I love Aotearoa New Zealand deeply. I feel lucky to live here, and there is no place in the world I would rather be. I belong here. Well, I hope I belong here. Why the hesitation? Firstly, our history. A foreign power, Britain, came into this land, imposed their government, took 95% of the land,…
Continue reading →It’s summer holidays – a time for road trips and light reading. What was your worst ever road trip? Mine was way back when I was a 20-year-old student at Otago University in Dunedin… I want to go home for Christmas in Hawkes Bay, so I answer an ad to share costs in a car…
Continue reading →“Like every thinking Pākehā, he wants to get his head around the Treaty thing. What are the best books for me to buy him as a present?” So I was asked recently, and yep, it is a great time to be building our understanding of te Tiriti o Waitangi. And a great time for gift…
Continue reading →I am out walking with our dog Sasha. “Kia ora!” I say cheerily to a woman approaching me. She notices me with a slight double-take, removes her ear buds. “Sorry – what was that?’ she asks. “Um – just hello – lovely day” I say lamely. “Oh. Hi” she says, reinserting the ear buds. “Sorry…
Continue reading →Many if not most of us tangata Tiriti understand that Te Tiriti o Waitangi is our founding document which provides aframework for us all to belong here – see why Te Tiriti is important to me here. And, many if not most of us tangata Tiriti are also unhappy about the many backward steps currently…
Continue reading →Have you read “Thunder”, the glorious, bitter-sweet short story by acclaimed author Patricia Grace? If not, make yourself a cuppa and click the link above to have a read – it will take less than 10 minutes. Then come back for a discussion about what this story tells us about the bubbles we live in,…
Continue reading →Last year I signed this Open Letter on Tax, calling for wealthy people to be taxed more. But this year, instead of paying more tax, rich and middle income people will be paying less. For me, my tax cut will buy me four or five loaves of bread per week. I don’t want or need…
Continue reading →If we are donating money, whether it is $5 or $5 million, whether as individuals or foundations, we all need to answer the same, deceptively simple question. Which is this: “where should we give our money?” Common responses include funding causes which have affected us personally, funding on an ad hoc basis to those who…
Continue reading →Recently a group of us had the privilege of seeing mana motuhake [Māori self determination] first hand. And it was beautiful. Let’s start with this term “mana motuhake” – what does it really mean? Te Aka online dictionary defines it as “separate identity, autonomy, self-government, self-determination, independence, sovereignty, authority – mana through self-determination and control…
Continue reading →Aotearoa New Zealand’s founding document, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, (also referred to as the Treaty of Waitangi), is a hot topic currently. Te Tiriti is very important to me as a Pākehā New Zealander, and here, in seven sentences, is why. Te Tiriti is the agreement signed in 1840 which sets out a peaceful relationship…
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