will the Maori Party be left II
Back in August I posted about the question of the likely leftwingedness of the Maori Party.
Lately Tariana has been voting in not entirely left ways. There is the obvious example of her announcement that she will vote against the CUB (I just despaired when I read Russell Brown's retelling of her bfm comments over on DPF's blog) and Joe Hendren has told me, off-blog, that she also voted for the big-step-backwards United Future amendment on the Care of Children Amendment Bill (thankfully it didn't pass, but it was even more draconian than the Judith Collins' one).
I know these are social and conscience issues, and not exactly died in the wool working class stuff, but to start out like this is not a good sign. Maybe Tari thinks she is competing with Destiny NZ for the Maori vote, not Labour?
8 comments:
You need to get out more. There aren't very many socially liberal Maori outside of universities and government departments.
yep I certainly do - the mere fact that I have a blog indicates that I need to get out more.
it's often postulated that the working class, to take race out of the question for a sec, are quite socially conservative, but when a large percentage of NZers have supported gay rights and even legal recognition of same-sex relationships for decades (as Russell Brown details in his Real Conscience), it tends to indicate there must be a pretty high level of support amongst more groups in society, doesn't it?
My personal opinion is that Donna Awatere-Huata will join the Maori Party and possibly run in the Tukituki (general) seat or the Ikaroa Rawhiti Electorate. This is completelty unsubstantiated rumour but I think its likely... even a possible return to Maori Radicalsim
The tangata whenua I know don't seem to be any more authoritarian than anyone else.
In my experience, the socially conservative/liberal split in Maori that I know is the same as in Pakeha - firmly along age lines. The older one is, the more conservative one is.
I suspect Asher is bang on.
However I would be really interested to see if Maori are more religious than Pakeha. I think PI's probably are. That would play a role too I guess.
On the DAH going to the Maori Party theory - I don't think they would take her. I also hear that she and her husband are absolutely on the bones of their arses.
The poor tend to be more prone to religion, particularly predatory cults like Destiny. Anything that claims to offer a solution to their problems can hold a lot of appeal. Since Maori and Pacific Islanders are disproportionately represented amongst the poor, I'd expect to find a greater proportion of them attending church than Pakeha.
yep it's the ol' hope thing. better than despair i guess. thanks for your comment CMT
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