THE BOTTOM LINE

As I expected, and feared, the New Zealand Māori Council [the Council] and the National Iwi Leaders Forum [the Forum] are now competing for the leadership over who represents Māori interests in the freshwater.  That in itself is monumentally stupid.  I liken it to watching two fools argue over the TV remote when they haven’t even got a TV or reception.  But even worse, some of us are taking sides in the argument. 

Let me spell it out.  The core question for us is; do we consent to the government selling the control and use rights of freshwater as part of its programme of state asset sales?  Apart from Ralph Norris, our clear answer is; no.  So our bottom line is; no sales.

Looking at the Council and the Forum I see some strong leaders on both who will hold to that.  Eddie Durie (Council) and Margaret Mutu (Forum) come to mind.  But I see many more who will put material interest first and, either through litigation or negotiation, will cut a deal that lets the sales happen.

The core problem as manifested by the Council and Forum is not their lack of unity over making decisions, but the fact that they’re both practicing power politics while we their people hold firmly to people politics.   

People politics is based on the knowledge and experience of tangata whenua.  It currently has no constitutional recognition and, consequently, no protection. Power politics is based on the knowledge and experience of tangata wehenga.  In essence this is the power politics of the Crown, and it is both constitutionally recognised and protected. 

People politics start and end with the relationship between the Gods and everything they created, while power politics start with Mankind and end with the ability to buy and sell everything.  When Māori practice power politics, we are on constitutionally solid ground, but tikanga-wise, we’re on the sand. 

I strongly believe that we do need a national representative body, but that it’s neither the Council nor the Forum.  Instead it is one based on He Wakaputanga o te Rangatiratanga o Nu Tireni and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, it will have constitutional recognition and protection at every level, and it is re-emerging even as I write. 

In the meantime, we must stop being distracted by the power politics at play and send both the Council and the Forum two simple messages.  Our bottom line is no sales.  Your job is to jointly hold that bottom line until your replacement is established.