Thursday, March 25, 2004

REALISM BREAKS OUT IN NEW ZEALAND

I noted on 12th on Dissecting Leftism that the leader of New Zealand's major conservative party has attacked affirmative action and that he was getting a lot of support for it. It also seems, however, that opposing affirmative action can be dangerous: "Police have investigated threats against National Party leader Don Brash following his landmark Orewa speech on race relations." All in the name of "tolerance" of course. Some background on New Zealand's racial stresses here. Brash has replied to his critics here. A short excerpt:
"I argued that the Treaty process is out of control, that race-based political correctness is infecting the institutions of our society, and that we are headed towards a racially divided nation, with two sets of laws and two standards of citizenship. The Treaty is not remotely a blueprint for building a modern, prosperous, New Zealand.

The Treaty did not create a partnership: fundamentally, it was the launching pad for the creation of one sovereign nation.

I concluded that there can be no basis for government funding based on race, no basis for separate Maori electorates, no basis for introducing Maori wards in local authority elections, and no obligation for local government to consult Maori in preference to other New Zealanders.

I have stood back for the past five weeks and let the critics have their say, letting them give it their best shot.

And what ineffectual shots they were....

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