June 26, 2023
National crime policy beat up on Māori
Māori Party president John Tamihere says National’s annual conference shows its election strategy is to build up fear of Māori among its supporters.
Leader Chris Luxon showcased National’s law and order policy, including the return of three strikes, limiting sentence discounts and scrapping cultural reports.
Mr Tamihere says the reality is violent crime is a problem for poor and vulnerable communities, not in the leafy streets of National’s Remuera and Fendalton strongholds.
He says it’s a standard National Party election year beat up.
“The other thing about the beat up is it conflates two things – crime with Maori, three waters with Maori, take back New Zealand – what take back Aotearoa means to the National Party is kick the hories into touch, make it greater again when us pakehas are in total control,” he says.
Mr Tamihere says Maori are at the bottom because their assets were stolen and they’re now seven generations behind the theft.