Maori New Year [UPDATE: Nats will vote against - "with respect" to Maori Party]

The Bill - via NRT.

It is important. There are some issues which need to be dealt with, so let's go through it - it's a very short bill.

Title
This Act may be cited as—
(a) Te Rā o Matariki Act 2009; or
(b) The Matariki Day Act 2009.

2 Commencement
This Act comes into force on the day after the date on which it receives the Royal assent.

3 Purpose
The purpose of this Act is to make provision for the observance of Matariki—
(a) as the Māori New Year; and
(b) as a public holiday.

4 Observance of Matariki
Matariki must be observed as a public holiday throughout New Zealand on the day of the next new moon following the day in which it rises in the months of May or June.

5 Matariki to be publicly notified
The Minister of Māori Affairs, after consultation with such persons having knowledge and experience in tikanga and astronomy as the Minister considers appropriate, may from time to time, by notice in the Gazette, declare the day on which Matariki is to be observed.

6 Amendments to Holidays Act 2003
The Holidays Act 2003 is amended in the manner indicated in the Schedule.
Schedule
Amendments to Holidays Act 2003
s 6
Section 32(a)
Omit “11” and substitute “12”.
Section 44(1)
Insert the following paragraph after paragraph (h):
“(ha) Matariki:”
New section 45A
Insert after section 45:
“45A Transfer of Matariki as public holiday
For the purposes of this subpart, if Matariki falls on a Saturday or a Sunday, it must be treated as a public holiday falling on the following Monday or, if that is already a public holiday, the following Tuesday.”



9: 24PM Katene begins her speech - in Maori, of course. It's Maori Language week too. "Celebrating Matariki"...

[now the Tories just voted down the anti-slavery bill: 63 to 58, so... I'm not kidding... so, there's not a lot of hope the "productivity = make them work harder for longer for less pay" brigade are going to approve of an additional day off work under any circumstances. A compromise many would conclude will be to dump Queen's Birthday for Matariki.]

1995 Pipitea celebrated Matariki "in style"... almost universally celebrated.. To pay our respects to the land and the people and the history, planting activities [I'm not so sure about that point, Matariki is before planting isn't it? Kumara doesn't get planted until later - in August? She's reading a lot out of her previous material that I have posted on at this point in her speech. She's so proud and her voice is almost breaking - a rookie backbencher in this precarious political situation with the Nats...]
9:32PM - [the bell!]

Guy Fawkes is celebrated [FFS... she's choking.]

Chair - "I've stopped the clock"

Hone Harawira continues: All we want is to let the people have a say... will the PM support Matariki Day? And he said No, probably not...? A celestial event, indigenous origins,... setting NZ apart... improving cultural identity. A day in the midst of Winter. Communities. Dr Te Pou... a holiday... good idea... our journey as one nation... shine as one. Harawira finishes her speech for her as she gasps in the background. I thought she was shaky there, but ... oh dear.]

Chair: Could the member the indicate the committee?
Harawira: Maori Affairs.

[Simon Bridges the first to speak - the young Nat from Winston's old seat, acknowledges the member.]

9:40PM Bridges: [the idiot. Droning on like a punch drunk cop, says he won't support it] and the National Party won't be either... [he sounds rather heart-broken about having to be the "Maori boy" that Winston once was to the Pakeha party bosses and have to calm the hysterical Maori lady down in the chamber - just tell her no - but thank them for the votes in the House eh. FFS. That's what you are not going to get in Hansard, but that is what everyone in the chamber was thinking and evidently so did he by the poor pup act at the end. What a shitty day at the office. Let's continue to worship the Queen as a God - the one in whose name the beneficiaries of NZ (and anyone having any notions of complaining to the media about the government) now have no right of confidentiality regards their information held by the state. FFS.

This is NZ: NZ is to Australia like Rhodesia was to South Africa: The smaller countries had a lesser degree of social racism, a higher degree of native political representation, but ultimately a British colonial exercise engineered by London finance and colonial businessmen for fast profits whose on-going game the locals continue to play. The government doesn't want to properly acknowledge the Treaty upon which that regime is supposedly based and will not sign international documents that would have the effect of essentially living up to that Treaty... what is that if it is not a game of sorts? And the rules of the game are also a joke - with a Constitution Act that lets a troika of Ministers create a fait accompli to the Cabinet via their own proclamation that the Crown will confiscate Maori property and over-ride their rights on a discriminatory basis. Was that Australia's response to the Mabo decesion? That's the sort of a "constitution" we have. Where that shit happens.

Maori don't have a day. Waitangi Day, for those who would differ, is everyone's day - it's a national and a government day. Every other public holiday has no Maori connotation or element at all. The calendar remains staunchly KKKristian and staunchly in favour of the Royal Family and Her Majesty's Government. It is a colonial calendar that everyone is forced to obey. A Maori new year would trigger the other Maori observations (though not necessarily any other public holidays initially).]

9:44PM. [A Maori lady speaking - a Nat one by the sounds of it - oh, no, sorry the other sell-out, on the other side, Mahuta of Waikato. She's not making much of an impact or sense.] "Sustainable future..." [From the Labour Party]. Blathering.

9:47PM. Paul Quinn (National): [Stumbling through his Maori makes a good fist of it in the end.] "As a mark of respect" [- oh no - they are not that is not the reason., that is not "mana enhancing a la the support agreements.[
9:51PM: Why do we have Queen's Birthday where it is - a date connected with her father? Cultural heritage...

9:52PM. Fenton (Labour) - We support this bill going to the select committee. There are some other issues going on: workers' rights. [now she's getting qualvery and emotional] National disgraceful.. shop trading debate... [she's an old union battler, so there's no stopping her now she's on this topic].. the retail workers.. 3 and a half days in the whole year left that workers don't have to work. [Hmm 8

Metiria Turei (Green co leader), We support [fuck she's cocky now she's leader, chuckling to herself.] Holiday between QB and Labour Day. We support an additional holiday. A means to recognise tikanga Maori in some form - this is out of the current framework, pre-colonial Maori legitimacy. [Go, baby!] there needs to be...
10:00 Chair - I have to interrupt... [FFS! she was just getting stuck in, just starting] hurrumphing... Po Marie.... Maori voices singing now, from the chamber. [I didn't catch when the Chair set it down for to continue its reading.]
/hansard.alt

The Nats+Act = NO to the anti-slavery bill. They are going to vote this into oblivion too. People can try to take the Matariki holiday off if they can next year. The bill needs some work though. It should go to committee for that.