The Malcontent Maori and the Media Mob
The BFDDec 03, 2023
The Facts
Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of New Zealand's cities on Tuesday, including its capital Wellington, to protest against the government's plan to reverse a number of indigenous policies.
Organized by the indigenous political party Te Pāti Māori as part of "National Māori Action Day," the protests were described as "a push-back" against the New Zealand government's "anti-Māori" approach.
The Spin
Right narrative
Under current circumstances, the first legislative priority should be New Zealand's economy, but the Māori-driven media witch hunt continues to focus on policies such as the government's preferred use of the English language. The newly-elected government hasn't set out to destroy indigenous culture, but rather to improve the country as a whole while providing an equal platform for all citizens based upon a democratic mandate. Frenzied protests wound up by unfounded claims of institutional racism will not solve the nation's current, pressing issues.
Left narrative
Luxon and his right-wing coalition are threatening to tamper with the Treaty of Waitangi, the original source of Māori rights within the modern state of New Zealand. While the country is already struggling with deep and broad inequalities between the indigenous and white populations, undermining such a key Māori pillar would be a further step in attacking the very essence of New Zealand itself.