Posts Tagged ‘Treaty of Waitangi’
Auckland Law Revue strikes again
Nice. Gotta love ’em. – P
An excellent primer on why the Treaty of Waitangi applies to ‘modern stuff’ like the radio spectrum
Broadcaster and Te Reo lobbyist/activist/legend Piripi Walker lays out the case: Why Maori seek share of 4G spectrum (stuff.co.nz via Bryce Edwards NZPD) A highlight for me, early in his argument: We should not be surprised in the digital age that its protections, in respect of the assumed royal prerogative (the right of kings, queens […]
‘Don’t mention the war.’ Or Waitangi?
Of course John Cleeese’s ‘Don’t mention the war’ is regarded as classic comedy … … but when it comes to the Treaty of Waitangi, there are other, not nearly so satirical calls to avoid discussing contentious topics. Indeed, there are attempts to continually dismiss calls for redress — of genuine, documented, historic injustices (including large […]
The predictable unsavoury and racist kerfuffle that greets Waitangi Day
This, from local Twitter luminaries @ColeyTangerina and @Megapope, is a wonderfully world-weary and efficient summary of the tripe that’s scooped out of the racist bucket in New Zealand around Waitangi Day and spread around thick like the ugly goop that it is. In many cases these tired tropes are trotted out as ‘debate’ or ‘talking […]
Rights, rights, everywhere, but not a drop to drink
From this morning’s NZ Herald editorial about the National-led government’s political machinations around heading off court action by Maori against its flagship asset sales policy*: ‘Too clever’ risk in Govt shares plan Crown lawyers have acknowledged that pre-colonial iwi and hapu had customary control of rivers and streams in their area and those rights were […]
Background of the Waitangi Tribunal
Establishment of the Tribunal There is a long history in New Zealand of Māori protest over instances where the Treaty of Waitangi was not observed. The Waitangi Tribunal was set up in 1975 at a time when protests about unresolved Treaty grievances were growing and, in some instances, taking place outside the law. By establishing […]
Nelson Mandela on reconciliation
One of my very generous sisters-in-law gave me a volume of Nelson Mandela quotations for Christmas. It’s astonishing how much wisdom about the big issues of life he expressed over the years — and with such eloquence and elegance of thought. Thinking about the decades of protest at Waitangi, and the enormous progress towards reconciliation […]
Is this what we want?
New Zealand’s system of government – an overview (via elections.org.nz) New Zealand is a democratic country in which the members of parliament (MPs) are chosen in free and fair elections. Citizens and permanent residents who are aged 18 years and over are required to enrol to vote. Voting is not compulsory, but turnout is high […]
It takes a crisis … Waitangi and its place in our constitution
Radio NZ News this Waitangi Day morning … The co-chair of a panel reviewing New Zealand’s constitutional arrangements says one of its biggest challenges is making the public aware that a review is taking place. The public will be consulted on a range of questions from the size of Parliament to the role of the […]
The Treaty of Waitangi and its principles
In the late 1830s, there were approximately 125,000 Māori in New Zealand and about 2000 settlers. More immigrants were arriving all the time though, and Captain William Hobson was sent to act for the British Crown in the negotiation of a treaty between the Crown and Māori. The Colonial Secretary, Lord Normanby, instructed Hobson that: […]
