Summarised by Centrist
Writer Graham Adams argues that Rawiri Waititi’s controversial actions and statements have inadvertently strengthened the government’s position.
He argues that thanks to the Te Pāti Māori co-leader, this government appears more stable and principled in comparison.
Adams notes that Waititi’s inflammatory rhetoric, including calls for a separate Māori Parliament, has not only triggered widespread social media backlash, but also put pressure on Labour and the Greens to distance themselves from his radical agenda.
As well, it puts the mainstream media on notice as they routinely call out hate speech and racist language from others, but:
“Apparently the ‘far-left’ is automatically exempt from such criticism,” he writes.
Waititi’s party received only a fraction of Māori votes. He does not speak for all Māori. Furthermore, scandals involving government held private data illegally used to solicit votes for his party, alongside his wife’s extreme rhetoric, are feeding into the idea that Te Pāti Māori wants anarchy.
“As the co-leader of the only party in Parliament premised specifically on ethnic criteria — and owing its place entirely to the anachronistic Māori seats — Waititi is a boon to the government,“ he writes.
