Espiner on Harawira call for different standards/laws for Maori

Colin Espiner highlights a significant issue in respect of what Harawira said and appears to believe, if he is correct, considerable difficulties are likely to emerge:-

Hone said he was sorry for the language he used. He continued:

“I suspect if I had said something like European colonisers have been responsible for the loss of 63 million acres of Maori land over the past 150 years and it is inappropriate that you should be holding me to the standards set by people with such little regard for Maori land and Maori custom it wouldn’t have rated a mention in the media.”

So if I’ve got this straight, Hone is saying that he – and presumably his party – should not be held to the same standards as other MPs or other New Zealanders, because they were set by people whose ancestors took Maori land unlawfully several hundred years ago.

That, actually, is in a way more damaging than the original swear words. It’s certainly not “mana-enhancing” to the relationship between the Maori Party and National.

Apartheid, racism anyone.

Many New Zealanders will be reluctant to accept any deal on land or sea now that Harawira has stirred the race relations up so violently. He gives credence to fears held by a lot of Kiwis. Lazarus will be loving this.