Colonisation

Recently there has been a bit of controversy over the benefits or otherwise of colonization to New Zealand. The National party’s education spokesman Paul Goldsmith suggested that colonisation “on balance” had been a good thing for Māori. Cue the howls of outrages from ignorant and divisive politicians.

Goldsmith’s statement is an obvious truth. The fact that there is any disagreement over it is beyond belief. Maori before European colonisation had very low life expectancy. They did not have iron. They were not blessed with having access to many scientific discoveries due to their geographical isolation. They had no stable government and might was right. Warfare was brutal and regular. The very fact that there are land claims and compensation is paid for past injustice is a testament to the benefit of colonisation. Maori have been blessed by the coming of British law to these islands. Prior to European settlement, there was no recourse for the weak when they were abused by the strong. For all its faults, colonisation, and particularly the impact of Christianity has been a benefit to Maori culture.

Those who doubt this are either ignorant of history, or deliberately divisive. Let me leave you with Michael Bassett’s comments on this issue. I particularly love his description of Peen Henare and Wille Jackson as two of the weaker minds in our ministry! You can find the rest of his article here.

So, in the opinions of Peeni Henare and Willie Jackson, two of the weaker minds in our ministry, Paul Goldsmith MP is “ignorant” and talking “nonsense” when he says that on balance, Maori benefited from the colonization of New Zealand. According to Henare, Goldsmith who, incidentally, is a First-Class Honours graduate in history with an impressive number of well researched books to his credit, “set back the country” by stating what, on balance, should be obvious to all of us. As that sage Maori leader Sir Apirana Ngata always said, colonization of New Zealand could not have been prevented; Maori were just lucky that it was the British, and not some of the less enlightened imperialists who undertook the settlement of New Zealand. When will our ministers learn some history?

Michael Bassett Cancelled by the New Zealand Herald

If the New Zealand Herald had any credibility left, the last vestiges of it have slunk out the door. They have cancelled Dr Michael Bassett, former Labour MP who was Minister of Health in the Lange government. Dr Bassett is a historian who lectured in history at the University of Auckland and held a position on the Waitangi Tribunal between 1994 and 2004. In 2018 he was appointed Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit (CNZM) for his services to history. Dr Bassett is also a part-time political commentator, and in 2004 he won the Qantas Media Award for Best Political Columnist in New Zealand.

Go check out his explanation of what happened here, and then write a complaint to the editors. That’s what the whiny wokesters do, and they are the minority, so stand up for free speech and take a few minutes to express your thoughts.