Opinion - The 54th Parliament of New Zealand

The 54th Parliament of New Zealand was commissioned on December 5, 2023.?

My previous opinion piece should be referred too regarding the make-up of this coalition Government and the commonality that brought them together, which is their dislike for Māori-related peoples.?

It was extraordinarily important that we as a people, who are being targeted by no less than 15 adverse policies by this coalition Government’s agreements, showed our disdain for that as early as possible.?

We had to move exceptionally quickly and as a consequence within 72 hours had to test our capacity, communications and organisational structures up and down the motu. You will be aware that the six of the seven Māori seats that Te Pāti Māori hold were achieved by resources poured into the Pāti by vulnerable and average earning Māori on the street. Just imagine where we will be when we are fully organised.

We were not funded by Iwi Settlement Money nor were we funded by Iwi Commercial Interests.? Within 72 hours we were able to identify what possibilities, capacities and capabilities we can build.

This is a Government that presents us with limitless opportunities. This Government allows us, for the first time in a long time, the ability to grow our movement, grow our organisation, grow our infrastructure in our means to respond to the attacks being made in these 15 policies.?

The activation that occurred December 5, 2023 was achieved by way of our social media networks. We do not need the Press.? The NZ Herald and ZB’s are for the white racists. Disconnect and join our Network.?

Our activations were short, sharp, well-disciplined and sent the message. Talk to us, not about us. Talk to us, you will not walk over us.

It is not for me to justify our apprehension and distaste for these 15 policies.?

The attack on the Māori language is an attack on every Māori. Colonisers always destroy language because in destroying language you destroy culture and you destroy belief in yourself and that is colonisation 101 on full display.?

So the promise of this Government is tremendous for us as a people. Within 72 hours we have identified our activists, our capacity and our capability and we know that once we systemise what is required to happen, we will out organise, out plan and out populate in people when we have to move to assert our mana in the land of our ancestors.

So December 5, 2023, will go down in the writing of another chapter of our emancipation? as we head towards self-management.?

When Pākehā or white folk self-manage its deemed to be clever, competent, capable and innovative. When Māori want to self-manage its deemed separatism, conniving, cunning and unacceptable.?

We can no longer live in an Aotearoa where one part of the population continues to treat us as second class citizens in the belief that they know better for us, or take all of our resources, deploy our resources, fail us and then blame us for the failure.?

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John Tamihere?