Alan Duff

Too many Maoris think The Bash is a perfectly acceptable concept, a right and proper way to behave, to keep women – read bitches – in line. Yes, yes, a lot of Pakehas and Russians and Iraqis and Brits and Negroes, the whole wide world has men with attitudes like this. But Maoris more so. It must be so for the statistics keep saying it loud and achingly clear. And we have to change it before we can’t.

I’ve yet to hear one person suggest compulsory parenting courses at high school. I’ve yet to hear suggestions of imposing consequences on bad parents. The law of consequence – in other words, taking responsibility for our own actions – has left the lexicon. Well, where Maori are concerned it has. There’s always some professional excuse-monger who leaps up and blames “the system” or “government” or “Child, Youth Family” or “Western culture” on our every failing.