Opinion

Brave, cynical or racist: bruising Treaty politics

Pattrick Smellie
Mon, 17 May 2021

Brave, cynical or racist: bruising Treaty politics

Māori party MP Rawiri Waititi represents a new impatience in Māori aspiration.

Pattrick Smellie
Mon, 17 May 2021

Strap in. New Zealand politics is turning nasty.Whenever a country is forced to consider race, that’s generally what happens.Politicians either brave, cynical or racist enough to pursue race issues tread a dangerous path since racial politics can become violent in both word and deed.The question right now is whether Judith Collins and Act's David Seymour, by stoking a growing undercurrent of concern about the rise of institutionalised Māori influence on NZ society, are being brave, cynical, or racist.In my view, all three factors are...

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Brave, cynical or racist: bruising Treaty politics

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