February 26, 2024
Gang patch ban dog whistling and dictatorial
The Māori Party president John Tamihere says the Government’s proposed crack down on gangs is dictatorial and dog whistling.
He says rules against the wearing of gang symbols and against gang members congregating will be almost impossible to enforce, because police would have to prove criminal intent.
He says the Government is being highly selective about who it goes after.
“This whole 100-day attack is an attack on all things Maori, notwithstanding gangs’ freedom of association which is a basis for any constitutional democracy. When you see them looking to table a bill in the house to do away with Te Aka Whai Ora solely to defeat the right of the judiciary through the Waitangi Tribunal to have an inquiry which is this Thursday and Friday, what you are starting to see is quite dictatorial conduct,” Mr Tamihere says.
He says if the Government treated farmer or business in the same way, there would be revolution.