New Zealanders all one ethnicity?
I read that Gerry Brownlee is upset that we can;t just call ourselves "New Zealander" as an ethic origin. He says that we don't identify with Europe.
I guess, I worry about Gerry. Ethnic origin is very different to culture, which is what he is talking about. I am European by ethnicity, I am pakeha by culture. How could he not see the difference. And if he can't, how did he get to be deputy leader of one of our two main political parties.
I am also interested in what he understand a New Zealander to be, in the interests of being one people. I suspect he has a very white picture in his head. So, for us to be one people we have to be white or pretend we are white? Is that right Gerry?
And a day or two later the Race Relations Commissioner reports "Maori and Pacific people are still facing huge inequalities, despite some positive moves in 2005.
The annual review of race relations shows there is an unacceptably wide gap between Maori and Pacific people and the rest of the community and more work needs to be done to reduce serious social and economic inequalities including health, education and economic standard of living.
Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres says last year, more than a third of all children born in New Zealand were of Maori and Pacific descent, yet they face the prospect of an avoidable mortality rate that is three times as high for Maori and twice as high for Pacific people as it is for other New Zealanders.
"If we're serious about building a fair New Zealand for everyone then there is a greater need than ever to address these disparities."
These disparities arose due to the failed policies of successive pakeha government that said we are all white. Only now that the cultural differences are being acknowledged and work done to empower Maori and Polynesians to deal with these demographics has there been an improvement.
And Gerry and his "we are all one" mantra will take us back to the 1960's and the source of these demographics. For what? Gerry's own political gain. It is sad that someone with that much power can abuse it just his own best interests. And Don supports him!
I guess, I worry about Gerry. Ethnic origin is very different to culture, which is what he is talking about. I am European by ethnicity, I am pakeha by culture. How could he not see the difference. And if he can't, how did he get to be deputy leader of one of our two main political parties.
I am also interested in what he understand a New Zealander to be, in the interests of being one people. I suspect he has a very white picture in his head. So, for us to be one people we have to be white or pretend we are white? Is that right Gerry?
And a day or two later the Race Relations Commissioner reports "Maori and Pacific people are still facing huge inequalities, despite some positive moves in 2005.
The annual review of race relations shows there is an unacceptably wide gap between Maori and Pacific people and the rest of the community and more work needs to be done to reduce serious social and economic inequalities including health, education and economic standard of living.
Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres says last year, more than a third of all children born in New Zealand were of Maori and Pacific descent, yet they face the prospect of an avoidable mortality rate that is three times as high for Maori and twice as high for Pacific people as it is for other New Zealanders.
"If we're serious about building a fair New Zealand for everyone then there is a greater need than ever to address these disparities."
These disparities arose due to the failed policies of successive pakeha government that said we are all white. Only now that the cultural differences are being acknowledged and work done to empower Maori and Polynesians to deal with these demographics has there been an improvement.
And Gerry and his "we are all one" mantra will take us back to the 1960's and the source of these demographics. For what? Gerry's own political gain. It is sad that someone with that much power can abuse it just his own best interests. And Don supports him!
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