Taito Philip Field has quit the Labour Party and will remain in Parliament as an independent. Good riddance, I say. In accordance with his constituent's wishes, he will be offering his proxy to Labour, but they would be wise to refuse it. Field is political poison, and accepting it would further taint the party. Better to make a clean break.
Meanwhile, the latest chapter in the saga is once again revealing the ugly side of the Maori Party, with both Tariana Turia and Pita Sharples extending the hand of friendship (and possibly even an invite to join) to Field. I'd expect it of Tariana, with her racist blurt on immigration and her cuddling up to Donna Awatere-Huata after her conviction, but I'd generally seen Sharples as the sane, restrained one. It looks like I was wrong.
As Tapu Misa put it in a scathing column, Pacific people deserve better than Taito Philip Field, and he's an embarrassment. But like it or not, he's a martyr to most of his peeps, and half of his supporters on Samoan radio want him to join the Maori Party. I/S, you have every right to be hardline on this issue, and scathing about the Maori Party's various decisions. But I think that your perspective doesn't afford proper acknowledgement of the genuine need, passion and political will for stronger Maori and Pacific political representation through strategic coalition building. Sure, for the Maori Party MPs to be extending the hand of brotherhood to Field just taints them in the eyes of the 'mainstream', and courting him might prove harmful to them in the long run. But at the same time I don't doubt their sincerity and sympathy for him as a fellow brown MP on the outs whose constituents share many of the concerns of their own.
ReplyDeleteTze Ming: you're probably right. OTOH, I'd like to see stronger Maori and pacific representation. But I'd also like it if those representatives weren't crooks.
ReplyDeleteI still don't get it. The mans work involved helping people with immigration problems, one of which is not having a job. So he gave out pointless busy-work. Oh noes!
ReplyDeletePlease tell me it's not about some old lady slipping him a 50; that's what old ladies do when you help them. It's not like he's Dicky Cheney or anything.
i guess then Tussock it is a question of where you draw the line. $50 is Ok. Is $500 OK?
ReplyDeleteHow about $5000?
You are either taking bribes or not , this is not a grey area.
Donations ot tithes or tips could always be forwarded to your favourite charity with receipts to show transparencey.
The Maori party has always been a worry for lefties with the likes of Professor Winiata and the Tory/‘Brown Table’ streak within it. Yet it is uniquely necessary in our country being an organisation founded on
ReplyDeletefirst nationhood.
MP members and supporters ultimately have to deal with the class contradictions involved.
The only Maori Party MP with a some marxist tradition or understanding currently is Hone Harawira who worked well with his old 81 tour vets, activists and unionists to turn around Tariana, Ururoa and Pita on the 90 Day Bill.
Taito was of dubious value as a unionist in my recall anyway and should be avoided by anyone seeking credibility.
Gerrit: IMO it is a very light shade of grey indeed, what with him being innocent at this point and all.
ReplyDeleteI mean, the political parties seem to be openly for sale on major tax and policy issues in this country. Am I really supposed to think such a trivial personal gift in exchange for nothing at all is corrupt?
Just looks a whole lot like the old boys club taking apart a good man over a few whispers. I know that's not new in politics 'round here, but it's still shit.
And the Maori Party are doing nothing other than allowing him to still be a functional MP, which everyone should appreciate.
You should be able to use his proxy vote and at the same time push for him to loose his seat or whatever.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise it is a bit like a rugby team stopping contesting short lineouts because they think there shouldn't be any.
GNZ
I've done my best to shame Labour for their actions to date over Philip Field. However, I have no problem with Labour accepting his vote as an independent.
ReplyDeleteIf they permanently had his proxy, that would be a clear sham. But otherwise, they are entitled to accept whatever votes they can get in Parliament.
So I'm off Labour's back on this one now. What has needed to happen, has happened. Also, while it was delayed, they still have to manage for some time without him in this parliament. That's fair.
Field was on the same plane as me down to Wellington this morning - I looked up from reading an article about him and there he was. (This doesn't happen in larger countries - at least not very much).
ReplyDeleteFortunately he wasn't seated next to me so I didn't have to be polite!