Tukaki challenges National to cut the brown box ticking out

The New Zealand Maori Councils Executive Director, Matthew Tukaki, has taken National to task over its lack of Maori focus and warned leader Judith Collins, that they must take up their seats on the Maori Affairs Select Committee. Tukaki has gone even further saying that Nationals abandonment of Maori is the clearest signal yet that National is on no position to even consider governing in three years time:

“Lets be clear here – the National Party has gone back to the “good ol boy” days where non-Maori make all the decisions for our people and to be frank – what an absolute to put a non-Maori in charge of what they call “Iwi Development” – nah Iwi is one part of Maoridom what about Hapu, what about Marae and what about Maori whanau and communities wherever they are?” Tukaki said

“Then there are the images I have seen of Judith Collins welcoming other communities into her office but not Maori – what did Maori do to be excluded by Nationals leaders? And if I hear one more time that Maori denied the whakapapa of former leader Simon Bridges or Paula Bennett and that caused a rift then that is just hoha. If National knew Maoridom they would know that thousands of our people voted for them – but inside that Party the Maori voice is silent.” Tukaki said

“And then lets look at the other insult that has been a regular feature of the last few years – and that is the fact that National cannot bring itself to run in the Maori seats – well I challenge Judith Collins to reverse that decision and run. Stop outsourcing Maori Affairs to third parties, stop ignoring our people and cut this stupidity out when it comes to engagement with Maori – and BTW you want to come onto the Marae then come because you want to – not because you want to brown box tick and get the photo to make your guy look good on Facebook” Tukaki

Tukaki has laid down a challenge to National to make a return to the Maori seats and said if they don’t then they should not expect to speak on sort of authority to when it comes to Te Ao Maori.