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NZCPR CAMPAIGNS
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The extraordinary Māori land protest at Ihumātao in Auckland is symbolic of our time. It is unlikely to have occurred, say, five years ago.

The Prime Minister’s plan is to put so much pressure on farmers that she will drive them out of business – just as occurred in the coal industry, and oil and gas. So exactly how is she doing this? Here are five ways.

The Silicon Valley environment is stimulating and rewarding, both financially and professionally. This attracts more smart, motivated young people. There is a whole ecosystem of skills and resources for new technology companies, especially computer hardware and software. And, rapidly growing companies mean more jobs.

Even though the evidence is overwhelming that child abuse most often occurs in single parent families on welfare, tragically, the State still continues to pay vulnerable young women with little education and few prospects, to have and raise children on their own. And the more children they have, the more money they receive.

In Canada we have settled into a stagnant pattern on Indigenous issues. Indigenous advocates argue for the continuation of the separatist status quo, but with more money and power for themselves. The chiefs’ main concern is to keep the money flowing. No politician dares to publicly oppose this separatist, racialized dystopia, and expose it for the nonsense that it is.

When National introduced their Marine and Coastal Area Act in 2011, they reassured the public and Parliament that there would only be a few claims for remote areas of the coast. But with the whole coastline under claim - many times over - the law is clearly not doing what Parliament intended. It should be replaced.

The claims process is an opportunistic attempt by Maori interests to gain control of what was previously regarded as public space for the benefit of everyone. I have no doubt the end goal is to securing a perpetual income stream from the granting of use rights to third parties.

The freedom of expression is a cornerstone of our democracy. It results in a stronger and more resilient society. Once opinions are silenced and society becomes stifled, it’s only a short step to totalitarian control.

We hear a lot about balance these days, especially as it applies to the media. Soon, no doubt, it will be a legal requirement, further eroding our freedom of expression. Things were not always thus.

The real issue is whether the government has plans to address the chronic problems that have led to the current shortage of affordable housing in many parts of the country. To date they have shown no inclination that they intend to do so.