Jay,

It's not a matter of "repairing the past".

It's about continuing to do the same things in the present day that we've always done.

....and trying to pretend it's all in the past.

runner
How would you solve the problem?

Runner are you of the opinion that New Zealand is undemocratic because Maori have representation in parliament?
"We on the radical right understand that people like you are basically decent folk" Unfortunate we on the "radical left" cannot return the complement.

Hi Paul,

Interesting that you raise that issue, because my answer would be "Yes, to the extent that one ethnic group has been allocated some rights and privileges that no the group has, New Zealand has become that much less democratic."

That would be an empirical observation, not a value judgment: if people from one group have rights that others can never have, what else would you call it, good or bad, right or wrong ? New Zealand, has, to that extent, become less democratic, no two ways about it.

Of course, what is even more worrying is that only the elites within the iwis and hapus and whanaus are going to be able to exercise those extra powers. Ordinary Maori, especially urban Maori, as Alan Duff has said repeatedly, are not going to get a look-in, they will stay disenfranchised, i.e. less enfranchised than non-Maori.

'Equality' means equality for all, or it should. Equal rights, equal obligations, equal opportunity. It's one reason why I have no interest in 'recognising' Indigenous people in the Constitution. The Aboriginal Flag is an official Australian Flag, it can be flown everywhere in Australia, and is immediately 'recogniseable' wherever and whenever it's flown.

These 'brilliant' initiatives seem to benefit only the elites - more Committees, more plum jobs, more overseas Conferences and yet more committees. And so often, it is the same names, of talent-less hacks who seem to get put onto those committees, clueless people who know the right mantras but have not a single bright idea between them. Except yet more fancy ways to 'recognise' Indigenous people, basically themselves, who can, over time, put each others' names forward for AMs or AOs for some obscure service to 'their communities'.

Genuine and enriched equality for all, and be done with it.

Joe

Paul1405

how well do you thin ATSIC worked? Self determination would lead to more corruption, more tribalism and worse outcomes for the woman being bashed and the kids being neglected.

Poirot,
Fair enough, I can see your point but from a practical point of view there aren't many options, either "we" leave "them" alone, or "we" supervise "their" lives and physically prevent "them" from self harming or harming others.
What I'm saying is that Whites taking physical control over the lives of Aborignes is a bad idea for all concerned since it simply reverts to the old system of White supremacy and White supremacy, simply put is a rotten deal for Whites too, that's why there was so little resistance to the disestablishment of those old systems.
You see the problem here? The ideal solution would be one that delivered mutual benefits to both Whites and Indigenous but if "we" don't get anything out of the deal because "they", the addicts, the damaged and the indolent have nothing to offer why should "we" give it a second thought? As I said, in that situation no matter how many billions you throw at it and however good the intentions behind it all you're doing is trying to patch up the past, to right wrongs that stretch back beyond living memory.
Why do you think there's so little enthusiasm among Whites for engagement with indigenous people? And for Pete's sake don't say "Racism", I couldn't bear another one of "those" conversations.