Fuel crisis, infighting make another ‘carkoi’ unlikely

Summarised by Centrist

A TVNZ article by Te Aniwa Hurihanganui, warning the government risks “another colossal hīkoi” if it proceeds with plans to remove or weaken Treaty clauses in legislation, is being challenged as overstated and politically loaded.

Journalist Graham Adams argues the threat of a repeat of 2024’s mobilisation is unlikely,  “in the middle of a fuel crisis when petrol prices are already eye-watering.”

Adams notes the 2024 protest, dubbed a “carkoi,” relied heavily on vehicle convoys and spectacle, including large crowds crossing the Auckland Harbour Bridge. With police now restricting such access and costs rising, replicating that scale would be challenging.

He also argues that the political coordination behind the protest has fractured. The 2024 hīkoi was “a joint effort by Te Pāti Māori and Toitū Te Tiriti,” but that alliance has since broken down amid infighting, including a “bitter breakup” involving key organisers.

Instead of mass mobilisation, Adams says groups like Toitū Te Tiriti are now pursuing legal action, including an urgent Waitangi Tribunal case opposing the Treaty review.

A central target of Adams’ critique is Hurihanganui herself, whose article warned of renewed protest. Adams says the piece, labelled “Analysis,” was “clearly ‘Opinion’,” reflecting her activism, contradictory to TVNZ’s mandate to deliver impartial reporting. “How can her employer imagine that viewers who read her columns will see her as even-handed when reporting news?” he asks. 

He argues TVNZ audiences are not being shown the full picture. He cites Hobson’s Pledge’s Elliot Ikilei, who says that activists have “lost the big battle in Parliament” and are now focused on defending remaining positions in councils.

Adams also points to commentary from activist Tina Ngata describing a shift from the “sense of hope” after the 2024 hīkoi to a current “sense of despair,” with support for Te Pāti Māori weakening and some disengaging from politics altogether.

Adams argues TVNZ blurs the line between reporting and activism by allowing journalists to publish opinion alongside news, raising questions about impartiality and whether viewers are getting a balanced account of the Treaty debate.

Read more over at Point of Order

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