the number of search warrants imposed, the charges laid, and the intimidation they believe they have experienced this morning" said Te Ururoa Flavell.

"It was soul-destroying to hear one koroua describe his first thoughts were that it reminded him of the context of raupatu" said Te Ururoa Flavell. "This is not surprising, given it appears the road block was at the site of the confiscation line - which marks the point up to which land was taken from Tuhoe in the 1860s".

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

"The whole context around the Terrorism Suppression Act is highly charged for Maori" said Flavell. "When the Act came in to law in 2002, Maori predicted it was only a matter of time before it was used against them and so it is inevitable that these concerns have arisen this morning given that this is the first time that the Terrorism Suppression Act has been applied".

"The timing is of great interest in that the select committee reporting on the new Terrorism Suppression Amendment Bill has just issued its report (27 September. People have been asking is this an opportunity to test the Act? It certainly doesn't surprise our community that it happens close to home" said Mr Flavell.

"We are yet to receive a full briefing as to the events as they have transpired, but as we understand it, people of mixed ethnicity are involved in this operation across the country" said Flavell.

"The safety and wellbeing of the public is of course uppermost in our minds. We will be keeping a very close eye on this situation. The key issue for all the families I represent, is how reliable is the evidence?"

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.