Maori Issues

Politically the second half of 1998 was very disappointing for Maoridom. In 1996 New Zealand First had captured all five Maori seats in Parliament and formed a coalition government with the National party. The cabinet included three Maori ministers, all from New Zealand First, with the leader of New Zealand First as deputy prime minister. However, disputes within the New Zealand First leadership severely weakened their position in the government. National had survived a leadership coup earlier in 1998, but the replacement of Prime Minister Jim Bolger with Jenny Shipley signaled much less commitment to the coalition, and by August it had dissolved.

The sacking in July of the deputy leader of New Zealand First, who is also the minister of Maori Affairs, led fairly rapidly to a split in the New Zealand First caucus. Once the coalition government dissolved, leaving National as a minority government, the split was formalized and the New Zealand First caucus lost seven of its members of Parliament, including four of the five who held Maori seats. Two of the Maori members remained in cabinet initially as independents. By October, Minister of Maori Affairs Tau Henare had set up a new Mauri Pacific party, with five of the defecting New Zealand First members.

National's previous two ministers of Maori Affairs had shown little understanding of Maoridom, with the most recent, John Luxton, being openly antagonistic toward Maori, and derisive and dismissive of Maori aspirations for their own future. Tau Henare was a welcome change, not only because he is Maori, but also because he understands and empathizes with the constant struggle Maori have against their European colonizers. As a result he has not been afraid to point out the anomalies that permeate New Zealand society in its unequal treatment of Maori and Pakeha, and the racism against Maori that is deeply embedded in the structures of almost all government and public institutions throughout the country. He has fought with only moderate success to capture a disproportionately small part of the 1999 budget for Maori, but has ensured that funding has been allocated to areas of immediate practical concern to Maori such as the (re)building of their marae, the restoration and enhancement of the Maori language, and the development of Maori education, housing, and health. He has also publicly supported debate taking place on the issue of constitutional change, whereas the National party and in particular its minister of Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations have dismissed any consideration of the issue.

Henare's outspoken support of Maoridom has continued to bring down on him the wrath of Parliament and the Pakeha media. Headlines flash his latest choice of colorful words used to illustrate a point, attacking him on his use of the English language rather than considering the issue he is raising. The constant attack and denigration has begun to take its toll and undermine Maori confidence in him. With a general election due in October 1999 he and his fledgling party face an uphill battle to remain in Parliament, let alone in government.

While Maori were losing ground on the government benches, the extent of Maori poverty throughout the country continued to grow. In September the Anglican Church, with support from other churches, trade unions, and Maori, organized a protest march named the Hikoi (walk) of Hope. Two groups set out simultaneously from the very far north and the very far south of the country. During the month-long march more than thirty-eight thousand people joined the march, focusing the nation's attention on the massive cuts successive governments have made to social service agencies and tertiary student funding and the fact that New Zealand has the fastest growing gap between rich and poor of any OECD country. Burgeoning student debt is currently well over two billion dollars with the result that Maori enrollment in tertiary education has been declining over the past two years after having...