A proposal to give one tribe equal say to that of 23 councils over South Island water without consulting the non-Maori community is outrageous, Hobson’s Pledge spokesman Don Brash said today.

Using flawed reasoning to give 44km of the Bay of Plenty coastal and marine area to a few private individuals and groups is not what is expected of the High Court of New Zealand, Hobson’s Pledge spokesman Don Brash said today.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern should front up to the people of New Zealand about what has and has not been decided on a plan for two governments in New Zealand, one for Maori and one for everyone else, Hobson’s Pledge spokesman Don Brash said today.

Since the Labour Government rushed through a law change at the beginning of February denying ratepayers the right to call for a referendum before a local government created one or more Maori wards, there has been a sharp increase in the number of local governments intending to do this – or at very least, considering doing so.

Signature collectors for petitions around the country for votes on proposed Maori wards are still needed in Taupo, Gisborne, South Taranaki, Northland, Whangarei, and Kaipara.

Surrendering to the demands of noisy protesters should make us all very afraid, Hobson’s Pledge spokesman Don Brash said today.

As many readers will know, on the last day of November the Stuff media group ran an apology to Maori New Zealanders on the front page of all their newspapers under the heading “We are sorry”.  They said that they had been racist, “contributing to stigma, marginalization and stereotypes against Maori”.

Stuff should refund money paid for an advert after the editor of the newspaper in which it appeared publicly criticised it, Hobson’s Pledge spokesperson Don Brash said today.

Once again, we are seeing appalling examples of Maori tribes taking the law into their own hands, and putting barriers around what they refer to as “their territory”, Hobson’s Pledge spokesman Don Brash said today.

It is appalling that this Government, which pretends to oppose racism, nevertheless wants to allocate contracts for building infrastructure on the basis of the race of the contractor, Hobson’s Pledge spokesman Don Brash said today.