Rt Hon Winston Peters

New Zealand First Leader

Member of Parliament for Northland
25 AUGUST 2016

LESSONS FROM US CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT FOR MAORI

“Maori should do as the American civil rights movement did,” says New Zealand First Leader and Northland MP Rt Hon Winston Peters, commenting on Labour’s Electoral (Entrenchment of Māori Seats) Amendment Bill.

“They didn’t choose a path of separatism. They kept their eye on the prize and worked to break down the doors to the best institutions – the businesses, universities and social services.

“New Zealand First does not favour any form of separatism. As difficult as the pathway is in the United States it has a black president, and may well soon have a woman president.

“When the Electoral Reform Commission reported back in the ‘90s favouring MMP they said it would, over time, deliver many more Maori MPs which would obviate the need for separatist seats.

“Clearly the Labour Party has Maori MPs as competent as any of their non-Maori representatives.

“If Labour was to recognise that then Mr Tirikatene’s electoral amendment bill would not have been promoted.

“Moreover, the bill would not entrench the Maori seats because a bare majority of Parliament is all that is required to remove the entrenchment clause, after which time a bare majority, and not 75%, could extinguish the Maori seats.

“So, we would be straight back to the status quo.

“It is a pity that Labour has had to respond to the silly comments of the Maori Party who, having sat at the table of the government, are facing Maori voters’ serious unhappiness at their non-performance.

“And they are propping up a National Party that has utterly forgotten them.”

ENDS

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