DIRTY POLITICS IN NATIONAL: A LEGACY FROM (SIR) JOHN KEY ERA

DIRTY POLITICS IN NATIONAL: A LEGACY FROM (SIR) JOHN KEY ERA

Thakur Ranjit Singh

Nicky Hager's tell all book, DIRTY POLITICS based on emails hacked from Cameron Slater's Gmail account and on Facebook chats.,was published on 13 August, 2014. This was almost forgotten for the last six years till the forthcoming election in 2020, when claims of dirty politics again raised its dirty head. This was in the aftermath of the leadership challenge and the change in National Party after Simon Bridges was rolled by a newcomer, Todd Muller. This new leader is well-known, at times, for unsubstantiated criticism of the Labour Coalition government with his often-repeated cathwords of "shambolic, shabby and shambles."

Things came to a head on 6 July, 2020 when it was revealed to the National leader that one of his electorate MPs, Hamish Walker had leaked confidential e-mails on positive Covid 19 patients, leaked to him by a former National Party president, Michelle Boag.

Both the National leader and their health spokesman Michael Woodhouse used that leaked e-mails to criticise the government and accuse them of being shambolic and in shambles. Once it was revealed that National had scored an own-goal, with leaks that happened in-house, people were once again reminded of the 2014 election which was marred by claims of Dirty Politics.

Hager had claimed that dirty politics in the National Party was nurtured by the then PM and leader, John Key, who reportedly used others to do his "dirty jobs" while keeping a very clean and smiling profile.

Hence, I am dusting off my five-part analysis of Nicky Hager's Dirty Politics, and republishing it for benefits of those who may have forgotten how the National Party fostered, encouraged and gave oxygen to negative campaigning. This is a prelude to the five-part analysis. As these articles were published in September, 2014, details are current at that time.

A NZ Herald columnist, after publication of DIRTY POLITICS, in 2014 stated, and so do I: 

How much the Prime Minister (John Key) knew of all these machinations is open to question, but he was captain of the ship that had so badly lost its way and if he was just trustingly negligent, does he thus escape any blame? 

Can Key shoot the messenger, refuse to read the book and put his head in the sand in Ostrich Syndrome? Did the smiling nice guy have wild dogs and hounds on the side to do his dirty jobs?

 

The OSTRICH SYNDROME, where John Key and National supporters are merely passing on DIRTY POLITICS as a "left -wing conspiracy" and rantings of a mad man, without reading the book. This is a way to wish the issue to go away, and assume it does not exist.

When I started reading Nicky Hager’s “Dirty Politics” in 2014, after the first two chapters, I felt myself at home, in a Third World Fiji, or got a feeling it was happening in a corrupt India under the Congress Party rule, or a military regime in Africa. But then I pinched myself, I was sitting in a Party Bus that I drive. 

That is what happens with a Pacific Islander journalist, with no big-brother, old-school-boys club or cronies, who cannot find a job in the mainstream New Zealand media. Yes, I was not in Fiji, India or Somalia - this was about happenings in the First World “clean” New Zealand.

NICKY HAGER'S DIRTY POLITICS that ruffled many feathers, and revealed a smiling assassin who rejected this as rantings of a left-winger. But the culture of muck that Hager raked six years ago in 2014, STILL thrives in the National Party, with e-mail leaks of Hamish Walker and Michelle Boag on 6 July, 2020. 

John Key and the right wingers are trying to pass the book as a “left-wing conspiracy.” It is so easy to shoot the messenger, without embracing the message. I have the appreciation of this, as I have been a victim of the so-called Indian mafia in Auckland which castigated and ostracized me for saying some unsavory truths about their mother India. But that is a different story. 

I do realise and appreciate that the first strategy of a scoundrel is to shoot the messenger, pass the message as a conspiracy, and indulge in Ostrich Syndrome. 

Ostrich Syndrome is a peculiar condition marked by the person making absolutely nonsensical statements, displaying pure stupidity and a lack of common sense akin to an ostrich with the head in the ground. The person displays a tendency not only to put his foot in the mouth but to never take it out either. By sticking its head in the sand, the person, like the proverbial ostrich, thinks he cannot be seen by others, and wish the danger would go away. But that is far from the case. Judith Collins came to realize this at her peril, and you will hear about it the series of articles on this book.

OSTRICH SYNDROME: When somebody, like John Key and the National Party and its supporters, go in this mode-and bury their heads. The dirt within the National Government is dug by hired hounds and attack dogs, while the leader is shown as a clean smiling person.

After going through the first few Chapters, I was engrossed with the very well-referenced writing which are not the rantings of a mad-man or a ‘nutter”, but well written accounts of those who are hit with their own weapons and ammunition - hacks and stolen materials. 

This is KARMA,where those indulging in defaming others through illegally-obtained e-mails are victims of their own arsenal. This is the philosophy of “what you sow, so you shall reap”. 

OSTRICH SYNDROME: when you bury the head in sand, and you expose the other anatomy, that we call "butts"(apart from other things.)

Postings on KIWI PUNDIT (now FIJI PUNDIT) with reference to Dirty Politics book will carry a synopsis, interpretations and quotations directly from the book, especially for those who do not get to read it.

Indeed, politicians want politics to be left to them, but I believe otherwise as politics should not be left to the politicians, otherwise they will indulge in dirty politics, as they have been doing in New Zealand.

In the preface to Dirty Politics, Nicky Hager writes:

Understanding what is wrong means things do not have to remain that way. Exposing dirty politics is an essential step in allowing reasonable people to understand and to choose other approaches. There is no need to follow those who are least principled down into the pit.

British statesman Edmund Burke said:

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. 

In the same principle, I take it upon myself as a good and ethical blogger, to tell the inside story of this book that the mainstream media failed to undertake. 

This is a prelude to an analysis of  a five-part series on DIRTY POLITICS. Await further post-mortem postings of politics gone dirty in a clean country.

[About the Author: Thakur Ranjit Singh was trained at AUT, and supposed to add colour to New Zealand's newsroom. But he drives a bus, is involved with community wellbeing, runs his blog, and occassionally ruffles a few feathers]

When the law gets tipsy: The Racist Cop of Queenstown.

When the law gets tipsy: The Racist Cop of Queenstown.

Thakur Ranjit Singh

The cop is alleged to have told the ‘Indian” taxi driver “to f*** off to India. You come here and get all of the Kiwi jobs; eat your f****** curry and f*** off to India. This is a Kiwi job.”

They say, the truth, real feelings and attitude are truly displayed when one is either half-asleep, or drunk. These are times when the truth serum in humans takes over. What is especially worrying is when truth is hurting, and is related to somebody in authority and who are supposed be trusted members of the community.

Judge Tony Couch in the District Court of Queenstown, New Zealand found a policewoman Jeanette May McNee guilty of offensive language and verbally abusing Ganesh Paramanathan, a Malaysian born Kiwi of Indian decent. This coming from a cop in the month when New Zealand is embroiled in the controversy of the book of stolen e-mails does not do much for New Zealand’s “clean” and world-class good image. Especially, when this takes place in the world-renowned Kiwi tourist icon of Queenstown. The controversial book, Dirty Politics alleges that government hired a paid blogger as their Rottweiler, German shepherd or even a Mongrel to attack and discredit their opponents through abrasive articles. To make it worse, the Minister of Justice who should be an epitome projecting squeaky-clean and honourable image, was a friend with the said blogger. Consequently, she lost her job on allegation of associating with the blogger to discredit a senior civil servant, among others.

But that is a different story about a book that may change the government. In this cop gone wild, she is alleged to have told the ‘Indian” taxi driver “to f*** off to India. You come here and get all of the Kiwi jobs; eat your f****** curry and f*** off to India. This is a Kiwi job.”

Racism is generally White to Black- committed  by a White Person on a Black Person. The best and worst retort on racism is , a White man telling a Black or ethnic person: " GO BACK HOME, WHERE YOU CAME FROM" Little do the White Men know that maybe , except for greater Europe, they themselves are migrants everywhere else in the world, including Canada, USA, Australia and New Zealand.

In mitigation, the judge said the accused had consumed wine that evening and had taken pain-killers to ease discomfort from an unsuccessful hip operation. Strangely, mitigating on behalf of the accused the judge said” The irresistible inference is that the reason for the defendant behaving uncharacteristically was the combination of medication and alcohol she had consumed.” Well defended by the one who is supposed to grant justice.

Yours truly (me) had a heart treatment and I daily take cholesterol and blood-pressure tablets and aspirin. I love my red wine (and Chivas Regal), and get tipsy every now and then. I do not go to a White Kiwi Irish, Scottish and English and say: “You White piece of s***, you come to this Maori country, stole their land, marry their women, and claim this as your country, you thieving b****** and spud –gobbling c***, go back to your f****** Queen’s country , Britain.” I wonder if the same Judge would take my medication and wine (or Chivas Regal) as a mitigating factor.

The worrying thing is that this was a cop, a person on a position which people look up to with respect, and expect it to deliver equality, social justice, exercise restraint and set an example. Thankfully, most of the cops we migrants and non-Anglo-Saxons in New Zealand come in contact with are not like this Queenstown cop. I find most as having exemplary decorum, demeanour and approach which make us confident of law-enforcement in New Zealand.

At the receiving end of racism. Victim  GANESH PARMANATHAN, a Malaysian -born Kiwi of Indian descent. He is humble enough to have forgiven the cop, and claims Queenstown people are generally nice.

We are equally proud of the victim Paramanathan, who despite this harrowing abuse from a person who is out there to protect him, was very modest and forgiving. He admitted that people in Queenstown are nice, and this was the first time he was racially abused. Most of us migrants do not go through this because Kiwis are basically very nice and accommodating people.

My purpose in bringing this case is to firstly let the abusers know the taste of abuse and advise migrants and victims of racial abuse, to be like Paramanathan, and speak out against that minority who may still harbour racial and other prejudices.

People need to follow from the courage of this Taxi-Driver Ganesh from Queenstown, who is not prepared to bear racism and dismiss it as his fate. He set an example , and stood up to actions of a cop who is there to protect him, not abuse him

I believe in the principle: To commit a crime or offence is sin, to bear them silently is a bigger sin, but to see them taking place and remaining silent is the biggest sin. Hence, I plead to all victim of crimes, and offences like this to speak up, report and stand-up to these types of abuses.

As some great people have said, the hottest place in Hell is reserved for those who remain neutral in times of great moral conflict.  And, for evil to triumph, it only takes good people to do nothing. I salute Ganesh Paramanathan, the Queenstown Malaysian Kiwi taxi driver for heeding these teachings of Martin Luther King and Edmund Burke respectively.

We are thankful to him for standing up to racial abuse and exposing the Queenstown cop Jeanette May McNee, whose exposure, naming and shaming are good enough punishment.

 

 The Queenstown Policewoman, Jeanette May McNee, who is there to protect the citizens, not to abuse them. She is accused of racially abusing Ganesh on November 2, 2013. Thankfully, she is the exception, and not the rule, as generally, New Zealand Police have high reputation of being fair and just.

But I salute all our other cops, who despite provocations and other forms of pressures, are pride to this noble profession of law enforcement. You make us Kiwis proud.

E-mail: thakurji@xtra.co.nz

[About the Author: Thakur Ranjit Singh is a “clean” blogger who publishes articles that he writes himself or from trusted Guest Writers. (Never stolen). He runs blog sites KIWI PUNDIT (www.kiwipundit.blogspot.co.nz) and FIJI PUNDIT (www.fijipundit.blogspot.co.nz). He is a communications scholar from Auckland University of Technology and is a media commentator]

The Racist Kiwis: Some still carry the spirit of their racist forebears of last century?

The Racist Kiwis: Some still carry the spirit of their racist forebears of last century?

Thakur Ranjit Singh

[This article was originally given to NZ Herald, which failed to even acknowledge its receipt, let alone publish it. White Media - Brown New Zealand.]

Objections to farm sales to Chinese have reached a stage where they can be termed as naked racism, camouflaged as nationalism by some politicians who NOW appear to be trying to stop Kiwis being tenants in their own country. Such concerns were never raised when the buyers were White people - either Europeans, Americans or other Anglo Saxons. One columnist has questioned: Should we be worried about growing Chinese interest in New Zealand dairy farms when German and American (White, my emphasis) investors have been snapping up paddocks throughout Canterbury, Otago and Southland? Is the spirit of White New Zealand League still alive in this millennium?

Early history of New Zealand shows that early settlers were a racist bunch, and current events show that some descendants of European extract are still so. The mainstream White newspapers some 90 years ago had less than honourable journalistic standards. We seem to be somewhat luckier now, though they still remain predominantly White.

Faced with economic competition in 1915s, the European farmers decided to form the White New Zealand League. Jacqueline Leckie in her book The Story of a New Zealand South Asian Community said a group of around sixty “White” farmers formed the White New Zealand League. This was done on 17 December, 1925. This racist organisation was reportedly prompted and supported by a supposedly racist White media, Franklin Times. This group had aimed to lobby for legislation restricting accessibility of land to Asians, among others. Their slogan was “Keep New Zealand a white man’s country.”

The White New Zealand League was set up in 1926 to campaign against the presence of Asians in New Zealand. This pamphlet argues that a 'white New Zealand' was the nation's inheritance and it should be maintained for 'your children's children and the Empire'.

The resolution of the League’s inaugural meeting was, among others “… to approach the Government to introduce legislation, making it illegal to lease or sell land to Asiatics…” as reported by a partisan newspaper Franklin Times of 17 December 1925. K.N Tiwari, writing about Indians Community in New Zealand, said that despite the demise of the League in late 1920, racial tension continued in Pukekohe and also elsewhere in New Zealand. Indians as well as Chinese and Maori were barred for many years from the dress circle of movie theatres in Pukekohe. As late as the 1950s local Pukekohe barbers also refused to cut the hair of Indians, Chinese and Maori. There were cases where the European landowners even wrote in their wills that none of their land or other properties (shops etc) could either be sold or leased to Asians.

Some nine decades ago, Asians comprised very small (half of one percent- 0.05%) population (700 Asians against 1,200,000 total) to now when they comprise some 12 per cent (540,000 against 4.5 million estimated in 2014) of New Zealand population. Despite this huge increase, xenophobia or racism we saw from Europeans in 1920 does not seem to have died down.

Now we have a new breed and generation of racist Europeans – politicians in suits, using this fear of Asians to fan ethnocentric racial fears to get into news and win votes. These politicians are using double standards: when Anglo Saxons or White people buy New Zealand, then it is welcome. But no sooner the Asians, especially Chinese attempt to do same, than they suddenly wake up to raise objections.

Thankfully, unlike Franklin Times of 1920, New Zealand Herald of today has some better journalists, with better ethics. One of them is Brian Rudman who has written in his column that these politicians shedding their tears for New Zealand are showing double standards. He asks where they were when Harvard University's endowment fund bought 165,000ha of trees in North Island, comprising New Zealand’s largest forest. This was in 2003, when Fletcher Challenge sold 106,000ha of its forest to another North American syndicate. Together these two sales comprised some 15 per cent of New Zealand’s exotic tree plantations, which were in foreign, (but White) hands. No problem then.

When hundreds of thousands hectares of forestry of Carter Holt Harvey was sold to a White firm from USA, nobody raised any objections. When a fraction of that farm size was  being sold to Chinese, there is much objection.

Nobody shed any tears when Graeme Hart sold 176,902ha of Carter Holt Harvey freehold forest around New Zealand, and another 63,615ha of leasehold forest to a United States group Hancock Natural Resources. Neither did we hear any cries when Mr Hart sold off 3,205ha of eight Waikato Dairy farms to a Swedish pension fund. In addition to these and before these sales, as far back as 1999, a Lincoln University calculation showed that 72 per cent of our pine forests were foreign-owned.

Another NZ Herald journalist Geoff Cumming did an inside story on foreign ownership on Saturday 16^th August, 2014 edition (A9). He stated that in the wine industry, it is estimated that between 70 and 80 per cent of wine produced is ultimately owned by foreign companies. The question that goes begging, as Cumming probes: “Should we be worried about growing Chinese interest in New Zealand dairy farms when German and American (White, my emphasis) investors have been snapping up paddocks throughout Canterbury, Otago and Southland?”

What we see in New Zealand of the new millennium is that racism and xenophobia that was present some nine decades, is still ablaze. Under the veneer of diplomacy, and chants of multiracialism, we still have very active smouldering lava of these feeling among White New Zealanders.

Crafar Farms: Initially when the smoldering racism erupted on sale to Chinese

These forms of racism still exist in job market in the new century, where qualified migrants still struggle to enter job markets suitable to their qualifications. In 2007, I wrote on this subject about racism and discrimination in a NZ Herald article: “…. if a pregnant woman had to give birth while in an Auckland taxi, she would be safe. And you would be luckier to have a heart attack in one of Auckland's public buses. This is because the chances are that the Indian taxi driver is doctor, or the Asian bus driver is a cardiologist.”

Lochinver Farms: Objection raised on sale to Chinese-it would have gone unnoticed had it been sold to White buyers, as has happened with other such sales

As they say, leopards do not change their spots. Racism is still well and alive in the First World of New Zealand today.

[Wait for the next article probing racism in Local Board election] 

E-mail: thakurji@xtra.co.nz

[About the Author: Thakur Ranjit Singh is Media and Community Liaison Officer of Waitakere Ethnic Board, and is a blogger on KIWI PUNDIT and FIJI PUNDIT. He is a scholar of AUT’s Journalism School. Thakur feels White Mainstream media of NZ have not browned up their newsrooms to reflect the demographic make up of New Zealand. And yet they are crying that Pacific and ethnic news are not well-covered by the main stream media. Thakur fills up that vacuum to raise issues of racism and ethnic issues not normally seen in the mainstream White media. This article was given to NZ Herald which did not even acknowledge its receipt.]

Henderson hosts an election Forum

Henderson hosts an election Forum

Thakur Ranjit Singh

Either you like it or not, the election fever is here and as we come nearer to the D day which is 20^th September, the intensity of this increases. After much publicised Kumeu and Epsom ones for Helensville and Ramuera constituencies respectively, Henderson does not wish to be left behind.

In this regards, Waitakere Ethnic Board (WEB) is hosting an election forum at Waitakere College (Auditorium/Hall), 42 Rathgar Road, (Off Swanson Rd) Henderson, Auckland on Wednesday 20 August, 2014. This will be from 6:00pm for registration and supper, and forum proper from 6.30 – 8.30 pm.

President of Waitakere Ethnic Board (WEB) TUWE KUDAKWASHE  (left), ANN -DEGIA PALA (centre), speaker for New Zealand First and Auckland Councillor, Linda Cooper during tenth anniversary celebrations of WEB. Linda Cooper is presenting Ann Degia Pala  Certificate of Appreciation for being one of the Past Presidents of WEB 

President of WEB, Tuwe Kudakwashe said that as an advocacy body for ethnic people, WEB periodically holds Forums to inform people of pertinent topics. “Participation in election process is important for ethnic people and migrants, so they can have a say in the way things are done by politicians. Many are fortunate to see clean elections as in New Zealand, we have freedom of speech and political freedom are considered basic rights. We hope to hold this forum and help people decide on the best party, best candidates and best policies”, Tuwe said.

The speakers are Phil Twyford, Labour M.P  Te Atatu, Alfred Ngaro, National Candidate Te Atatu, Carmel Sepuloni   Labour Candidate  Kelston, Ann Degia Pala, NZ First   Candidate Kelston, Daniel Rogers, Green Party Candidate New Lynn and Paddy O’Rourke Conservative Te Atatu. Some others are expected to come on board by the forum date on 20^th August, exactly a month before the election.

Another Speaker at the WEB Election Forum: PHIL TYFORD, speaker for Labour Party and candidate for Te Atatu.

This election forum, unlike some recent ones, does not expect the speakers to be well-behaved children like in a Sunday school. They will be allowed the natural behaviour during campaigning, and hence allow the vibrancy and energy of election. “If there are to some fireworks, we will allow that within limits. But since we do not have leaders but grassroots politicians, we know they are a well behaved bunch, and do not expect grand-standing by any. However, healthy debates will be encouraged,” Tuwe said.

ALFRED NGARO, National Party's candidate for Te Atatu, will be a speaker at the forum.

Some of the guideline questions to the speakers include the following:

1)   A major issue of concern for people in West Auckland in particular and New Zealand in general has been law and order situation. This is especially where laws appear to be more protective of criminals and restrictive to police enforcement and victims’ ability to protect themselves. What is your Party’s stance on this matter?

2)   Leading up from earlier guideline question, there have been many questionable sentences and questionable law about name sentences where our judiciary appears to be very politically correct towards criminals, who do not get just sentences. Name suppression appears to have become a rule rather than being an exception. It seems judiciary needs some clear guidelines in being tougher on those who break the law. How would your Party tackle this major concern?

3)   Leading from 1 and 2, major reasons for crime are attributed to dysfunctional families and issues with the family bring-up. This may be directly related to youth, families, unemployment and distribution of wealth issues. What is your party’s stand on this?

4)   Waitakere Ethnic Board is an advocacy body for refugees and ethnic migrants. Is your party advocating any policies which will affect these people?

Another speaker: CARMEL SAPULONI  from Labour party, candidate for Kelston will also speak, and answer questions, like other speakers.

Tuwe said that other issues that may interest people may be racial and offensive terms and phrases used by some politicians to attract attention. The other issue that has been worrying some has been the low level that we have seen is hate language and where an effigy of Prime Minister has been burned. These issues, with other burning issues may create some heat in Henderson Election forum.

“We hope to see you in larger numbers to this forum where you may not only be a listener, but may ask the candidates some burning questions on important issues. See you at Waitakere College on 20^th August at 6pm, “Tuwe Kudakwashe, the President of Waitakere Ethnic Board said.

E-Mail: thakurji@xtra.co.nz

[Thakur Ranjit Singh, apart from being blogger for blog site KIWI PUNDIT and FIJI PUNDIT is Media and Community Liaison Officer of Waitakere Ethnic Board ,(WEB) which is organizing this election forum.]

CRIME IN HENDERSON: Has Maori leadership failed their people?

 CRIME IN HENDERSON: Has Maori leadership failed their people?

Thakur Ranjit Singh

Waitakere Ethnic Board (WEB) organised a forum in Henderson in early July, 2014 in response to worsening law and order situation, and ways to identify the problems and seek solutions. This was a high powered forum which saw speakers from the community, police, Government, Opposition and Auckland Council. They included Manoj Tahal from Waitakere Indian Association, John Tamihere from Waipareira Trust, Inspector Rob Cochrane from Police, Hermann Retzlaff from Labour Party, Minister Paula Bennett from Government and Deputy Mayor Penny Hulse from Auckland Council. 

While many questions were raised, hardly any got answers, as usual. This is the first part of media coverage, with respective community response: Indian and Maori

Indians make worrying statistics

Waitakere Ethnic Board (WEB), as an advocacy body, saw a special reason to hold such a forum, as more often than not, it is the ethnic people who become victims to such wanton violence. There is a feeling that unless some judges and Member of Parliament have their loved ones killed this way, things may not change in New Zealand in the near future where ethnic people will merely continue adding to fatal statistics figure, as they have been doing for last two decades. Arun Kumar, who was brutally killed by a young Maori kid in Henderson in June was the eighth person of Indian origin to be a victim of such violence. The worse thing is that this has been going on for some two decades yet our authorities and agencies appear to be sleeping on the job.

Part of the large audience present in the WEB Forum on Crime in Henderson on 3 July, 2014. In front, second from right are Mahendra Sharma from Waitakere Indian Association, and Ashok Darji and Nanette Nathoo from Manukau Indian Association / New Zealand Indian Central Association ( NZICA)

In October, 1993, Navin Govind was killed by three teenagers at work in his Four Square supermarket in Kelston, Auckland, only ten minutes from his home. Other shopkeepers, Navtej Singh, Shiv Prasad, Bhagubhai Vaghela and Krishna Naidu were also brutally killed at their workplaces, as was Arun Kumar in the latest brutality. Hiren Mohini, a taxi driver, and Jasmatbhai Patel, a victim of road rage, also met tragic deaths. Indians appear to be adding to these statistics while the authorities are claiming there is a reduction in crime. Is this really so, or are crime figures manipulated, as claimed by some? Can we really believe the statistics given out by police? Reality on the streets of Henderson is contrary to reducing police figures.
More Question than answers on Maori dysfunctional families

First speaker from community, MANOJ TAHAL, representing Waitakere Indian Association. He raised so many questions, but we all are waiting for answers which are not forthcoming. Why are young kids able to get away with small offences which can lead to more serious crimes as in this case? Are our laws tough enough to deal with these out of control kids or is it a question of enforcement?”

The first speaker at WEB Forum, Manoj Tahal from Waitakere Indian Association (WIA) did not mince his words and raised many questions that still have not been answered to date. On the issue of the 13 year-old offender, he asked:” Was he attending school regularly, if not where was the truancy service? If his parents were themselves offenders, what was being done to guide him in the right direction? Why are young kids able to get away with small offences which can lead to more serious crimes as in this case? Are our laws tough enough to deal with these out of control kids or is it a question of enforcement?” he asked the high-powered forum.

He raised another valid point- just before the tragic death of Mr Kumar, a 13 year old threw a brick at a shop owner in Te Awamutu. No charges were laid as the crime did not meet the high threshold for a minor. Tahal wished to know from the authorities: “What is the threshold? Is it murder?”

He raised another unanswered question about the rehabilitation process of young offenders and the multitudes and layers of agencies involved. The biggest irony was that it was unclear which agency was the lead one in charge of monitoring the rehabilitation process. It was also unclear who was ultimately accountable, if anybody at all, for the failures and gaps.

Part of the large audience

Tahal cited the experience of his Indian community where it has been noticed that the kids who got on the wrong side of the law are the kids who do not understand their own language and culture and they are deprived of cultural identity. To illustrate this, he quoted Hon. Judge Heemi Taumaunu, Hoani Waititi Rangatahi Court Judge, speaking at the 21st Pacific Judges Forum in March, 2014:

“Throughout the generations, prominent Māori leaders and respected elders have stressed the importance of Māori holding fast to the Māori language, protocols, and culture, to ensure the survival of Māori people into the future. This message is based on the premise that if the Māori language is lost, then the Māori culture will follow, and ultimately, so will the Māori people.

Part of the audience :third from left in front is Tuwe Kudakwashe, President of Waitakere Ethnic Board. (WEB)

It is a tragedy that most Māori youth who appear before the Youth Court have no knowledge of their own Māori language and have no idea of who they are and where they are from. Most do not know what tribe they belong to, what Marae they originally come from, what mountain and river they belong to.
They have no idea of the rich treasures left to them by their ancestors. Their language and culture is often borrowed from Black American hip-hop culture."

Has Maori leaders failed their people?

The question that goes begging here is, have Maori political leaders like Doctor Peter Sharples, Tariana Turia, Winston Peters and Hone Harawera, among others, failed their people? While the Iwis are wallowing in wealth, do grassroots Maori seem to be crying for financial help to rescue them from poverty that Waitangi settlements were supposed to deliver? Who are the beneficiaries if those needing assistance are not getting them?

JOHN TAMIHERE, CEO of Waipareira Trust, represented Maori Community. So many questions raised remain unanswered. Why do we have so many dysfunctional Maori families, and  inability of Maori organisations to tackle the problem. Why, despite Maori Iwis worth some $40 billion dollars, are the wealth of Iwis not used to benefit the people? What can be done to address the problem? Who are the beneficiaries of this money and what can Maori leaders do to help?

Perhaps this leads us to the guidelines and questions that were given to respective speakers. We had asked the representative of Maori Community, John Tamihere, CEO, Waipareira Trust the situation of dysfunctional Maori families and inability of Maori organisations to tackle the problem. Why? What are the constraints? Why, despite Maori Iwis worth some $40 Billion dollars, are the wealth of Iwis not used to benefit the people? What can be done to address the problem in Maori families that are at the forefront of many crimes? Who are the beneficiaries of this money and what can Maori leaders do to help? Like all questions raised by Manoj Tahal, all the above questions also remain unanswered, and no mainstream journalists seem to assemble enough courage to ask or seek some direct answers.

John Tamihere informed that Prime Minister John Key’s electorate was just on the border of West Auckland from Helensville, while Leaders of Opposition David Cunliffe’ s fell within parts of West Auckland in New Lynn and Minister Paula Bennett was from Waitakere and comprised the kitchen Cabinet. John sought more resources for West Auckland. “Three murders in South Auckland, $16 million of new funding goes in, 100 extra police, and so on and so forth. West Auckland 5, and nothing. We cannot be damned by the silence of our lead advocates.” Tamihere said, pleading for more government and local government attention to West Auckland.

Increased police presence on streets of Henderson subsequent to outcry from public on demand for more security.

He continued that Auckland Council has projects but West seems to have been neglected. “There is Southern Initiative and Tamaki Transformation, nothing for us in West, all seems to go South. There is deprivation issues, we need support from central and local government, we need support, and something has to change. We want support for youth to come to West – we want greater resources to West,” he pleaded to the authorities.

So, Maori need greater resource from local government and national government to help their people. And the question goes begging, what has become of that wealth that should be used for the welfare of the people. What is the money that belongs to Maori is being used for? Despite so many Marae and facilities provided by Government, why cannot respective Maori Iwis organise themselves and utilise some portion of money for the benefit of current people, not for future generations, when the current generation is becoming dysfunctional.

Other speakers at Waitakere Ethnic Board Forum: from left, Herman Retzlaff from Labour Party, Inspector Rob Cochrane from NZ Police and Councillor Penny Hulse, Deputy Mayor of Auckland Council. News coverage of their presentation would come in part two of KIWI PUNDIT media report.

Many questions raised in this forum remains and will remain unanswered, because we have become so politically correct. But the fact remains that if people comprising 15  per cent of population occupy some 50 per cent of prison population, something has to be wrong somewhere. And when all we hear in crime news is that the attacker was a Maori or Polynesian, then there appears to be a problem. If this was the situation of marginalised and neglected Aborigines of Australia, it would have been believable. But this is about the the very well-resourced first settlers of New Zealand for whom laws have been very generous, and the community is worth some $40, 000 million dollars (that makes it $4 billion).
These questions will remain unanswered, same way as why the authorities failed to protect those who needed protection, and will continue adding on to assault and fatal statistics.
The next stage of the coverage of the forum will hear from the political parties, the police and the local government. You would never see this coverage in any mainstream, or side stream media, who were all invited to this event.

The speakers at the Forum: from left, Minister for Social Development and Waitakere MP, Paula Bennett, and Manoj Tahal.

[E-mail: thakurji@xtra.co.nz]

[About the Author: Thakur Ranjit Singh is a blogger who runs blog site KIWI PUNDIT. He is also Media and Communities Liaison Officer of Waitakere Ethnic Board. www.kiwipundit.blogspot.co.nz]

Crime in Henderson: Let’s hear it straight from the Horse’s mouth

Crime in Henderson: Let’s hear it straight from the Horse’s mouth

Thakur Ranjit Singh

Waitakere Ethnic Board (WEB) is organizing a Forum on: “Crime and Lawlessness in West Auckland: How can we help and where to from here?” This is at West Wave Pools and Leisure Centre, 20 Alderman Drive, Henderson on 3 July, 2014 from 6-8.30 pm. We hope to see you there if you are concerned, and hear from those who may know what the problem is.

 

From Left: Shane Henderson,, Deputy Chair, Henderson Massey Local Board, and Co-Chair, Ranui Action Project (RAP), Brenda Brady, Member, Henderson-Massey Local Board, and Councillor Linda Cooper, Councillor and Co- Chair of RAP, with candles at Candlelight Vigil to honour the two Ranui slain ladies, and protest against family violence on 30 May, 2014 in Ranui.

Waitakere in general and Henderson in particular has been reeling from a spate of fatal crimes of one type or the other. Waitakere Ethnic Board (WEB) had earlier expressed its deep concern at loss of four innocent lives in West Auckland in as many weeks. On the heels of a fatal shooting and two fatal stabbing incidents, WEB was shocked to learn about killing of Arun Kumar, allegedly by a 13-year old youth, accompanied by a 12-year old accomplice, reportedly from dysfunctional families a stones-throw away from those who should have helped.

Ladies at Candle Light Vigil at Catherine Place, Henderson on 20 June, 2014, to show support for additional police protection and attention of agencies to address law and order situation in Henderson area where there have been four fatalities in as many weeks. With police offices are Brenda Brady, Member, Henderson-Massey Local Boar (Back standing, extreme left), Vanessa-Neeson, Chair Henderson- Massey Local Board  (right-standing)  and Deputy Mayor, Penny Hulse (second from right)

Waitakere in the past had a scheme whereby Security Guards and Police worked in cooperation and consultation to report and apprehend youths of school-age in cases of truancy. This ensured young people were removed from the streets and put back in classrooms. I wonder what happened to this initiative of a visionary Waitakere City Council, and its former Mayor, Bob Harvey. Is it also the casualty of a Super City?

Children and adults of all walks of life attended the Candle Light Vigil in memory of Arun Kumar, and request for police attention at Henderson.

There are no simple answers to these issues, hence WEB has decided to assemble   a credible list of speakers who are involved with the community and try to seek answers to make Auckland a city which aims to become the most liveable one in the world.

WEB has assembled credible list of people and they have been given guidelines and general questions that the community needs answers to and information on. Speakers and respective guidelines are as follows:

Manoj Tahal: Waitakere Indian Association: A historical perspectives of Indians being victims of crime due to nature of work, concerns of the community, and perception of failures by government and other agencies to address the issue and what are the expectation of the community. How long will we continue becoming statistics?

Manoj Tahal , Past President of Waitakere Indian Association, and Funding and Sponsorship director, will be speaking in the forum of behalf of the Indian Community, and voicing their concern on adverse statistics from the community in fatal crimes.

John Tamihere, CEO, Waipareira Trust: Predicament of Dysfunctional Maori families and inability of Maori organisations to tackle the problem. Why? What are the constraints? Why, despite Maori Iwis worth some $40 Billion dollars, their wealth is not used to benefit their people directly? What can be done to address the problem in Maori families that are at the forefront of many crimes? Who are the beneficiaries of this money and what can Maori leaders do to help? What can Government do to help?

Until recently, the inseparable media commentators from Maori Community, Willy Jackson (left) and John Tamihere, who is also the CEO of Waipareira Trust and will be speaking in the Forum on behalf of Maori Community. In a recent article, Willy Jackson called for the system to be changed where early intervention could have avoided this happening. With Social Welfare Minister Paula Bennett as one of the speakers, we will perhaps be able to find our what needs changing.

Senior Sergeant Matt SRHOJ: NZ Police. Like some media reports, is this case similar to the case of Navtej Singh in Manurewa in 2010, where he was reportedly allowed to bleed to death because police were busy following correct procedure while the victim was bleeding to death? What happened to the police and Security guard collaboration as initiated by former Waitakere City Council on tackling truancy issue? What are the constraints of the police? What corrective actions have they taken and are going to take to address this problem? Is the reduction in crime statistics reflected on the streets of Henderson? How?

Hermann Retzlaff: Opposition Labour Party. If Labour Party comes to power, what changes would they bring about to address the problems in law and order situation, and special vulnerability of ethnic migrants in front-line services? Are legal systems strong enough to deter the criminals? Do they only restrict the law-abiding citizens to protect themselves, while giving criminals all the rights? Are criminals protected more than law-abiding citizens?

Penny Hulse not only happens to be deputy mayor of  Auckland Council, but also a Patron of Waitakere Ethnic Board which is calling this Forum on Crime in Henderson. Hers, she is seen addressing the audience in Henderson during candle light vigil  on 20 June, 2014. She will be a speaker in this forum as well.

Penny Hulse: Deputy Mayor, Auckland Council. What is the position of Auckland Council in this matter? To what extent is law and order the local responsibility of the Council and when does it pass to the government as a national responsibility? Where, if any, is the demarcation of this? To what extent can Local Boards help in this issue? What will Auckland Council do to address the concerns of its ratepayers in this issue?

While Paula Bennett as Minister for Social Welfare, and an MP representing the electorate of Waitakere may be proud to be a "Westie", however, recent happenings in West Auckland do not make anybody to be proud of Henderson, and  West Auckland, who some have dubbed as "Wild West."Willie Jackson has accused government and authorities of not listening to the community, having added to the problem. Perhaps this will provide her and the government an opportunity as to why as a Social Development Minister, and a Maori, she has been unable to arrest the problem in her own electorate.

Paula Bennett: Minister for Social Development. As a Maori, local MP and a Minister responsible for the portfolio of social development, child, youth and family, what is your take on such dysfunctional families which are causing havoc to law-abiding people? What action will MSD take to address the issue to tackle hand-out mentality and put people to productive use? Is the law too lenient on criminals and jail term too short? Is the hand-out-mentality breeding generation of criminals? Cannot community be involved as partners in tackling this problem, especially when they happen so close to home, within your electorate?

Some questions and issues raised above may not be raised by the mainstream, side stream or ethnic media, as they are businesses which need to be expedient to their advertisers and people who finance them, and hence may involve an element of self-censorship. An evident of this is from an un-reported statements from one on our community members made to a media, where the reporter quipped that as the national broadcaster, they could not allow such statements. Does this surprise you? Do we have a media which can carry out real investigative reports, and not merely indulge in reporting the statistics?

At the candle light vigil against increasing crime in Waitakere, from left, Vanessa Neeson, Chair  Henderson-Massey Local Board, Roshni Prakash,  Navin Prakash, President, Waitakere Indian Association and Tracy Kirkly, Member, Henderson-Massey Local Board.

Media has been invited and hope they take time out to report the concerns of the community, and try to go to the bottom of the problem and concern, and not merely report the statistics on ethnic killings.

[E-Mail: thakurji@xtra.co.nz]

[About the Author: Thakur Ranjit Singh is an Indo-Fijian media scholar, with Masters in Communication Studies with honours from AUT. After failing to be employed by media institutions and Auckland Council, which only seem to pay lip–service to the notion of diversity in media, he uses his energy to work for ethnic communities and run his own blog sites, KIWI PUNDIT and FIJI PUNDIT to fill in the vacuum in reporting that fail the radar of established media groups. As is usual for qualified migrant people unrecognised by the system, he drives a school bus on a part-time basis. Thakur is currently a Board Member of Waitakere Ethnic Board and is its Media and Community Liaison Officer, and will chair this Forum. 

You can access KIWI PUNDIT at www.kiwipundit@blogspot.co.nz and FIJI PUNDIT at www.fijipundit.blogspot.co.nz]

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