Willie says you’re not a proper Maori unless you agree with him

Stuff reports:

Both ACT and National hold the position that 14 per cent of councillors are already Māori, which is equal to the proportion of the general population.

However, Jackson says, “95 per cent of them would not be advocating a Māori view’’.

“You advocate a Māori view, you forget about getting up on the council.

“Seymour is a classic example of absolutely being Māori, like Simon Bridges is, but neither of them ever advocate Māori positions, so they’re a total waste of bloody time,’’ Jackson told Newsroom.

This is very telling.

First of all there is no such thing as “a Māori view” as there is a diversity of views with Maoridom, just as there is within all cultures and races.

So what Willie really means is that unless you agree with his personal view of what is a Maori view, then you’re not a real Maori.

In response to Jackson’s comments that he was a “total waste of bloody time” on Māori kaupapa, Seymour says that’s a perfect example of why you shouldn’t “start classing humans by their race”.

“Māori don’t have to have a particular ideology,” he told Newsroom.

It was Seymour who advocated for and got charter schools across the line under a previous National-led government – Jackson benefited from that policy after helping to set up one of the Auckland-based Māori schools.

The Labour Party subsequently ended the policy.

“Willie Jackson was happy to be a sponsor and receive money under ACT party policy. I’d love Willie to tell us if that was a Māori position or not,” Seymour said.

Exactly.