Shearer on Waitangi Day

Another year, another Waitangi Day, and another call from Labour leader David Shearer for the day to be about "celebration" rather than reflection. As I noted when he did this last year, this is basically a call for us to deny our history, to forget the wrongs that were (and still are being) done. Its a demand that Maori shut the fuck up and stop ruining "our" (meaning "not their") day, a dogwhistle to rednecks and lazy Pakeha who just don't want to think about where "their" wealth came from.

I thought that David Shearer was a better man than that. Sadly, it seems I was mistaken.

(As for his idea of Waitangi Day honours, that's actually a good one. It would be an important step in repatriating the honours system and stripping it of its feudal roots. And it is far more appropriate that we honour people on our national day, rather than the nominal birthday of a foreign monarch).