Under no circumstances whatsoever should the Waikato tribe – or any tribe – hold to ransom a third of the country's population, Infrastructure Minister Shane Jones told a select committee on Thursday.

Last year our clever granddaughter (in top 10% of her class) had to endure the so-called 'bicultural framework' course at Wintec as part of a midwifery degree.  She's a person who relates very well to others in group sessions regardless of ethnicity.  She was naturally receptive to sensitivities associated with traditional Maori pregnancy, birthing and new-born baby practices, like incantations, burying the placenta, tying the umbilical cord with flax, anointing the baby, etc.   

However, this compulsory 'bicultural' subject appeared to have nothing to do with midwifery.  It dealt only on colonisation,

The New Plymouth District Council (Waitara Lands) Bill that passed its third reading on Thursday shows how a tribal group managed to expand a grievance into three current settlements totalling over $247 million.

By John Robinson

A report titled Every 4 minutes: A discussion paper on preventing family violence in New Zealand, by Ian Lambie of the office of the Prime Minister’s science advisor, which claims that Maori experienced little violence before colonisation, does not survive academic analysis.