Opinion piece by Frank Newman
Oh dear, Ken is feeling a little left out.
In a half-page advertisement in today’s Northern
Advocate, Ken says he’s upset that I, as editor of LETTERBOX, did not send him
an email asking whether he supports or opposes Maori wards and Co-governance.
The reason is not hard to find. It was explained in the latest issue of LETTERBOX, but Ken is a regular reader and he should have known that. Issue 33 states:
“Maori seats and co-governance have come in for attention
during the campaign. To find out where each WDC candidate stands on these two
issues, LETTERBOX has reviewed candidate campaign material or contacted
candidates directly where their position is not mentioned.”
We then listed whether the candidates support or oppose Maori wards and co-governance with Maori.
We did not need to write to Ken, and any other councillor
for that matter, because the voting record shows their position on Maori wards.
And Ken’s view on co-governance has been revealed during
the campaign. At a meeting on the Polytech Marae on the 25th of
August, the question was put to all candidates, ‘Stand if you support
co-governance with Maori”.
Ken stood, and got a jolly good round of applause from
the partisan crowd, who clearly understood the significance.
In today's advertisement, Ken justifies his love
affair with Maori wards, and that’s fine – it’s his personal view. The issue we
have raised with Ken is why he didn’t want the public to have a say on the
matter. 15,000 people signed a petition calling on Ken and his colleagues to
hold a referendum. Perhaps Ken may like to take out another advertisement to explain
why he ignored them – I am sure there
are at least 15,000 people who would like to know.
Ken goes on to say co-governance is not a simple for
or against – he says it’s “nuanced”.
Ken seems to be confused about what co-governance is. It’s
actually quite simple Ken. It means co-governance, not co-management – governance,
jointly, in partnership with Maori. The question put to Ken at the Marae meeting
was “Stand if you support co-governance with Maori”. It was not “Stand if you
support co-management with Maori”.
Co-managing resources like lakes and rivers and
conservation areas is one thing. Co-governing a local authority with all of its
assets and rating income stream is in another league, but maybe that’s a little
too nuanced for Ken to understand.
Here’s the reality. After all of the yak yak yak, the
grandstanding, and the desk thumping, decisions must be made either for or
against (or abstain if you can’t make up your mind). Ken’s nuanced maybe is not an option
when decisions need to be made.