April 30, 2015
Maori Party backing Australian day of action
Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox is in Melbourne to take part in tomorrow’s day of action against the withdrawal of federal government support from remote Aboriginal communities.
She says while New Zealand is quick to speak against human rights abuses by the Islamic State in Iraq or by Indonesia executing drug smugglers, it seems to be silent about the human rights of Australia’s indigenous people.
She hopes her presence can help and get media attention for the cause.
"We stand in solidarity with our indigenous relatives all over the world. Maori have been world leaders for indigenous rights and many of the indigenous peoples around the world look to us as the way of the future for them so we can learn from each other and continue building those bonds of relationships with indigenous people from across the world," Ms Fox says.
Her trip is paid out of her own resources and donations, rather than from the parliamentary purse.
There are marches today in at least nine countries in support of the action in Australia, with hikoi planned for Auckland, Wellington, Kirikiriroa and Otautahi.
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