Maori King’s backing no laughing matter
At best the Maori King’s speech at Turangawaewae on Sunday made him a political football, at worst it made him the source of jokes aimed at the Opposition for months to come.
Not once but twice this week Prime Minister John Key used King Tuheitia’s support for the Maori Party (and vow to never vote Labour again) to attack Labour leader Andrew Little.
If Queen Elizabeth had blatantly waded into party politics (not that she ever would or could), Key wouldn’t dare use her as ammunition – but apparently King Tuheitia is fair game.
That’s bad for Maori because the King’s political meddling will make it very difficult for him to work with any Government in the future now that he’s started nailing his colours to the mast.
It was some of Tuheitia’s biggest supporters in Parliament who were quick to criticise his comments this week.
Labour MP for Tamaki Makaurau, Peeni Henare, was the first to say the King was wrong.
Both Henare and Little are adamant nobody has ever said Labour wouldn’t work with the Maori Party – Tuheitia said it was this unwillingness that meant he was backing the Maori and Mana parties.
In fact the Opposition even invested Parliament Library resources in trying to hunt down any hint of a comment, to no avail.
The Labour camp is holding newly appointed Maori Party president, Tukoroirangi (Tuku) Morgan - a personal friend and adviser of the King – responsible for the factual inaccuracies.
Henare has called Morgan out for having ‘‘far too much influence’’ on the King.
Expected to succeed his late father Erima Henare on the King’s council, Peeni Henare would be right to be confused about last week’s events and Tuheitia’s motives for speaking out against Labour.
It’s been a year since Henare’s father passed away and Tuheitia still hasn’t brought him into the fold on the council despite it being all but confirmed.
That means Ngapuhi, the biggest iwi in the country with 130,000 members, currently has no representation on the Maori Council.
Questions are now being raised as to how influential the council is, given their position would have been for the King to stay out of politics – advice he clearly chose to ignore.
If Ngapuhi weren’t already aggrieved with the King’s handling of the council, then they’ll be even less thrilled Tuheitia has indirectly taken a swipe at one of their own by saying Labour isn’t a party worth voting for.
It speaks volumes that some Maori, particularly those of Ngapuhi descent, refer to Tuheitia as the King of Huntly – not the Maori King.
History would suggest that boils down to many in Ngapuhi believing the throne should have moved north after the death of Queen Te Atairangikahu – the aunty of Labour MP Nanaia Mahuta.
The King’s speech on Sunday was a slap in the face for Mahuta – often rumoured to replace Tuheitia on the throne – has a long-standing rivalry with Morgan.
Mahuta recently remarked the King’s replacement is a role for somebody else and her dismissal might have something to do with being increasingly left in the cold by the King.
Labour relies on Mahuta’s relationship with Kingitanga (the Maori King movement) in the same way they rely on MP Adrian Rurawhe, a direct descendent of Church founder Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana, when negotiating with Ratana.
But Mahuta was left with egg on her face last week when the King’s officials told her the highest Government representative that would attend the marae on Friday would be Conservation Minister Maggie Barry.
She fed that back to Labour and consequently Little didn’t attend on the basis neither Key or his deputy, Bill English, would be there.
Nobody would have been more surprised than Mahuta when English arrived.
For the King’s people to blatantly misled Mahuta you have to wonder how pivotal a role they see her playing in the future of Kingitanga.
With Mahuta being left out in the cold and an unexplained delay in Henare joining the Maori Council, it’s no wonder Labour looks to be playing second fiddle to the Maori and Mana parties as far as the King is concerned.
The question is how much of that has to do with Morgan?
Undoubtedly his coming on board is a big win for the Maori Party – unsurprisingly the coleaders were particularly cocka-hoop about the King’s speech
Morgan is also the driver behind the talks between the Maori Party and Mana Party leader Hone Harawira.
The Maori Party has gone from having five seats in 2008 when it struck its deal with National, to winning just one seat at the last election – Labour hold the other six.
While there’s no way Mana and the Maori Party would ever form an alliance in the same way Labour and the Greens have – they can help each other out in the Maori electorates and potentially give Labour something to sweat about. Just how wide-reaching Morgan’s influence is could become apparent at Ratana next year.
The close relationship between Kingitanga and Ratana could lead to another political spectacle when party leaders gather there ahead of the election.
If that’s the case Little might find himself being whisked off a marae yet again.
On Sunday at Tuheitia’s speech Little was sat only metres away from where the King delivered his attack on the party.
However, a last minute heads up about what was about to go down meant Little got thrown in a golf cart before the grenades started flying.
When Little was asked on Tuesday if he knew what was coming he ducked for cover saying his exit was due to having to catch a flight.
So how much influence will the King’s speech have on Maori voters ahead of next year’s election?
Henare stressed on Tuesday that Maori were ‘‘wise’’ when it came to casting their vote – a clear indication he doesn’t think the King’s political opinion will have much of a ripple effect at all.
Both he and Mahuta have blamed Labour’s handling of the Foreshore and Seabed legislation, under former Prime Minister Helen Clark, for the ongoing resentment held by the King and many Maori.
If the Maori Party can tap into that they just might have a shot at some of the seats currently held by Maori Labour MPs, although in most cases it would be a hell of a mountain to climb.
If successful, Morgan will have the biggest grin of all – even if it’s at the expense of Kingitanga’s ability to work with future Governments of all persuasions.
After all, any political neutrality has been well and truly thrown out the window.