Maori privilege is on the rise and at an accelerating pace.
Reports are now emerging from around the country of iwi representatives turning up at confidential local authority meetings and demanding a seat at council tables.
They claim their authority comes from the Mana Whakahono a Rohe agreements in the Resource Legislation Amendment Act that was passed by the National Government in 2017.
At the time we warned these iwi consultation provisions would have serious consequences for local democracy by enabling un-elected and unaccountable tribal representatives – pursuing their own self-interested agendas – to sit alongside elected councillors and officials in a co-governance role.
The Minister responsible for this misguided law change was Nelson MP Nick Smith. He not only designed these agreements with Iwi leaders behind closed doors, but he then manipulated Parliament’s rules so they could be imposed onto the country without notice and in such a way as to avoid the submission process and any form of public consultation whatsoever.
At the time the NZCPR asked the new Prime Minister Bill English to remove the provisions from the Bill. We published newspaper advertisements urging the public to contact the PM and call for common sense.
In the ads we explained the new iwi powers included plan-making, consenting, appointment of committees, monitoring and enforcement, bylaws, regulations and other council statutory responsibilities – including over fresh water.
We warned that once these agreements were in place they would be there forever – unless there was a law change to repeal them.
The fact that Councillors and communities cannot prevent these agreements from being introduced shows the fundamental protections of democracy and the rule of law have now been completely undermined.
As constitutional lawyer Stephen Franks explained at the time, “The Bill entrenches permanent race privilege and corruption… The provisions are a major constitutional change. They subordinate powers entrusted to elected local governments, in deliberately obscure words, to racially inherited power, beyond the reach of electoral recall.”
Another example of Maori privilege that has been extremely detrimental to the national interest is the changes to the Charities Act that were introduced by Helen Clark’s Labour Government to allow some of the biggest businesses in the country to register as charities and avoid paying tax.
Until that time, any group wanting to register as a charity not only needed a legitimate charitable purpose – such as the relief of poverty or the advancement of education – but they also had to meet a public benefit test to ensure that tax-free profits flow into the wider community, and not into the pockets of private individuals and their relatives.
Since Maori tribal organisations are kin-based, they failed the public benefit test and could not gain charitable status. To sidestep this hurdle, Labour introduced an exemption from the blood tie disqualification for anyone involved in the administration and management of a marae.
As a result, mega rich corporations like Ngai Tahu have been able to register as tax free charities.
This week’s NZCPR Guest Commentator researcher Dr Michael Gousmett, outlines the consequences of Labour’s ill-advised law change:
“It is interesting to read Ngai Tahu’s defence on their website of their charitable status and the income tax exemption that applies to its commercial empire: ‘The commercial success of Ngai Tahu needs no introduction. A $170 million settlement in 1998 has, in the space of 20 years, been turned into $1.3 billion (give or take a dollar or two).’
“The phenomenal rate of growth of their empire has been achieved through the significant acquisition of many previously income-tax paying for-profit entities which overnight, because of the income tax exempt status of Ngai Tahu Charitable Trust as the sole shareholder, also claims that fiscal privilege – yet those activities are unrelated to the charitable purposes of the trustee.
“Over the past 20 years, there have been, at one time or another, 70 limited liability companies, 18 joint ventures and 3 associate companies under Ngai Tahu control. Currently Ngai Tahu has 39 trading entities that are registered as tax charities. Today Ngai Tahu operate a substantial commercial operation that the taxpayers of New Zealand subsidise.”
With the Maori economy now topping $50 billion, Maori business corporation should not be subsidised by taxpayers. Their tax exempt status should be removed. It’s time they contributed their ‘fair share’ of tax to help build the country’s infrastructure and fund social services – just like everyone else.
In fact, when the Tax Working Group announced they intended looking into the tax treatment of charities, there was hope that Sir Michael Cullen would recommend what he proposed as Minister of Finance, namely, “Make trading operations owned by charities subject to income tax in the same way as other businesses, but with an unlimited deduction for distributions made for the relevant charitable purposes”.
However, recent comments by Dr Cullen that charities taking an “intergenerational” approach should be protected, may signal that more race based financial privilege lies ahead, not less – although it’s difficult to imagine what could be more generous than a zero tax rate!
Underpinning the growth in Maori privilege over the years has been the on-going battle for the Maori seats. These have become the political power base of the Maori sovereignty movement.
At present, sovereignty supporters are attempting to protect their power base through a Bill to entrench the Maori seats, so they can only be removed by a 75 percent majority of Parliament.
Labour MP Rino Tirikatene’s Private Member’s Bill, the Electoral (Entrenchment of Maori Seats) Amendment Bill is currently in front of a Select Committee, and he and his colleagues are busy travelling the country collecting submissions in favour of entrenchment.
To counter their contrived support, we urge anyone concerned about the growth of Maori privilege in New Zealand to send in a submission opposing entrenchment before the closing date of December 14th.
To assist readers, we have outlined a summary of the NZCPR submission to show the sorts of issues that can be raised.
But don’t forget, submissions to a Select Committee do not have to be complex – one that simply states support or opposition to a Bill for a single reason is quite sufficient.
Furthermore, since politics is a numbers game, the number of submissions received on a Bill is important. But don’t forget that submissions should not be reproduced word for word otherwise they may not be counted separately by a Select Committee.
The following format can be used – the NZCPR’s full submission can be seen HERE.
5 December 2018
Committee Secretariat
Maori Affairs Select Committee
ma@parliament.govt.nzSubmission: Electoral (Entrenchment of Maori Seats) Amendment Bill
Dear Sir,
Thank you for providing the opportunity to make a submission on the Electoral (Entrenchment of Maori Seats) Amendment Bill.
This submission on behalf of ……… opposes the Bill on the following grounds:
- The reason for the existence of the Maori seats has long disappeared
The Maori seats were introduced as a temporary measure in 1867 to give those Maori men who didn’t meet the property qualifications of the day, the right to vote. The seats were meant to remain in force for five years but were extended for a further five years and then indefinitely.
When all men gained the vote in 1879, the Maori seats should have been abolished.
Since the original purpose of the Maori seats has long disappeared, they should be abolished, not entrenched.
- The Maori seats breach Section 19(1) of the New Zealand Bill of Rights
In 1986 the Royal Commission on the Electoral System recommended abolishing the Maori seats to prevent an over-representation of Maori in Parliament, if our voting system was changed from First Past the Post to Mixed Member Proportional.
Since a quarter of all MPs in our Parliament – including the leaders or deputy leaders of all political parties – are now of Maori descent, the retention of the Maori seats following the introduction of MMP has resulted in a disproportionate over-representation of Maori in Parliament.
In 2010, a ruling by the Attorney General on the principle of proportionality noted, “In a representative democracy, it is important to maintain approximately the same level of representation for everyone.”
Since the Maori seats have increased the representation of Maori in Parliament to a level greater than their proportion in the population as a whole, they have become discriminatory and are in breach of section 19(1) of the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990 – freedom from discrimination based on race. Accordingly, the Maori seats should be abolished, not entrenched.
- The Maori seats are not suited to entrenchment
Under section 268 of the Electoral Act, reserved provisions can only be changed through a special 75 percent majority of Parliament – or a binding referendum of voters. There are six reserved provisions, which are all constitutional in nature: the term of Parliament, the Representation Commission, the general electorates, the 5 percent electorate margin, the minimum voting age of 18, and the method of voting.
When the Maori seats were first introduced to give Maori men the vote, they were constitutional in nature. But once all men could vote, the rationale for their existence disappeared, and they were retained for political reasons.
Political provisions are not suited to entrenchment.
- The Bill is in breach of Parliament’s rules
Parliament’s Standing Order 266 states, “A proposal for entrenchment must itself be carried in a committee of the whole House by the majority that it would require for the amendment or repeal of the provision to be entrenched.”
This means that a Bill to entrench the Maori seats should also be passed by a special majority of 75 percent of Parliament. The fact that the Bill does not specify this, means it is in breach of Standing Order 266 and should be rejected.
- The Maori seats are no longer lawful
The Maori electoral population used in calculating the number of Maori seats is determined by the number of people who indicate they have Maori descent on their Census forms. However, in 1997, the Government Statistician decided to include a proportion of those who had not answered the Maori descent question correctly in his calculation. As a result, the number of Maori seats rose from 6 to 7. If the estimate had not been added, there would have only been 6 Maori seats since 1997.
Section 3 of the Electoral Act requires the Maori electoral population to be based on “the total number of ordinarily resident persons of New Zealand Maori descent as determined by the last periodical census”. However, since 1997 the calculation has been based on the census plus an estimate from the Government Statistician. That means the Maori seats are being calculated unlawfully. It would clearly be improper to entrench unlawful seats.
Conclusion
For the reasons outlined, the Electoral (Entrenchment of Maori Seats) Amendment Bill should not proceed. Furthermore, the Maori seats should be abolished.
Yours sincerely …
With Labour winning all seven Maori seats at the last election, we should expect to see new forms of privilege emerging, as iwi leaders make use of the negotiating leverage the seats provide. Not content with controlling local authorities, and potentially the whole of New Zealand’s coastline, they now have their eyes set, not only on the control of fresh water, but of government itself through the right to veto every Bill or regulation that is proposed.
The present system that is fuelling Maori privilege, has created a powerful ruling class that is having a disproportionate influence over government affairs. As a result, the tribal elite are prospering, while their relatives remain mired in hardship.
The Royal Commission blamed the race-based Parliamentary system for the marginalisation of Maori, arguing that if the Maori seats were abolished then all parties would focus on addressing the problems of persistent deprivation. In other words, Maori privilege and separatism are not an answer, equality is.
It’s time New Zealanders opened their eyes to what’s going on and started demanding the removal of the discriminatory Maori seats.
THIS WEEK’S POLL ASKS:
Do you believe Maori corporations should receive preferential tax treatment?
*Poll comments are posted below.
*All NZCPR poll results can be seen in the Archive.
THIS WEEK’S POLL COMMENTS
| It’s unfair & unjust that tribes who are wealthy coming under charity umbrellas to evade tax they are stealing from hard working people of New Zealand and this is causing division in our country! We are a multi cultured country of many nationalities and Maori all have other nationalities in their blood too, why do some of them think they deserve special treatment, when all have had histories of unjust treatment. The elite Maori are causing more pain for all peoples of New Zealand with their selfishness and greed. | Karmenne |
| There should be no preferential tax for any corporations be they oversea’s owned or NZ owned either by the bunch of greedy half caste’s or europeans, but our grovelling bunch of politicians will give everything away to keep in power. | Richard |
| The Maori corporations should be subjected to the same tax laws as other corporations or everyone else. | Susan |
| Same rules for everyone full stop! | Jack |
| Continual privilege by way of no tax should cease immediately. The no tax benefits only a few in maori hierarchy and not those whole would otherwise benefit. | Ray |
| All this has to STOP | Simon |
| They are not charitable trusts. they are racially based they should be taxed like all other business not to do so gives them a great unfair benefit against other business and all taxpayers | Allan |
| No, definitely not. | Kat |
| They should pay their fair share like their fellow citizens. The fact that they don’t is ridiculous. | Barbara |
| They should pay tax like most New Zealanders. Should they consider that they deserve a tax free status then NO Maori should receive any welfare from the hard earned funds provided to New Zealand government by taxpayers. | Allan |
| Once again Maori are sucking off the teat of the taxpayers. This has to stop. | Robert |
| Preferential tax treatment of Maori is discriminatory based on race.ie racial discrimination. | Paul |
| Good article. New Zealand has become poisonous with racism against non maori. At some point something has to give. | Sam |
| absolutely not! | Gerhard |
| The maori elite, tribal rulers, have too many privileges already, whilst maori suffer. Dr. Smith has a lot on his conscience! | David |
| Off course not. A level playing field for everyone. No more special treatment for any group of people based on race. | Bryan |
| I do not want to be governed by a tribal elite whose culture I find backward, greedy, embraces victimhood with no common sense. Labours’ policies have wrecked this country since 1973 apart from Roger Douglas’s time. All the gutless politicians from Labour, Greens, NZF and most of National will do nothing except stick to identity politics. Democracy, not a chance? | Monica |
| NEVER. | Clark. |
| Once again Maori are ripping us all off and they will keep doing it until they either completely run the country or some government wakes up and does something about it. | Fraser |
| No way. This is just so unfair. Its that simple. | Robert |
| Absolutely not. They are business’, are run as such and anyone earning an income is a shareholder (not a beneficiary). Tax exemption claims are a convenient scam! | Bruce |
| Just when do subsidies stop? When they are no longer needed – like now | Maurice |
| Or failing that, then if any member of a iwi wishes to travel from Picton to Christchurch can paddle their Waka down the coast. Then they can claim tax exemption as they will not be using tax payers supplied improvements to travel. | Sam |
| I would go further and require the church to also pay taxes. Any organisation claiming exemptions should be able to show what the charities where and how much was given to them for tax relief to be available. | Charles |
| no way | Alan |
| Of course they shouldn’t. I am totally sick of greedy Maori and stupid, gutless politicians | Mike |
| They already get more than they are entitled to | Edward |
| I am becoming increasingly disgusted at the moaning of this Race by agitators etc the more they want the more they get and many do nothing to earn it. they appear to take it that they have rights to everything –Foreshore and Seabeds plus land that they did not even know existed as there were not thousands here. | Marylin |
| Maori have far too much privilege already ! | Luis |
| The granting of Charitable status to Maori Corporations ignores the right of all New Zealanders to be treated equally | Ray |
| Absolutely not they have already plundered the public purse. | Norm |
| does anyone think that how we poll on this column will make any difference to what has already happened. maybe a copy of everyones comments should be sent to Nick Smith and published in every news outlet here in NZ and internationally. | Bill |
| one law for all | Barry |
| It is just using the treaty of Waitangi, as a partnership, therefore ultimate aim for maori is joint sovereignty, which in practical terms means they have an equivalent maori government department for every one that now exists. That includes courts police. To do this they need fifty percent of the tax take. I have dealt with this movement for many years’ this is their goal.. | Dene |
| They are for the most part a business and should not effectively have a privileged status | Ian |
| They should pay their fair share as all other corporations, this provision is racist | Bob |
| no | Neil |
| We are all NZers and having race based benefits for Maori is discriminatory. Not good. | Ian |
| Racial privilege has no place in our democracy It must be stopped & if allowed to continue presents a terrifying future threat to equality for everyone. 15% of the population gaining major control is totally unacceptable. | John |
| Unless of course everyone is moved to that same privileged position. I sure as hell, would prefer not to pay tax. As Roger Douglas once proposed, just pay GST and remove all other taxes. | Dianna |
| NO WAY! | Meg |
| They should be paying tax the same as he rest of us. | Peter |
| No they should be treated as any other private business and pay their share of taxes. | Bill |
| One law for all | Ross |
| I totally oppose this. It’s time to stop this preferential treatment for those of Maori ethnicity. They are no more important than the rest of us and equality should be the norm. People of Maori ethnicity are now in all businesses, corporations, and everywhere so there should be absolutely no special privilege not available to the rest of us. | Helen |
| not good citizens | Chris |
| The first requirement of a tax system is that it is fair. Exceptions and exemptions are unfair and undermine the integrity of the system. Every encouragement should be given to taxpayers to comply and if this is compromised by unfairness everybody suffers. | Peter |
| You have to be joking | Kevin |
| These situations happen because of bad politicians. They are given a mandate to do whatever they want, just as in dictatorships. The most politically happy voters in the world are the Swiss, they can control politicians proposed laws and regulations by binding referendums which they can initiate with a small % of voters. They forced 13 last year. | Rex |
| Absolutely not. They are just businesses at the end of the day making money. Make money, pay your share of tax. Simple. | Graeme |
| As usual they want their cake (public funded corporations) and they want to eat it all… not to be included in the democratic process of taxation like the rest of us!!! GREED AT ITS WORST. | Caro |
| New Zealand has become a more apartheid country than South Africa was. Why are Kiwis so complacent? And what will it take to rouse them from their sleep? | Jenny |
| Absolutely NOT | Ann |
| It’s racist | Allan |
| Repeal the nonsense treaty which is being interpreted by today’s maori to their own advantage what is wrong with NZ law that we allow this to happen | David |
| Absolutely not. At the very least it gives them a trading advantage over tax paying businesses | William |
| We are now living in an entrenched neo-apartheid state created by spineless politicians. | Tom |
| No. Not, never. | Paloma |
| Why should they! But as things are, Maori Corporations are only too happy to maintain preferential treatment and they are helped along all the way by we know who!!! The article says that the entire ‘Maori ‘ economy adds up to 50 billion Dollars at present. In this case it is an abomination that the taxpayer is milked by billions of dollars annually to cough up for all sorts of questionable deeds from Maori welfare to TOW reparations on a perpetual scale. We have reached not only financial apartheid , but the political establishment continues to destroy our society by driving more and more wedges into all strata of society . These wedges take shape in compulsory Maori language schemes to the re writing of historical facts including reversed racism against white people not to mention the fact that Maori gangs are busy selling drugs and cause enormous damage to our young people.And guess who is paying for this damage — again—???? | Michael |
| Injustices of the past, real or imagined, cannot be remedied with current injustices. | Allan |
| We all live and work in the same country, we should all be subject to the same Tax requirements | Pierre |
| It should be a level playing field | Michael |
| Absolutely not. | Bruce |
| All commercial activity should be taxed unless the proceeds of that are used solely for charitable purposes | Alan |
| Of course not. Any charity operating a commercial business should pay tax on the business profits, eh. Shotover Jet, Sanitarium,, etc. | Martin |
| Giving these corporations preferential tax treatment is giving them extra benefits. Why should one group be given any added benefits? It only creates an elite for no good reason. | Peter |
| They get enough privilege now | Laurel |
| Definitely not Totally unfair to all other taxpayers. | Mike |
| No definitely not! With Taxcinda being advised by Michael Cullen there’s little change of this privilege being removed, after all, he’s on the iwi gravy train with Tuhoe. We all need to write letters to these clowns & tell them enough is enough! And where is Peters on this?His silence is deafening! | Rex |
| Absolutely not!!! They should pay tax like the rest of us and have the same deductions for expenses like the rest of us. The greedy IWI are going to be the ruin of New Zealand and in the long run there will be revolt against their special privilege when we finally get rid of this terrible MMP system where it is almost impossible to get a government that can make the hard decision required to get rid of privileges for special interest groups and the blasted Maori Seats | Colin |
| All racist legislation in every form should be cleansed from NZ | Bud |
| Absolutely not. Why should they? | Barbara |
| Select activist Maori are driving this type of agenda. What it really is – it’s driving a wedge between peoples of our small nation. Maori are a conquered nation. They’ve been given a most unusual & unique opportunity for equality in NZ. However, rather than appreciate this [like a vast majority of Maori do, these activists just create more disharmony – ANTI-WHITES. | Simon |
| Its racial discrimination | Beil |
| He’ll no. They should be paying the same as all businesses do. | Peter |
| Of course not | Hans |
| Surely no comment is needed? | Andy |
| Another racial rort | Ian |
| Absolutely not ! These are billion dollar race based corporations not non-profit charities, initially funded by and continually property up by the tax payer. Never a thought for equality, integration and one law for all, just selfishness and greed. | Frank |
| THIS MUST STOP! | Norm |
| No! Little do they know, that their preferential tax treatment will ultimately destroy them along with the altruistic taxpayer/ratepayer who continues in the majority to remain silent and do nothing. Regardless of race, tribalism should not be promoted and sustained with government privilege. | Don |
| What has motivated successive governments to favour Iwi ? Guilt? There will be no reversal you can be sure The die has been cast Set in stone More legislation will follow The divide will widen | Edward |
| Maori wont be happy until; the country is bankrupt just like Greece through not paying taxes | Len |
| It is well known that apartheid ie. seperate development, is the preferred status that Maori want. | Len |
| Should be one rule for all. Also trusts should be taxed like anyone else. | steven |
| I sent a submission to the tax working group when it was set up asking for the removal of the preferential tax treatment for maori to be removed but note that they have decided not to make a change. This is wrong ! | Barry |
| It is so out of proportion now. | Pam |
| I believe it is fundamentally unlawful to give preferential treatment to one particular group or race. | Mark |
| Why should they have preferential tax treatment? What is so special about them? | June |
| They get too much as it is we have to stop this placating and make a stand it is disgusting | Mike |
| They are commercial businesses. If they would put some of their billions into housing their own it would be a little more acceptable | Jill |
| No, that is unfair. | Jen |
| This is a brown-collar rort by self-defined Maori “leaders” against the fiscal integrity of all New Zealanders | John |
| It’s time this country woke up and included Maori in the general population, the past is gone. We need to get real….,NOW! | BILL |
| NO .. NO .. NO ! What a stupid question. Tax them for everything .. They’ve been pandered to for decades, and now it is so out of control that both Labour and national governments just cave in to Maori demands for the sake of Maori votes, so they can line their own pockets. Maori are NOT special. They have been given soooo much special treatment at the expense of hard working people … Its time Maori said thank You for trying to civilize us. IT JUST HASNT WORKED. MAORIS TAKING UP 65 PERCENT OF OUR PRISONS SPEAKS FOR ITSELF. Giving Maori preferential tax treatment is simply another form of theft that the government seems to support. | Des |
| Maori’s Think “We Are GOD’S chosen Race” BUGGER off “ALL other New Zealanders” | Wiramu |
| absolutely NOT! | Gordon |
| Definitely not. Maximum period [of say 5 yrs after Treaty payouts] should be set, after which they should be fully taxed. At present many of the tribal elite are simply & metaphorically giving us – NZ taxpayers – the fingers & doing what they desire, often with new wealth [obviously] meant for the tribe & its welfare. | Frank |
| No lets stop this racist political crap now | Jeffrey |
| With our newspapers and television sources of “news” failing to tell the story outlined in your article on Maori privilege this situation will only get worse unless NZCPR publishes your article, perhaps abbreviated, as an advertisement. Ask your readers and they will donate the cost of the advertisements. | Robin |
| business is business whether run by Maori, Pakeha, Chinese or whet ever. | Theo |
| Maori are only playing by the rules laid down by successive governments. Don’t blame them for lapping up the cream. Only when the majority of voters direct their votes away from the ‘Major Parties’ will any-thing change, & judging by the voting pattern at the last election, that ain’t going to happen any-time soon.. | A.G.R. |
| They operate largely commercially and should be taxed accordingly – like everyone else in business! | John |
| who the hell do they think they are. | Jim |
| There is enough white prejudice in our society. This is another back door way of ripping the system off. | Bev |
| Only charitable donations should gain a tax benefit – not the whole enterprise. | Henry |
| One for all and all for one | Ross |
| maori are trying to control the whole of NZ and we must stop that , a vast number are only part maori yet get a hell of a lot of privileges | Graeme |
| one rule for all NZers | Barry |
| Maori corporations don’t deserve preferential treatment on any bloody thing especially Tax | Graham |
| NO NO NO | COLIN |
| Maori corporations should pay tax on profits just as all other businesses do | Pete |
| Equal rights and protection from the Crown for all citizens of New Zealand now seems to be a fading concept. Any commercial enterprise that offers products and/or services for sale at a profit should have those profits taxed on an equitable basis. For a commercial enterprise to be operated on a tax free basis provides an unfair advantage over like businesses, and does not have the advantaged enterprise making it fair contribution to the maintenance of the commercial environment in which it operates. Race-based privilege should never be part of our governance system. | Michael |
| If the answer was yes then Maori should be removed from all social welfare payments and the charities that are owned by Maori should support there iwi and look after themselves. Create a separatist country and let them look after themselves. | Andrew |
| Is it not just another form of handouts to one select group of NZers? | Donald |
| They are businesses earning profits and should be taxed on the same basis as other businesses. They have all ready received the tax free benefits of Treaty Settlements. Why should taxpayers continue to subsidize those businesses. | Roger |
| For our successive governments policies on racism trumpeting that it is illegal and that you could be liable for prosecution for breach, yet they willing turn a blind eye to the exact same principle. They (the government) cannot be excused for this preferential treatment given to a minority race over another. It is even more alarming given that Maori are well and truly entrenched in our (NZ) society, courtesy of the long suffering tax payer, and doing very nicely thank you. There is absolutely no excuse for not applying like tax rates to Maori corporations. It’s about time they contributed equally to our society – they certainly leverage more than their fair share of it.. | Chris |
| Y | Peter |
| No, Maori corporations should be treated like any other money profiting businesses here in New Zealand. To my way of thinking it is racism and a backward step for democracy. | Wayne |
| Absolutely not. Our democracy is at risk. | Alan |
| If it, or a part of it, is run as a profitable enterprise, it should pay tax on the residue after identifiable charitable expenses are proven and claimed, in the same way ordinary businesses claim operational expenses. | Vic |
| Absolutely emphatically NO !! | Barrie |
| Iwi are milking the system. I see no reason whatsoever why Maori should have Charitable status for obvious commercial activities. | Clinton |
| Definitely not. This is reverse apartheid | Bruce |
| We will start to protest when it is to late | Graham |
| Absolutely not! – whatever legislation that allows this to continue needs to be repealed urgently – but I’m not holding my breath. | Scott |
| but I fear that this process will only accelerate under the current NZ government | Joanne |
| Totally inequitable in respect of like business Completely unjustified | Bruce |
| One People One Country One set of Rules. | John |
| This is a completely unfair tax system. | James |
| The racial bias seems to be escalating at an enormous rate. It is inequitable, unfairly representative & extremely undemocratic. | peter |
| we are getting sick and tired of maori money grabbing. they should pay their fair share of tax | David |
| Maori privilege is on the rise no doubt helped by Nick Smith when he was in government and when he was classed as the village idiot.Maori demands today are simply racial and the Maori corporations are there through their greed and our political madness.Why the hell more sensible thinking real Kiwis don%u2019t speak up and object beats me.After all facts show Maori dominate in crime,welfare and child abuse and racial provocation.The whole race of Maori ,if indeed it is a race of people today ,is a disgrace.Please REAL KIWIS. Wake up and get off your apathetic arse and speak up. | Don |
| NO! Absolutely not. The fact that they enjoy a tax free status is an outrage, and is due to a short-sighted and, frankly, ridiculous decision by a previous administration. When is New Zealand going to get an even handed Government that acts without racial bias and in the best interests of ALL of its citizens? I despair. | Les |
| First to claim their full share of “Rights”, the 14% (only 8% in the South Island) of the NZ Citizen population that is part Maori and claims to be Maori, have a long history of generally abusing their corresponding obligations. The Maori sector is historically a low net taxation contributor and a High net welfare recipient. Statistically disproportionately higher in health consumption, Disproportionately higher in Prison use and cost, a long history of failing to make land rate contributions and requiring land rate relief, an unfortunate history of illegal substance abuse and worse in distribution. A sad record of Child abuse. Family abuse, Alcohol abuse, and systemic re-offending. As a population sector this group is well below the criteria of “earning” special entitlement to any financial privilege. It might be more acceptable if it could be seen that preferential treatment comprising charitable status and tax relief was actually doing measurable good in restoring values and principles and uplifting living standards, but visibly it is not, it is merely generating a disproportionate enrichment of a narrow tribal elite at the direct expense of the greater tax paying population. This preferential treatment which translates directly into elite enrichment has no connection to any historical treaty entitlements and has so little direct connection to the general population of this sector as to be a farcical misrepresentation. Racially based preferential treatment in all forms must be abandoned, the One Law applied equally to all and taxation preferential treatment desisted immediately. To complete the reestablishment of equality under the LAW which the Treaty requires, the racially defined Maori roll and by definition all the racially defined Maori seats must be disestablished and candidates elected by the whole community on their merit. This does not deny any group (with a common purpose or common background) from forming a Party and/or securing votes enabling representation under the Party list provision. | Richard |
| Utterly ridiculous | Andrew |
| Maori corporations are by no means the only abusers of charitable status! I support Cullen’s proposal to: ‘Make trading operations owned by charities subject to income tax in the same way as other businesses, but with an unlimited deduction for distributions made for the relevant charitable purposes’ | Colin |
| If you are running a business and making a profit then you pay TAX. Just like Sanitarium should be. | Maureen |
| Definitely not. They are being run as a business so must pay their fair share of taxes as should all other entities. Hiding behind clever accountants and preferential status such as these corporations and others that use religion to avoid paying tax means that they are not contributing to our society as a whole and we end up losing the likes of our current National Superannuation Scheme as just one example. | Gary |
| no way, no reason for it as maori always quote the treaty….one nation, one people (except that they believe that means them only? | Alan |
| Where Maori are in competition with other ethnicities full tax as required under the law should be paid. Charity status for Maori corporations is a joke played on the rest of the country. | Peter |
| Of course not. So how did New Zealand land up with all the major parties accepting if not promoting this racist rubbish. | John |
| Parasites on the rest of us. | Alan |
| Maori Should not receive privileges that other taxpayers do not receive | Peter |
| They should pay tax like every other business | Dorothy |
| Racism pays. | Dave |
| If we are all the same under the sun and of course the Treaty then Maori Corporations do not deserve to have our tax favours. | Warren |
| It is time Maori made an effort the same way as the rest of NZers do. Already far too much of our tax goes to helping Maori. All that does is create a hands out mentality aka laziness. | Judith |
| Absolutely not. Ngai Tahu were ‘gifted’ seed capital from the taxpayer of $170m and have created businesses that have turned that sum in to very profitable businesses. They are to be congratulated for that, but as profitable businesses they need to be governed by the same rules that apply to any and all businesses. The tax payer that is contributing to the success of these businesses has a much more urgent need for his tax dollars – Education, Health, Transport, Welfare etc. | Fred |
| Absolutely not, this is a massive rort! | Allan |
| Definitely NOT .Nor handouts to repair and rebuilt Marai.I maintain my home.They should maintain theirs too. | David |
| I believe in equality for all. | Annette |
| It would appear as if Maoris already control government decisions in that they have convinced so many non Maori parliamentarians to support their entrenchment of their Maori Seats and the tax free charitable status of their business operation. Either that or we have a majority of Members of Parliament who class themselves as Maoris and vote accordingly. What a sad state of affairs the country is in. Can we ever get back to a balanced decision making parliament which treats all races the same? | Chris. |
| We give them Millions and get nothing back? Are we not all New Zealander’s? where’s my donation to my Superannuation from all the payment I’ve made over 60yrs? | IAN |
| Why? | Rob |
| Absolutely Not All charities and that includes Maori entities and the likes of the Seventh Day Adventists must pay their fair share of tax but also have the right to claim deductibility for charitable donations. All profits retained for business purposes must be subject to tax | Robin |
| It is foolish to deliberately construct a preferential system in what is otherwise a promising democracy. | Jo T N |
| should get some self esteem @ join the real world | Edward |
| Hell no. It’s racism. | Trevor |
| It’a about time they paid their way like the rest of us. | Mark |
| The current situation is disgraceful | Ronald |
| Too many maori preferences/privileges already! Morning Report should be renamed Maori Report. | Brian |
| No, it is racist. | Tony |
| This country needs to concentrate on a “one people” policy where everyone is treated the same. | Janet |
| Why Can’t they operate commercially like every one else has to. | Richard |
| Where is the equality Maori representatives are always asking for? | Brian |
| Maori are already the far to privileged over the majority of New Zealand citizens | John |
| Of course not. | Jan |
| Why … | Geoff |
| They are operating business that is receiving an unfair advantage in a competitive environment. | Peter |
| There are racists in my country and I don’t know what to do, I’m so sad at not being equal, I am feeling rather blue. They say they are entitled to a bigger vote than me, Cos they had an ancestor come from Hawaiki. We’re in the same family, sports and workplace too, But they say they are superior, and want to mount a coup. They are taking over gov’ment, hospitals, and schools, Scaring away the talent and changing all the rules. Doctors, nurses, teachers too, don’t need to have good sense, As long as they achieve in Maori cultural competence. The kids no longer know their sums, or learn to read and write, But they’re very good recounting the propaganda tripe. History has been rewritten, the truth now removed, Some shady lies and myths are all that are approved. If we’re building something big, we have to get consent, But this means shifty payments, to someone rather bent. They want our drinking water, mountains, harbours, beaches, seas they’ll take, Politicians just hand them over, it’s like they’re also on the make. We must worship te ao Maori, but no one tells us what that means, I think it must be hidden in those big, flash limousines. We can no longer have free speech and ask for common sense, They say that means I’m racist and being rather dense. Not even Santa can be safe, gone is his glorious red, To be replaced by jandals, hooks and feather cloaks instead. Why are these racists in my country, I really want to know? But their head honchos just laugh at me, as their bank accounts gather dough. It’s greed, power and lust, you fool. Nothing ever changes. We’ve read the history books, you see and learnt how through the ages, The meek and mild can be manipulated, made to hand over all their wages. Elections? Bah! There’ll be no standing on our merit. We’ll be entrenched and like scoundrels, all power we’ll inherit. Like Jews in Nazi Germany, we’ll turn you into slaves We’ll make you hated and you’ll be digging your own graves. So the racists rule our country, we pay for their expertise, In what I’m not too sure, while they have us in a squeeze. We fund their lawyers to walk all over us, But we’re respectful, we don’t want to make a fuss. We fought against apartheid, but that was overseas, Here in New Zealand, we dare not show displease. So we sit and watch our country, as democracy’s destroyed, At least we haven’t caused upset by being paranoid. | FM |
| Everybody should be paying their fare share of TAX’s to make the country work better. There should be no preferential TAX treatment for Maori corporation or any other corporation. Here we have it again giving Maori preferential treatment, why is this. Are we working together to make this country better. They are asking for to much and our governments are giving them to much. We are not one people are we ???. | Robert |
| we need less racism not more. | KEVIN |
| No, why should they | Arthur |
| absolutely not | Bruce |
| one country -one law- one vote- and ONE TAX | William |
| Perhaps Moari organisations should pay double the corporate tax rate (56%) on their profits to properly compensate other taxpayers for providing the means. | Richard |
| They are having a privileged ball thanks to Nick Smith & Findlayson the past 10 years…My national party gave in to appease them to help with their voting & keep the piece ..Disgusting in my mind!! | Rex |
| Its about time politicians listens to the people of New Zealand, and do what they were elected to do, that is to represent and treat all people equally. | Arthur |
| I would not mind if I thought most of this tax free income was sup supporting Maori as a whole but sadly these corporations are getting bigger and fatter while Maori health is being left to the general health system to carry this burden. We are suckers!! | Tim |
| No | Neil |
| Talk about a rip of Maori are laughing all the way to the bank why show they be ripping the majority of NZs and what is happening to this money certainly does not appear to being spent on there own people stinks | Russell |
| If they make a profit – definitely not!!! | Peter |
| Maori are ripping of New Zealand from every angle and no one does a thing about it .Come on all New Zealander’s it is time you all took notice of what is going on around you and have ONE LAW FOR ALL | John |
| What’s next! | Charles |
| Racism again .. if you have any Maori in you there is a benefit. Is it a push to expect the same treatment for all citizens of NZ, no matter your bloodline? | Maddi |
| This is an absolute rort that is an unfair advantage on all the other businesses in New Zealand that have to pay tax no wonder they are making huge profits and gaining more power it is very worrying for the future of our country. | Digby |
| These Maori Corporations already have enough privileges & advantages over other corporations! | Cyril |
| They are a business like any other and should be treated as such. | Urban |
| Maori corporations should be paying tax on any income that is not used for charitable purposes – just like every other business in NZ. | Mark |
| Outrageous hypocrisy. As an ethnic group maori benefit from a disproportionate share of the tax take due to a higher rate of reliance on social support in numerous areas and any perception that racial entitlement should also extend to an exemption from the tax paying responsibilities which other New Zealanders carry, is beyond any logical argument. | Kevin |
| Absolutely not. NZ society is in grave danger of flying apart if these sorts of special privilege continue. | Ronmac |
| We are all New Zealanders and should be treated the same maori would still be eating each other and rubbing sticks together if it was not for the european help | Peter |
| Registering Maori corporations as charities is a farce and has enabled previously tax-paying entities to avoid tax. This Government should show some intestinal fortitude and reverse this situation. | Doug |
| that tax is needed to help funds programmes that help everyone including maori. | Peter |
| I never knew this fact re Maori Corporations being able to be Tax Free — and Ngai Tahu as an example — Its a insult to everyone who calls themselves a New Zealander | John |
| A travesty. | Phil |
| No way. They should be treated like any other business or corporation and pay their fair share of tax. There should be no exception just because they are Maori. | Frank |
| There has been no (published) convincing explanations as to WHY this should occur. Just ‘automatic ‘apartheid’? | Michael |
| It encourages separatism. | Richard |
| Not now that churches may be in the governments sights | Ray |
| Absolutely not. | Darryl |
| Tax loss of public tax paying companies bought by Iwi.many of their companies win tenders against full tax paying companies due to their lower tax costs. | Bruce |
| If its a commercial enterprise no matter what it should be subject to Tax laws just as I am with my own business In fact it is fraud sanctioned by Government under the guise of a Charity. | Kevin |
| By continuing to demand these concessions, the maoris are proving that they are unable to thrive in modern society by any inherent ability, and are shouting their inferiority from the rooftops, without realising it. | TOBY |
| They have NO RIGHTS to any such preferential treatment – their current privileges are already a phenomenon of corruption which should cease now | Russell |
| Treaty was for One People, One Law for all. Race related Laws and privileges can only divide the Nation. | Don |
| The Maori people have more rights and help than anyone else in the country via the goodness of misled Govts. Or should I say weak kneed Govts over the years.. Politicians also are always looking for votes as well. Maori have to start paying their share of tax instead of being bludgers on many fronts. If not careful the divide between races will become insurmountable. | Elizabeth |
| Pay tax like everybody else | Peter |
| There is just no justification for all non-Maori kiwis having to prop-up these buggers. Nothing but koha crap in disguise. Better suited to Sicilly or Chicago. | David |
| Maori must not have special treatment that is denied to people like me | Bill |
| Definitely not. Other businesses pay tax, so what makes them so special. An equal playing field for all is the only justaction | Sue |
| Corporations that generate profits of any kind and in any form should definitely be taxed like all other taxable entities. It’s frightening the extent that Maori are going to obtain total control which in the end can only be described as a dictatorship regime. | Audrey |
| This again is a race based treatment and should not give preferential to any company. | Andrew |
| As they are not a charity they should pay the same tax as any business Every business that is there to make money or gains must pay there fair share | Peter |
| If, as an individual tax-payer, I could be entitled to even a quarter of the rights , privileges and tax-exemption status that maori are currently given, I would be absolutely delighted. BUT, unfortunately I am only a single white honkie, so have little chance of having any effect on the decisions of the current Government that is loaded with persons claiming maori descent – even though they look as pakeha-white as I am. | Carl |
| They should be treated exactly the same as other business organisations | Ron |
| we are one nation Maori have forgotten what they did to the morrorie yrs ago | Whitty |
| Absolutely not. Where is there equality in that. It is blatant separatist. | Donald |
| Of course they should not. All New Zealanders including those with some Maori blood must be treated equally. | Robbie |
| Absolutely not. Corrupt iwi leaders should be in prison with the rest of their bros. The ToW settlements gave Maori elite billions of dollars none of which is spent on fixing the social problems endemic in their minority population. Nick Smith should be hung, drawn and quartered. | Jon |
| Just another step towards separatism | Kabe |
| Absolutely not, it’s a total rort and should never have been given to them in the first place! | Brenda |
| earn it and pay their way like the rest of us!! | Mike |
| Everyone should be taxed (or not) equally | Anita |
| Totally inequitable No justification | Bruce |
| Everyone should pay the Tax’s so it is a fair society no one should be exempt. The Maori’s already get more than their fair share of Taxpayers money but contribute WHAT? | Cherryl |
| Or Health Or Education Or Separate funding Reverse Apartheid. where are the protestors now | Leslie |
| haha What a farce ; another conn !! | Roy |
| Race based privilege is another giant step back | Keith |
| No way – they should pay tax like all New Zealanders – they shouldn’t be using our money | Kerin |
| Maori privilege must cease. We should all have equal rights. | laurie |
| APARTHEID. | Geoff |
| Greed Greed Never stops.All charitable tax should be abolished.. | Dona |
| No, absolutely NOT. Even many of their own kith and kin don’t want it – as all it does is it encourages an even stronger desire for more state assistance and dependency. | Stuart |
| wholeheartedly | Andre |
| this is apartheid in reverse roles, and to criticise any part of Maori benefits or preferences, makes you a Racist. An argument doomed from the beginning. I despair that non Maori New Zealanders will become second class citizens in their own country, in a few decades. Who will pay their tithes then? Themselves??? | Stewart |
| Why should they?? Absolutely NO. | Andrew |
| Maori greed will continue to grow unless we can get the sheeple of N.Z. to stand together on this & get a Government that has the guts to stand up to iwi B-S & Bullying. The treasonous treay needs to go as well. | Allen |
| This is all about money and greed!!! | Dave |
| Everyone has a duty to pay tax for the development of our great country. | Gerald |
| Just another example of apartheid alive and well inNZ | Bruno |
| We are heading for racist split of our country and the trouble it will bring | Brianb |
| This gravy train privilege has to stop! What happened to ‘one country, one people’? The whole situation is completely out of hand. | Robyn |
| a million times NO!!!!! | Bruce |
| Definitely no. | Jeff |
| Another way Labour have disenfranchised average NON Maori Businesses . Time for it to STOP | Carl |
| Not just Maori – the charities rules are a joke. | Pam |
| The level of poverty in NZ is growing, whilst elitist groups thrive due to corrupt laws. Our so called democracy. is a farce when people like Nick Smith can get totally corrupt laws passed in Government | Bryan |
| What makes them more important than non maori corporations? Would they get less than me in return. Hell no. | RICHard |
| Race based privilege is a fundamentally non-democratic principle. | Russell |
| No need for race based seats | Kevin |
| The thing that makes me despair is that no political party seems to have the will or desire to change this grossly unfair state of affairs. It’s as if they either believe that Maori should, as of right, get special treatment; or, alternatively, that they are simply afraid of the reaction from Maori, should this privilege be withdrawn. Egalitarian democracy? Forget it. | Graham |
| They are not a charity, they are a business to be run for the benefit of Maori descent and culture. For all Maori not just for the Elite | Frank |
| One Nation. One set of rules for all. | Doug |
| Read ; Forbidden History written by John Dudley Walworth for goodness sake! There is NO Maori as such!! | Rodney |
| We need everyone to fairly contribute to our tax pool, so more can be achieved for the good of all of us. | Ross |
| Of course not, we all need to pay tax to provide services for all NZ. | Gerard |
| We should all be treated the same if it wasn’t for the other races wheat would they be today. | Richard |
| TTHAT IS RACIAL DISCRIMINATION | Bill |
| I listened to a tour guide explain how she was “on the Ngai Tahu list” due to “my ancestor”. The talk then was about “the tribe” as though the tribe was a person. Here was one ancestor plus seven non ancestors receiving from all the other non ancestor taxpayers. Solomon apparently told a meeting that payments were because what Ngai Tahu had received was just a down payment. | Donald |
| Time for the gravy train to stop, otherwise this goes on forever. It’s well overdue | Kevin |
| As usual it’s racist. | Ranald |
| Other corporations do not have such a benefit based on their ethnicity. | Michael |
| Muriel says it all. Equal rights for all our citizens I say ! | Wah |
| Although I am a sixth generation New Zealand citizen, I am not of Maori descent, therefore I am being discriminated against as a non-Maori citizen of OUR country. | JAMES |
| Preferential treatment gives them advantages over every one else which is unacceptable | Colin |
| Maori are now standing on their own two feet thanks to the long suffering tax payers so it’s time the paid taxes like everyone else. | Chris |
| it is a National disgrace.. | Donald |
| No more apartheid in New Zealand – the country was nearly taken apart during the 1981 Springbok tour, we need no more separation issues | Tom |
| They the same as us only a different colour | Jimmy |
| It is a total sort. They function in the commercial world like other business and should follow the same rules. | Willy |
| Rampant iwi’ corporation…again and again….the work of c.finlayson and the low life key…Where does it stop.? No one seems to care..!!! | CHowes |
| Definitely not. They should contribute to our tax system like any other business. They have already been given far to much money over the years, and its time they got the band-wagon and become part of the system. | Reg |
| They should have to operate under same conditions as all other corporations | Graeme |
| Unfair and encouraging more of the same | JAN |
| Absolutely NO!! There are just too many free-loaders in this country not sharing the tax burden. Another example is religious organisations that also get a preferential tax treatment, eg. Sanitarium. Pay up your share like the rest of over-taxed NZers | Tony |
| Any form of preferential treatment = discrimination. | John |
| No. They are legitimised thieves. Just imagine how much better our infrastructure would have been had so much not been squandered by a succession of useless politicians on the tribal elite! Sjohnkey and his mates were among the very worst. | Alan |
| the “privileged’ will not stop pursuing more of the public purse until they own all of the country’s wealth and property rights – a bleak outlook for NZers who will end up paying to live – | Alan |
| This situation where a maori entity is entitled to a 30% greater return on investment plus the saving in compliance costs over any other racial group is quite bizarre. Moreover is the loss to the rest of NZ in avoided tax. Race based privilege! | Dick |
| already get too much support from taxpayers | Mike |
| No way this is racism at its finest | Kristene |
| No, that’s not fair. | Kate |
| More divisive legislation based on race. When will NZ learn this is a road to civil insurrection. | Brian |
| Definitely not. This creates an untouchable upper class which New Zealand can ill afford. | David |
| Absolutely not! | Jo |
| The whole thing is a disgrace – asking taxpayers to fund wealthy iwi is wrong on so many levels. It must be sorted out. | Brendan |
| Making taxpayers subsidise iwi is outrageous. Why on earth didn’t National sort this out??? | Charles |
| No no no! | Allison |
| The concept of tax free charitable status for kin-based groups is wrong. The changes Labour introduced should be repealed. | Karl |