Let's have an electorate seat based in the United Kingdom seen as over 100,000 Kiwis live there. We could call it Earl's Court. And then let's have 5 electorate seats based in Australia seen as around 500,000 New Zealanders live there. Oh, OK. One of them can be a Maori electorate seat as 1 in 5 Kiwis living in Australia is Maori. Pita Sharples already has a name for it.
This is a great idea. More MPs.
Seriously, Pita has probably read this from the new Te Puni Kokiri report, Maori in Australia - "...it may well be that Maori in Australia make up a surprisingly large proportion of those voting in New Zealand elections in Australia, and that Maori in Australia greatly prefer the General roll over the Maori roll."
I wonder why? Perhaps it's because, as the report describes, they go to Australia to escape the separateness, where there is a multicultural environment they can fit in with happily. Also from the report,
"Many say leaving NZ has made them feel free - of daily negative news stories about Maori, of whanau obligations and of limited expectations either they or others had of themselves that stopped them striving for success. In Australia, they are aggregated with Pakeha New Zealanders as 'Kiwis' which is a positive rather than a negative, by and large. Research shows that many Maori consider that their relations with Pakeha are better in Australia than in New Zealand."
It doesn't sound to me like these people will be rushing to embrace the backwards looking, victimhood propagating Maori Party.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Now this is brilliant. I'm going to stand for one of these Australian constituencies.
I get to live in Australia.
Taxpayer paid office on the waterfront in Sydney. Kiwis drop in anytime for coffee and a natter.
Fly home to NZ on a Monday, back on a Friday when Parliament is sitting. Not too onerous.
Taxpayer funded BBQ/Hui every weekend to meet with constituents.
Taxpayer funded attendance to arts,cultural,sports events in which Kiwis are participants eg Warriors games.
Taxpayer paid visits from Cabinet Ministers (mates) and research people to see first hand constituents concerns (Warriors again).
Oh, this is so exciting!
Bring it on!
Post a Comment