Reckoning Day for Indigenous Rights
Te Ururoa Flavell, MP for Waiariki
13 September 2008
Te Ururoa Flavell, MP for Waiariki, has today commemorated the first anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on
the Rights of Indigenous Peoples as a bitter-sweet day of reckoning for tangata whenua.
“Today is a day to celebrate indigenous rights” said Flavell. “We in the Māori Party join with 370 million indigenous
brothers and sisters around the world, in marking this day as a significant milestone in the protection of human rights
for indigenous peoples”.
“It is a huge disappointment that the Labour-NZ First Government has still failed to make any progress in signing up to
such a vital document” said Flavell.
“At the core of the Declaration is the affirmation of minimum human rights standards necessary for the “survival,
dignity and well-being of the Indigenous peoples of the world” said Flavell.
“But when we look over our record in the last year for tangata whenua, we see continuing reminders of the Government 's
failure to protect indigenous rights ”.
“We just have to reflect on the study from the Health Inequalities Research Programme which found that the social and
political environment disadvantaged Māori; or the report from the Children’s Commissioner that 27% of all Māori children
are living in poverty. We remember Ruatoki and the terror raids on that community.”.
“Week by week the Government has been voting against recognition of the Treaty of Waitangi in vital areas like policing,
immigration, and even emissions trading”
"Yet yesterday the Prime Minister had a cheek to say that they've worked hard to "work in partnership with Maori as
Treaty partners". Rubbish!
"The Māori Party takes up the occasion of the anniversary of the adoption to affirm our support for the UN Declaration
on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples” said Flavell.
“And we are sure that as voters go to the polls for Reckoning Day in eight weeks time, they will remember how political
parties have acted in response to the UN Declaration when it comes to make their votes count” .
"Can they be trusted to do anything different?" asked Flavell. "Their record so far as indigenous rights is concerned
is a clear no".
Background
On 13 September 2007, an overwhelming majority of nations (143) adopted the Declaration on the Rights of indigenous
people, an international instrument which had taken over twenty years to negotiate. New Zealand was one of only four
countries who voted against.
ends