They are probably both right

Here's an exchange of views. The first from criminologist Greg Newbold and the second from Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples. They are spin-off comments regarding a documentary about the Mongrel Mob made by Ross Kemp;

Newbold said "the brown middle-class who are tending to revive Maori culture and to possibsome extent rewrite Maori prehistory" would find the links offensive, but they were based on well-researched fact.

Other social issues among Maori such as prevalent domestic abuse, alcoholism and violence had historical cultural roots, he said.

"Almost every time you hear about a child that's been beaten to death they are Maori that's not new. It's a bloody sad truth. They can keep arguing the point but it's not going to change until people acknowledge it. Everyone who's involved in this kind of work knows it... But very few people are prepared to say it because you are called a racist."

Sharples said: "Greg Newbold is talking rubbish. In pre-European times Maori did not whack their babies and there was no alcohol. What I've looked at is the impact of colonisation on Maori and the bringing in of fatty foods and flour and all these kinds of things into a group that did not fit in the mainstream.

"It's natural that the group should be over-represented in negative and low socio-economic statistics."

The reason for their disagreement is the definition of 'historical terms'. Newbold is probably talking about the Maori/European period whereas Sharples is clearly going back further. There can be no doubt that since Maori have been trading for and using alcohol there have been problems. Then throw welfare into the mix and for some reason the combined detrimental effect has been greater than on Pakeha. The difference will almost certainly have to do with different values. In particular the Pakeha culture of individualism versus the Maori tradition of collectivism. Of course that is a very black and white statement and over the one hundred and sixty years or so the line has become blurred as the races have mixed and Pakeha have increasingly embraced collectivism. Unfortunately I suspect those Maori who have embraced individualism have buggered off. We need to get them back.