A possible $30 million deal over land at Ihumatao after Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern became involved in the dispute shows that protests over-ride negotiated agreements, Hobson’s Pledge spokesperson Casey Costello said today.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority has confirmed what we have been trying to tell the Prime Minister, that roadblocks and checkpoints established by Maori groups without Police permission and supervision are unlawful.

This letter is provided as complaint regarding the actions of the NZ Police and endorsement by Police management of illegal roadblocks that have been established in various areas across New Zealand and widely reported in the New Zealand media. It is urgently requested that immediate action is taken to ensure that all illegal roadblocks are terminated and that the requirements of the Alert 4 COVID-19 conditions of remaining at home are consistently and urgently enforced.

There is not the slightest justification for allocating $56-million in Covid-19 funding on the basis of race, Hobson’s Pledge spokesperson Casey Costello said today.  

This year 2020 comes with a wave of issues that add to the rising tide of racial preferment that is being forced upon us.

Two emails objecting to our Vote 2019 summary of where candidates stand on race issues shine a light on the Orwellian world of race policy in New Zealand.

Separatism is gaining traction within local government so Hobson’s Pledge has launched a campaign to urge voters to ascertain candidates’ views before voting in the upcoming elections.

A petition has been launched calling on the Government to uphold the Treaty settlement with Te Kawerau a Maki and for police to evict protesters at Ihumatao, in Auckland, where work on a new housing subdivision has been blocked.

The addition of an absurd Treaty of Waitangi clause in the Plant Varieties Rights Act raises the question whether “Maoridom” will claim royalties on new plant varieties, Hobson’s Pledge spokesperson Casey Costello said today.  

The Waitangi Tribunal’s call for compensation for under-funding Maori health providers unfairly implies a systemic failure by health professionals and further excuses Maori from taking responsibility, Hobson’s Pledge spokesperson Casey Costello said today.