British gave Ma¯ori the best deal they ever offered
The British were not the most benevolent people when it came to colonising other countries, but neither were they stupid. Ma¯ori were given the best deal ever offered to a prospective colony. It was not negotiated with a Ma¯ori nation but a vast number of tribes at war with each other and in danger of extinction. To accept that the British would enter a partnership with all these divided tribes is ridiculous. Ma¯ori were assured equal rights with all British citizens while renouncing sovereign authority. While acknowledging there were many breaches of the Treaty, these are being addressed and settlements must become full and final so we can all become one people — New Zealanders.
Murray Christison
Napier
Shane Jones
I read Mike Williams’ eulogy for Shane Jones (HBT Feb 9) with disbelief and derision. Never having won an electoral seat, Jones has coattailed into Parliament on “the list”, initially as a Labour MP where he made one cockup after another, before defecting to the now defunct job of Pacific Economic Ambassador under National, for an extra $1 million plus in salary and expenses, but zero return. Now Jones is back, again as an unelected list MP, this time for NZ First, swanning around disbursing cash from his PGF pork barrel like some mediaeval princeling while, to quote Bruce Bisset (HBT Feb 8), revelling in the headlines he gets whenever he so much as passes wind. The only thing Jones is good for is promoting Shane Jones, and his ability to shift his political allegiances at will, from Labour to National to NZ First, makes him front-runner to take over the mantle of Winston Peters as the turncoat par excellence of NZ politics. Watch your back Winston, there isn’t room for more than one populist demagogue at NZ First.
John Denton
Napier
Corporate welfare
William Wellwood (HBT Jan 9) claims Obama did a great job by helping “save the banking and automobile industries”. This was corporate welfare. While Obama was in office he doubled American debt and is the only president who never achieved 2 per cent growth and yet William says he “did a great job to navigate his country”. William then goes on to say a previous writer, PJ Krueger, has blind faith. This is the pot calling the kettle black. My support goes to PJ Krueger and his response (HBT Feb 11). Leonard Poon (HBT Feb 12) supports Obama with falsehood. Obama did use executive order to rule. He himself said “I’ve got a pen and I’ve got a phone — and I can use that pen to sign executive orders and take executive actions and administrative actions that move the ball forward”. Fortunately, because he did use executive action, President Trump has been able to undo Obama’s work, with the result the economy is now booming with over 4 per cent growth. Further to Leonard’s letter, the reason Obama did not have to use the term “fake news” is because the media were and are still in bed with him. President Trump has endlessly exposed their bias and falsehood. Yes, the Pope did speak of building bridges and not walls. The trouble is the Pope himself is walled in as are Hollywood who are against such walls.
John Norvill
Wairoa