UN report on New Zealand
August 20th, 2007 at 6:13 am by David FarrarThe UN (in fact a couple of people who work for the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination) has published its latest report on New Zealand, summarised by the NZ Herald.
Looking around the UN site, I found a word document with a list of questions the Special Rapporteur put to the Government. They include why there are no special hate speech laws (which have had a chilling effect in some countries).
Anyway taking their points in turn:
* United Nations report calls for renewed dialogue between the Government and Maori over the Foreshore and Seabed Act.
Dialogue is almost always a good idea.
* Praises the reduction of socio-economic disparities between Maori and Pacific people and the rest of the population.
This is good.
* Expresses concern about a proposal to remove statutory references to the Treaty of Waitangi.
This shows up factual inaccuracies in the UN’s understanding. The proposal is to remove references to the principles, not the Treaty itself.
* Is concerned that steps taken to target programmes and policies on the basis of need rather than ethnicity may have been adopted in a “political climate unfavourable to the rights of Maori”.
Is there a right for targeting on the basis of ethnicity? I always regard targeting by ethnicity to be a second best option to targeting individuals at need.
* Recommends the Government consider granting the Waitangi Tribunal legally binding powers to adjudicate Treaty matters.
Never going to happen. Cedes too much soveriginity from the elected Parliament.
* Raises concern that there are no explicit references to the Treaty of Waitangi in the draft school curriculum.
Aren’t there? I’m surprised.
* Calls for efforts to address the Maori prison population to be a high priority.
Takes two to tango!
No tag for this post.
August 20th, 2007 at 7:29 am
yes, you have to love these un reports ,ie to many maori in prison ,(is it because they have commited crimes) and i would love hate speech legislation here ie(say) stop killing your kids ,ethnic minorities,(you racist white scum pig, go back from where you came from( out of my mothers womb ,Palmerston North in 1948,( and I would be charged ,not our brown cussie bros),Im listning to a foriegn sounding race relation commisioner(tossier) who should go back to South Arica and deal with that black nutter mugabe, or figuire why our criminal ethnic minorities put kids in clothes driers, break bodies ,make them eat dog shit ,put them in boiling water ETC,, remember check out the countries where these un tossiers come from who have abused our country, what a laugh, friends of the loony left
Vote:August 20th, 2007 at 7:56 am
It says Maori Maori criminals should have their sentences assesed against their ethnic and cultural background. Presumably, this means that any Maori captured in arms against the police should be carried back to the Police Headquarters and enslaved. If necessary, they could then be killed to sell their tattoos to visiting foreigners.
Vote:August 20th, 2007 at 8:08 am
Very droll, kiwi_donkey. Maori culture might just have changed a bit in the last 200 years. It’s not fossilised, anymore than you are, I trust.
Vote:August 20th, 2007 at 8:32 am
And yet, Deborah, the unchanging Maori culture is used justify a ban on women speaking on many Marae, and to ensure Treaty settlements go to Iwi only, cutting out the 100,000 Maori who cannot name their iwi. Maori culture has become a shibboleth that entrenchs existing power structures. Maori were forming into a nation before the Treaty of Waitangi, but that doesn’t suit goals of current Maori leadership, who would rather have iwi-based trusts they control. So that part of Maori culture and history gets shelved.
So yes, Maori culture does change and adapt, like any other culture. But it is held back by a bunch of feudal aristocrats using it as a giant confidence trick by to entrench and protect their own positions. That doesn’t do the rest of Maoridom any good at all.
Vote:August 20th, 2007 at 8:41 am
UN report. Ho hum. Lets not get all upset over a report written for a useless institution, for political means, that will be forgotten by tomorrow.
When the UN can actually make a real difference in parts of the world that really need help, maybe I’ll start paying attention………ok, no I won’t.
Vote:August 20th, 2007 at 8:45 am
Does anyone know the composition of the committee. No doubt they are all above reproach for the example that their own countries display.
Reports like these appear to have credibility and of course are waved about with great relish by those who inhabit the grievance industry space.
Vote:August 20th, 2007 at 9:02 am
From stuff.co.nz: “Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples welcomed the report and said Maori were often the victims of ‘cultural ignorance’ within the criminal justice system.”
Shall we ask the judiciary to take the historical cannibalism of Maori into consideration as part of this demanded cultural awareness? Hell let’s not stop there. The cultural history of Russian’s who may be living in NZ should allow special dispensation for any drunkenness. Same for the Chinese where we should reasonably to offer expect relaxed enforcement of rules regarding medial registration, clothing manufacture and production of fireworks.
What rubbish!
We are one nation and we should have one set of standards that set expectation about how we should behave towards each other. Anyone stepping beyond those boundaries can and should expect the same treatment.
We need fewer apologists like Sharples and more people taking responsibility for their own actions.
Vote:August 20th, 2007 at 9:03 am
ooops, “…medical registration”
Vote:August 20th, 2007 at 9:30 am
Last I heard the Ministry of Education said the lack of reference to the “Treaty of Waitangi” was an oversight and promised to put it back in.
I think they tried to sneak through an eglaitarian secular curriculum and got caned for it.
Vote:August 20th, 2007 at 9:45 am
First and foremost, no ‘principles’ are expressed or implied, to underlie the 3 Treaty Articles.
Vote:Only obligations and responsibilities by both parties. These may be summarised thus:
• Maori to relinquish any rights and powers of sovereignty
• Britain to safeguard Maori possessions
• .Maori to receive British citizenship and so uphold British law
August 20th, 2007 at 9:53 am
The UN has exposed the racist policies against the Maories.
Vote:August 20th, 2007 at 9:56 am
OK Max, I’ll bite. Enlighten me, what racist policies?
Vote:August 20th, 2007 at 9:59 am
Craig, read the artical you fool.
Vote:August 20th, 2007 at 10:02 am
“The UN has exposed……..”
1…..itself to be a laughing stock
Vote:2…..highlighted it’s inability to inact positive change anywhere
3…..shown that it prefers soft targets to tackling real issues
4…..that it will say anything to justify it’s own existance
August 20th, 2007 at 10:11 am
Ask Max a serious question, get abused. Why am I not shocked?
Still waiting to hear from you as to what policies are racist Max.
Some Maori might not like the Foreshore & Seabed act, but it is not a racist policy.
The Treaty in schools issue….already addressed.
Too many Maori’s in prsion? you really want to say that it is government policy to put Maori in prison, just because they are Maori?
So, I’ll wait on a list from you on policies of this government or any serious contender for government that are racist in nature and intent as they negatively effect Maori in NZ.
Vote:August 20th, 2007 at 10:15 am
and Max, if you are going to call someone a fool, it’s would help your credibility if you were able to spell simple words correctly.
Vote:August 20th, 2007 at 10:22 am
the UN report noted that our two official languages are English and Maori. Who told them that? Our two official languages are sign language and Maori.
Vote:The report also said that the next Maori electoral option would be held in 2006. It is now 2007.
August 20th, 2007 at 10:26 am
Ill start taking the UN seriously when they stop appointing countries with the worst records on human rights to either chair or sit on committees wait for it…… to investigate countries like ours. Pathetic. And their so dumb that dont see the irony.
Vote:August 20th, 2007 at 11:17 am
They forgot to mention how men are discriminated against as there are much more men in prison than women.
Vote:August 20th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
“The UN has exposed the racist policies against the Maories[sic].”
Yes so true, proving that there is no such thing as positive discrimination! Special scholarships, reduced entry levels, special places on boards, committees, … that their qualifications are not good enough for. Just because they bask in the eternal sunshine of the iwi elite trough feeders.
And what has is given us – nuttin! Worsening social and conomic indicators, violence, depression…
My whanau does not want the wet woolly white wellington liberal (wo)man’s handouts because they feel we are all people on this earth just trying to get by and why should some get special priveldges. My Whanau shuns the expedient patronising handouts because they would prefer to work for a living like everyone else and realise that the world doesn’t owe them a living.
Constantly having wankers tell them that they are underpriveledged or underclass just turns them off so they are not proud of their Maori heritage.
AND THAT IS REALLY SAD.
So piss of you UN limp dicks and go and pass another resolution so you don’t have to do anything useful.
Vote:August 20th, 2007 at 5:46 pm
Funny how Helen disses this report and constantly craps on America and Aussie because the UN did’nt sanction the invasion of Iraq.
Vote:August 20th, 2007 at 8:30 pm
the un lets maoris, bash and kill kids, its customary rights, like making p, ripping off paua,doing the bash , its heredity its our right
Vote:August 20th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
“and Max, if you are going to call someone a fool, it’s would help your credibility if you were able to spell simple words correctly.”
Love it!
Vote:August 20th, 2007 at 9:42 pm
we finished with that talk on the foreshore farra, i saw tim selwyn in there about it, i said now listen up tim, yous Maori dont own the foreshore,
Vote:we all do,
and that is that
August 20th, 2007 at 9:55 pm
Dale, I was just about to say the same thing
On the radio this morning, in one breath she says the UN’s word is gospel, referring to the Air NZ issue and in the next she is attacking them over this report
The bitch’s hyprocrisy is unbelievable
Should be on NewstalkZB website tomorrow
Vote:August 20th, 2007 at 11:08 pm
OK, the UN report is possibly a misguided reach too far. But Jesus on a Stick, it’s amazing how a report like this – which could open up an intelligent discussion about solutions to the tragic over-representation of Maori in our prison system – emboldens a small minority to vent nasty racist shit. Those of you playing that game: You should be ashamed of yourselves. You add nothing to the equation. In fact, this nasty undercurrent of racism that peaks out from behind the veneer in situations like this, might actually be closer to the source of the problem than any half-considered hypotheses about a “warrior culture” or a Polynesian genetic predisposition to addiction.
Vote:August 21st, 2007 at 12:06 am
Listen you little f**kka, Maori are only GROSSLY over-represented in the limp dick white wellington liberal’s wet dreams. It bullshit. its designed to keep the iwi elite and their born to rule undercalss kissers in power . Don’t play their game. Support a continuous measure of thenicity and the problem evaporates leaving theglaringly obvious cause of the problems – THE MORAL BANKRUPTCY OF THE WELFARE STATE, ITS APOPLGISTS AND CLINGONS.
The problem is that insulated wet kiwi wankers seem to be hell bent on “open minding” themselves into an early grave because they are so scared of being called perocial or isolated from the real world.
And anyone who believes that helen believes what she is saying about the UN when she criticises its spew on the Maori issues would have to have shit for brains.
Its called divide and rule – haven’t you heaard of good cop bad cop. Get alife you turkeys and wake up.
Vote:August 21st, 2007 at 7:59 am
New Zealand should wear UN criticism as a badge of honour. Most of us here in Australia do.
Vote:August 21st, 2007 at 8:01 am
Again I ask, who is the committee and who from the committee actually wrote the report?
Vote:August 21st, 2007 at 7:40 pm
Wow,
how many white folk does it take to get hot under the collar… and no it’s not the start of a bad joke.
Clap Clap Clap (slow ironic clap for those who don’t get the reference), for showing one hell of a level of analysis on this one people. Why the hell did I even bother coming here to look for some insight.
Comfy white folk get all head up because the UN has the balls to say ‘trouble ‘t mill’, which um if you haven’t look recently there is trouble at mill.
For those of you who seem to believe that child abuse is a Maori only problem (do us a favor and f**K off to Australia, Mulman seems keen to welcome ya’ll over with open arms.
For the rest of you worried about the UN, too many late night conspiracy movies I think (mmm looking forward to replies…), those of you attacking Labour for this problem, National will repeal the FS&SB – how’s the add go Yeah Right. But bugger me what if they do the right thing and actually do…
Sad sad sad redneck responses, and whoooa one or two factual inaccuracies and you are all dismissing this out right.
Most disappointing is from David though, “Two to tango” is that your effort as a respected blogger for the issue of Maori offending and incarceration rates, nice one.
finally KiwDonkey, is that because you have been kicked in the head so many times by a Donkey you now have shit for brains? “culture does change and adapt, like any other culture. But it is held back by a bunch of feudal aristocrats using it as a giant confidence trick by to entrench and protect their own positions” isn’t that european culture you’re talking about? Or are you just talking out of that Asses ass?
Vote: