Ae Marika!
A column published in the Northland Age
By Hone Harawira
Te Reo Motuhake o Te Tai Tokerau
05 April 2011

To comment on this column please go to my website www.hone.co.nz

Last year, Te Wharekura o Arowhenua down in Invercargill was told that their auditorium 'Tainui' was going to be knocked down by the Ministry of Education at a cost of $200,000 because it was "over code" - their student numbers didn't justify them having it.

Come again? The Ministry wanted to knock down a perfectly good auditorium which was being used by the Kura and other community groups, because it was "over code"? Yep.

Anyway, the Board wrote to the Minister of Education to see if they could keep it. The Minister said no. So they wrote to Peter Sharples, Associate Minister of Education and co-leader of the mighty Maori Party - and he said no too. So they wrote to their MP, the Maori Party's Rahui Katene ... and she said she couldn't help them either.

And so as a last resort they wrote to me, the nowhere boy from the other end of the country ... so I flew down to see them a couple of weeks ago, and they told me they've got one week left before the Ministry tears the building down - can you help? No pressure Hone! We've been fighting this for a year and we've gotten nowhere, and we've got one week left. Can you help?

Hell yes, I said, but this building won't be saved because of me; that'll only happen if you guys are committed to keeping it. So here's the plan (1) Put together an emergency 'Save Tainui team' (2) Start a trust to take over the running of the place (3) Get the locals involved - councils, events promoters, drama society, kapahaka, pipe bands, manu korero, dance groups, kohanga reo (3) hold an open day to promote the place as a valuable community facility (4) get the media involved, and last but not least (5) wear warm clothes for when you get arrested occupying the building!!

Anyway, last Friday was their Open Day, and they'd put me on the trust, so I went down. Great day, good entertainment, good kai, good support, but more importantly, a commitment from the local community to keep the building. Apparently the team had done a good media blitz and spent the week feverishly going round the Southland community getting heaps of local support.

They deserve to win this because with just a little spark from me, and a lot of hard work from them, they've gotten some really solid backing.

The really sad part though, is how quickly the Maori Party trotted out the line "sorry we can't help you - it's an operational issue" and then just walked away from people who were not only committed Maori Party supporters but also committed Kura Kaupapa people.

Being in coalition does NOT mean you that you have to put the government's plans ahead of your own people's wishes, neither does it mean you have to accept everything that big brother says. And if that is the price of coalition ... then maybe it ain't worth it after all.

Anyway, the Arowhenua trip came in the middle of a whirlwind whip around the provinces - Auckland, Rororua, Gisborne and Palmerston North who wanted me to come and talk to them about the possibilities for a new party.

I ended the week over on the East Cape to support Te Whanau a Apanui who are opposing the National / Maori Party government allowing Petrobas to swoop in on the takutaimoana to pump oil in one of the most earthquake-prone areas on the New Zealand seabed.

I went because the folks from home were a bit spent from the Hikoi, but wanted me to give their support, because we know that if we don't help the descendants of Apanui to stop this, then as sure as the sun comes up, the children of Rahiri will be the next to feel the drill of Petrobas.

And THIS baby ain't over yet either ... watch this space.

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