Maori disagree over Maori flag

updated
Pita Sharples and John Key have announced that the tino rangitiratanga flag will fly over the Auckland Harbour bridge on Waitangi Day next year, at Parliament and at Premier House. But the chairman of the Waitangi Trust Board, Pita Paraone is not so sure that the decision is a good one and doesn't appear to want to fly it at Waitangi on Waitangi Day. Apparently the flag is linked with the Maori Party too much and Paraone (and Shane Jones and a few others) would like to see the United Tribes flag flown,I guess.

I find it ironic that Paraone is the chairman of the Waitangi Trust Board. This trust offers Treaty of Waitangi workshops. This includes workshops on the relevance of the principles of the Treaty, their practical applications, and how they can be applied today.

Yet Paraone, a former NZ First MP, was a key figure behind NZ First's unsuccessful attempt to delete the principles of the Treaty from all legislation - including the Treaty of Waitangi Act, in 2006. In fact the party, in its 2005 confidence and supply agreement with Labour, had a clause that forced Labour to vote for the first reading of the bill and send it to select committee -and Pita Paraone, as a board member of the Waitangi Trust Board at the time, supported taking out all references to the principles of the Treaty in legislation, while Trust conducted seminars on the practical relevance of leaving these principles in legislation - and nobody in the House bothered to point that out at the time.

Maori can't decide on their own flag

This is pathetic. The Prime Minister is happy for the Maori flag to be flown in Auckland on Waitangi Day, but Maori cant decide which flag to fly. I have not heard any major opposition to the Tino Rangitiratanga flag flying, the local tribe is happy with the flag flying, so its a pity they just didn't get on with it and decide to fly it.After making a song and dance about not being able to fly the flag last year, the leaders of the Maori Party don't even know which flag to fly when they are given the chance. Another flag discussed is the 1834 flag, which wasn't a Maori flag but was associated with the Declaration of Independence. Someone tell the dissenting head-in-the-sand Kaumatua that we are commemorating the signing of the Treaty at Waitangi, not the Declaration of Independence, and that Maori want a Maori flag.

Anyway, why is it up to the Maori Party to sort it out? The flag should just be put up. No consultation needed; no need to feed faces at hui.

The last government decided it didn't have time to consider the issue last year, the current Government decided immediately. It's Maori that are holding this back. If someone wants to pay a return flight to Auckland and supply me with a flag and a pole, I`ll put it up myself. Is it that hard?