Today in the house Rahui Katene was pretending to oppose an increase in GST because of what it would do to Maori families.
Tariana didn’t like it when we pointed out that she would lose her car if the Maori Party voted with their rhetoric.
My money is on the Maori Party voting for the increase and Tari keeping her car.
ps it was interesting to see how unhappy Hone was when Tari shut Rahui down.
Last month when Rahui Katene suggested more public money be put into providing stomach stapling operations as an answer to obesity-related health complications I knew in my gut that it was the wrong message and needed to be challenged.
But I also know a couple of people for whom this type of operation has been extremely beneficial and has extended their life expectancy immensely. As a final option – when all other avenues have been explored – it should be considered.
Today, however, the completely arse-about-face approach to healthcare the National / Act / Maori Party government take has taken a step into the ludicrous.
Reports this morning bemoaning the additional costs to ACC of dancing-related accidents typify the thinking:
Prevention = Bad, Cure = Good
or
Long term plans = Bad, Short-term stats in time for the election = Good
Should we discourage kids from playing sport because they might get injured? Should we not go to the gym because we might pull a muscle? Should we all sit on the couch and watch TV or play Playstation rather than go for a walk as a family?
And having lived that type of lifestyle, will the Government then pick the tab on surgery to make it all OK?
There is no sense whatsoever in taking away the services that teach people to take responsibility for their own health and assist people to make early interventions and then putting more ambulances at the bottom of the cliff.
I posted on Turia’s work with Key that has undermined other Maori members. My post implied it was just the male members that had been undermined by the pair. I was wrong.
I had forgotten that Rahui Katene had been humiliated by Turia during the earlier ETS Select Committee.
So just to make it clear Turia and Key do not discriminate on the basis of gender when it comes to doing deals that make colleagues look foolish.
Lots of coverage over the last couple of weeks on problems within the Maori Party and Hone has got a fair amount of flack.
Claire Trevett has some background. Audrey Young a bit more opinion. And stuff is carrying a lighter piece looking more to Key’s reaction.
But isn’t the real issue the shape of Maori Party the supporters and party workers want. While those who are more closely aligned with the corporates may support the Nacts I got the impression that the teams that did the work on the ground were closer to a Hone Mana Motuhake grouping than a Tariana National/Act approach.
There is also the question of where the others stand. I first worked with Pita 32 years ago and he has always been an individual of real personal integrity, as did Te Ururoa Flavell in our briefer and more recent professional work together. I don’t know Rahui Katene but get the impression she is a hard working woman and is principled.
Everyone knows this debate is not about Hone, bad language or racisim. It is about the future of the Maori Party and in particular how many more times the male members can be humiliated by John Key and Tariana Turia working together as a team.
