He's baaack!

Ex-NZFirst, ex-Mauri Pacific, current-Nat MP makes a colourful splash on his return to the Beehive. He wants to disconnect the 0800 POWHIRI service. Looks like he's been chatting with Wayne Mapp going over Don's Orewa 1 speech ;-) Nonetheless, he's absolutely correct to observe that:

"Labour continually uses and abuses Maori values whenever it suits them"

Pity the majority on the Maori electoral roll don't realise this on election day. There's a reason Maori don't win Nobel Prizes. Phil Goff's (decontextualised) statement that karakia are used as,

"promotional gimmicks to attract media attention in foreign countries"

is rather curious, but doesn't at all surprise me. Nothing Labour does, anymore. Tell us more, Mr Henare! Korero mai! Always quite liked Tau. Like the erstwhile Mr Tamihere, he truly understands (firsthand) and can articulate the daily concerns, aspirations and frustrations of the constituency vaguely known as "mainstream" [Nat-speak] urban Maori. At least those of us fed up with the shortcomings (read: incompetence & dishonesty) rife in so many of our runanga and roopu awhina [YOU know who you are!] Gawd, I'm startin' to sound like Alan Duff. Must be getting old. Maybe soon I'll be eligible to conduct traditional welcoming rituals for official visitors : -)

Hope Tau makes heaps o' noise this term and continues in John's footsteps, especially his expose of the inner machinations of the Labour Machine ala the Investigate magazine interview. Ka pai, John! Your most significant contribution to kiwi political discourse, ever! Never mind that it was unintentional :-)

Wonder how palsy things'll be between Tau & Winny? Other than that they're in different parties, and in opposition (or whatever it is that Winston calls it). 'Tis a cryin' shame things never worked out for them in 1996-99. "Oh, nostalgia! You've changed so much since then."

Old Commies never die
Speaking of reminiscences going awry, in a completely unnecessary flash of retro-feelgood activism, Grant Morgan (secretary of Auckland's Socialist Worker), Matt McCarten (Union cheerleader) & John Minto (uber-protestor) are mission bound. Like a grotesque parody of those Hippy Bus Tour things from a sillier generation, the tiresome trio are out to impress their collaborative brainchild, "The Workers Charter," on an unsuspecting poor, exploited, kiwi proletariat.

Greedy capitalist dogs, be warned! The workers have nothing to lose but their chains. Hedonists lament! This time around the 'sex, drugs, rock n roll' will be replaced by the infinitely less groovy 'worker's struggle'. Have fun, comrades.

Poor, deluded Mr Morgan typically miscasts The Maori Party as left of Labour -- an all too common fault of msm journos, IMO. Imagine his dismay on discovering they're pro-tax cut, pro-life, believe families (not guvmints) should bring up kids, despise centralised governance, and -horror of all horrors- are respectful of Christianity.