My name is Mereana from Kaitaia.
I am totally bewildered and disappointed in the intergrity of the members of the Maori Party whom came to Kaitaia.
I am also totally disgusted in the manner and behaviour of tutai being throw around by the Maori Party member Ken Mair.
Why have I used the word "Tutai" you decide and decipher the reason why after reading the following.
On Thursday I was present when the supposedly abuse was throw at the Maori Party members whilst on the Kaitaia streets. (totally wrong and not true)
Three cars with tinorangatira flags and Maori party flags on them were parked outside the shops - superette and buy a roast. Across the road on the corner of bank street and commerce street stood some young matua and whaea with their mana signs. These young matua and whaea of Kaitaia whom had since the beginning of the Tai Tokerau by election campaign opened have been actively involved with the campaigning for the roopu Mana in support of Hone as their representative within Parliament.
This being so because they had voted for Hone during the past two elections for Tai Tokerau. In saying this - it was not Peter Sharples or Tariana Turia or Ururoa Flavell or Rahui Katene or Pem Bird or Ken Mair who voted for Hone with the Tai Tokerau the past elections. Why because they do not belong to the Tai Tokerau Electorate and are not eligible or have the right to vote in the Tai Tokerau Electorate. Only the people of Tai Tokerau have right to say Yes or No to Hone.
It is the young and old of Tai Tokerau whom have the right to stand where they stand on their turangawaewae within Tai Tokerau to express their approval disapproval.
It is their right to say " you sold us out with the Takutaimoana Bill"
This is what happened on that Thursday.
As our young matua and whaea stood on the corner of Bank street and Commerce street
one of them expressed the words "Maori Party you sold us out with the Takutaimoana Bill".
Across the road by the superette a prominent male member of Maori Party expressed the words in reply "oh bullshit" these comments were heard by people in the shops near him and myself as I stood three doors down from him.
Then we heard from one of Maori Party cars the voice of another prominent female member expressing these words to the young ones " oh why dont you just get a life"
From these bad negative responses it was decided that the group of young ones will not utter any more expressions as it was feeding real kino korero coming from the Maori Party is close proximity to ear of the public. It is not our kaupapa to feed kino.
Our group then decided to waiata instead by singing "marangamai e te iwi" with the opening words of " Whakarongo mai ki te reo e tangi nei"
When we had completed this waiata and about to sing the next waiata the cars of the Maori Party sped past us and drove out of town.
Ka kite.
To be honest all the Maori Party needed to say when they heard the words "you sold us out with the Takutaimoana Bill" was this "No we didnt and I say this because....." but No they chose to say with a attitude "Bullshit" and "oh why dont you get life". and this was supposedly during they were campaigning. What an outlook definitely not positive. After witnessing this myself, I really had to stop and think "is this really how with an attitude they treated Hone behind closed doors? acting all nice and then nasty.
To end this - This is exactly what happened in which we have a video copy of as we video taped everything.
I am really disappointed that the intergrity of the Maori Party is not pono - that they had tried to feed tukai to the nation about us here in the North of Tai Tokerau. Absolutely sad - once bitten twice shy.
Kia Ora
Mereana
