National MP Judith Collins claims she felt demonised for being white after the National Party received backlash for removing Māori from the frontline.
Relations expert Dr Paul Spoonley says pākehā have had a voice at ‘the top table’ for a long time and that Mrs Collins' comments were quite extreme. “They’re not being demonised,” he says.
National Party leader Todd Muller recently replaced Simon Bridges who, at the time of his reign, was the senior Māori MP of the party alongside Paula Bennett, who has now been demoted to 13th in line.
Dr Spoonley tells Tapatahi that the removal of Māori MPs from the frontline could see an unsuccessful chance of winning 2020’s upcoming election, as a result of failing Treaty partnerships.
“An obligation is to consider Māori as a Treaty partner, so you need a Māori voice,” says Dr Spoonley.
“You don’t win this country if you don’t have Māori in your seats.”
Dr Spoonley tells Tapatahi that reports suggest Muller didn’t think about his actions before pursuing them, but that within itself is a crime.
Muller’s recent ‘Make America Great Again’ comments have also put people across the nation on edge, which Dr Spoonley says was a naive mistake on Muller’s behalf.
“Very bad start to his reign as National Party leader.”
Labour Party and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern are soaring through the polls for 2020’s election, but there are concerns around the unemployment rate for Māori as a result of COVID-19.
“Māori communities are going to be very hard hit,” he says, but acknowledges the extraordinary ability Māori communities possess in terms of looking after one another.
“As we begin the rebuild, we need to think about Māori and what they’re going to bring to the table.
“And there’s nothing about the front bench that’s inviting Māori as partners to have a conversation about what the future of Aōtearoa is likely to look like.”