Every year 06 February, New Zealand commemorates the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi (Te Tiriti o Waitangi), at the Treaty Grounds and other locations around the country. It is a time for the iwi/hapu and politicians to come together and acknowledge the progress made and the progress still to happen. In 2026, with iwi/Crown relations probably at/near a low not seen in decades, it is also a time to reflect on how the current poor state of relations came to be.
Many of the same issues in the past, being uttered by the same protagonists as in the past – Titewhai Harawira and her son Hone being a thus far notable exception – are coming to the fore again. Added to the mix have been combative words from Minister of Foreign Affairs, Winston Peters and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon saying that whilst he supported equal opportunity, equal outcomes is “socialism”.
As the Government progresses its way through the last year of its first time, despite Mr Luxon claiming to respect and recognize te ao Maori, it is easier to remember at the present time the numerous attacks on Government support for our indigenous people. Over the last three years, there has been the abolition of the Maori Health Funding Authority. Maori T.V. has had its funding slashed and its flagship news programme Te Karere has been forced to let go nearly all of its staff.
Over the last three years, one might further argue that in the rush to build motorways and keep the proponents of excessive tax cuts happy, the Government has omitted to help eastern Bay of Plenty, Gisborne and Tairawhiti as well as Hawkes Bay complete their recovery from Cyclone Gabrielle, and now the storms last week, which added to the damage. Although the Government will never admit it, these regions are low priority because they are predominantly Maori, with lower economic output and higher figures in terms of socio-economic disparity. The refusal to fund a plan to mitigate the landslide risk in more slip prone parts of the country, much of which is in hilly, poorly vegetated rural northeastern North Island, which again, is largely Maori speaks volumes about the policy and fiscal agenda.
From a Maori perspective it is not difficult to see why so many are grumpy about the state of Government in New Zealand.
Will politicians find some common ground on Waitangi Day, or will this one – like many before it – be best remembered for the bickering?
Happy Waitangi Day.
Leftist Kiwi Writes 