It's white saviourism, says Rawiri Waititi, who is calling out Chritstopher Luxon, saying the leader of the opposition thinks he knows what's best for Māori. This comes as co-governance continues to be the centre of debate.
ACT leader David Seymour has been stirring the pot onco-governance saying “It’s time for honest and bold conversations. New Zealanders are up for it and ACT will keep leading the debate.”
Seymour has been relentlessly plugging his caus.
“I asked Nanaia Mahuta using written parliamentary questions “does the minister believe that Māori have rights and interests in Three Waters assets built after 1840, and if so, why?
“Her response was 'To my knowledge Māori have not expressed rights and interests in three waters assets over and above those as ratepayers within their respective communities of interest.'"
Māori leader and member of the Three Waters Working Group, Tukoroirangi Morgan, says enough is enough. He believes Seymour is ignorant of the benefits of co-governance.
Co-governance bogey
Morgan says ACT's call for a referendum is a political stunt and is being used to scare people.
"Bad decision-making has landed us here."
He said co-governance brought with it protections. There would be no chance of assets being sold off with a co-governance structure in place.
But it's not just the water in play. Possibilities of health co-governance are being portrayed as a bitter pill to swallow.
National leader Christopher Luxon says: "I don't know what this government means by co-governance."
Māori Party co-leader Rawiri Waititi says it's simple, "Māori having the right to self-determination".
Greens co-leader Mārama Davidson has called the whole debate ill-informed, "An ill-informed framing which is being put out there by some politicians who in no way are steeped in te tiriti or constitutional matters".
Luxon is adamant the Māori Health Authority isn't the answer to the damning statistics despite Māori support for it.
"There wont be a single improved health outcome for Māori for five years," Luxon says.
Health Associate (Māori) Minister Peeni Henare has urged the opposition parties to "read the data".
Waititi is calling Luxon out on comments that a Māori Health Authority won't work. He says that the National leader is trying to pretend that he has the answers to Māori health outcomes.
"That's what they're like. They think they are the great white saviour of Māori."
Act would like voters to take another look at the Treaty of Waitangi and is celebrating 10,000 signatures on a petition seeking to change the treaty principles.
Waititi says 10,000 signatures is minuscule in the bigger scheme of things.
The answer, Morgan says, is simple.
"We need to be in places where our voice and perspectives are heard so we can move together as a country to better outcomes for all."
For Morgan, there is no debate.