Sharples 'Deeply Offended' by Labour Leader's Speech

The Co-leader of the Maori Party, and Minister of Maori Affairs– Dr Pita Sharples – says he is deeply offended by the comments made in a speech yesterday by Labour leader Phil Goff.

“That speech has taken us back to the very worst days of politicians playing the race card to try and increase their popularity and I hope that New Zealanders don’t buy into it.”

“We in the Maori Party have spent the last five years building bridges. For my own part I have made a particular point of that, and I will continue to do so. That’s why I’m really disappointed and aggrieved by Phil Goff’s speech.”

“People will know that we as a party have made a special point - in debates in the House for example - of sticking to the business, not taking part in the barracking and name calling, playing the ball and not the man.”

“That’s why I find Phil Goff’s comments offensive and deeply disappointing. I think he and the Labour Party are the last people to want to talk about the Foreshore and Seabed, the actions he and his party took in that affair led to this country being shamefully referred to the United Nations.”

“As far as our support of the new ETS legislation goes, I’m proud of the fact that there will be another $24 million made available for insulating homes. Only the other day the Child Poverty Action Group said that one of the greatest things affecting children living in poverty is illness caused by living in poorly or non-insulated homes. Well we will now have the funds to insulate thousands more homes.”

“In terms of the arrangements made with five iwi over their forestry assets, Phil Goff knows full well that those iwi reached Treaty agreements with the government on terms that have since been radically altered and devalued by an ETS scheme. The government of the day – Phil Goff’s government – sold them something that they knew would be affected adversely by ETS. They effectively cheated those iwi all over again and it has been left to this government to rectify that.”

“So trying to portray this as a special deal for these five iwi is a terrible lie designed to whip up racial hatred – a terrible terrible thing to do in this day and age.”

“We live in the here and now, and we take seriously our responsibility to prepare a stronger future for our mokopuna. Yes we in the Maori Party have a primary constituency. Dealing with the Foreshore and Seabed is something we promised we would do. The forestry deal nips in the bud a brewing, cheating deal perpetrated by Labour, and the new money for insulation assists all of our people living in poverty.”

“I guess people who want to drag us back into the gutter of racial politics will line up behind Phil Goff. I’m hoping the Maori members of his caucus will not do so. On the other hand I’m hoping that right thinking fair-minded people will stand up against that sort of behaviour and say ‘no more’. Kia ora tatou katoa.”