Māori Development Minister Willie Jackson has locked swords with Act leader David Seymour, comparing him to former National and Act leader Don Brash.
Jackson said that while Seymour could claim Māori whakapapa, he was a “useless Māori” and a “useless advocate for Māori”.
Seymour yesterday unveiled an alternative budget, which said Act would abolish Te Puni Kōkiri (the Ministry of Māori development) and the Office of Māori Crown Relations, amongst others.
Jackson said Seymour was “from another time”.
It’s Jackson who’s from another time.
He’s stuck in the past while Seymour is looking to a better and more equal future time when people aren’t judged by their race.
Jackson said it was “sad” to see Seymour’s Māori policy considering he had “claimed he was Māori” previously.
Seymour does not just “claim” Māori heritage, he is Māori and has links to the Ngāpuhi iwi on his mother’s side.
Jackson clarified the “claimed” part of those remarks, and said he accepted Seymour’s claim to Māori heritage.
“He has claimed his whakapapa – I was there at the hui in 2017.
“He’s just a useless Māori, that’s all. You can’t deny any people their whakapapa, it doesn’t make them some great advocate for Māori, does it?”
Jackson said Seymour was the “worst advocate for Māori in terms of politics – I have never seen anyone like it”.
“[He’s] absolutely Māori, but just maybe the most useless advocate for Māori we’ve seen in Parliament”.
In response, Seymour said Jackson had not been able to defend his own ministry.
“The fact Willie chose to personally attack me instead of explaining what value Te Puni Kōkiri adds just shows why we should get rid of it and save the taxpayer $71 million.
“I feel sorry for TPK staff, even the responsible minister can’t explain what value they add, less kind people would say that’s a useless minister.” . . .
If comprehension, intelligence and basic good manners were qualifications for holding a ministerial warrant, this would disqualify Jackson.
Everything he said is based on the fallacy that Maori isn’t a race but a set of opinions.
He’s not alone in this mistaken belief :
. . .The Māori Party co-leaders were both frank with their assessments when asked their thoughts on Jackson’s view that Seymour is a “useless Māori”.
“I wouldn’t have called him that,” said Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “I would have called him, he’s more of a non-Māori who happens to be Māori. He’s a Pākehā who happens to be Māori, isn’t he.” . .
This is an excellent example of so much that’s wrong with identity politics – they start with the mistaken assumption that everyone belonging to each subset of humanity is defined by whatever characteristics they share and that by sharing those characteristics they share the same beliefs and opinions.
It’s paternalistic, condescending and simply ignorant.
It’s also wrong.
And it’s also evidence for the case against race-based representation.
Maori don’t all hold the same political views and philosophies, they don’t have the same beliefs and aspirations and therefore those holding Maori seats, or in the Maori Party, can’t represent, or speak for, them all.