February 07, 2023
Low-politics Waitangi shows Ngapuhi in better light
The Minister for Crown Maori Relations, Kelvin Davis, attributes the relatively protest-free Waitangi Day commemorations to actions by the Ngapuhi hosts and the Government.
He says the organisers tried to make it not about politics but about commemorating Te Tiriti o Waitangi – what it stood for, what it should have been, and what it wasn’t.
“We made a concerted effort when we came into government to actually work with Maori and also a concerted effort to improve what happens at Waitangi Day because as a Ngapuhi I always felt people were looking in on their TV sets at what was happening at Waitangi and it was a reflection of what Ngahpuhi is like and I just know that is not true so we made a concerted effort to take the focus off politicians,” Mr Davis says.
He says by tackling problems affecting Maori such as shifting resources from Oranga Tamariki out into communities, some of the flashpoints have been lessened.