Trump-like supporters in NZ, Part II: NZ Centre for Political Research, One NZ Party (pn684)

Dr Muriel Newman

     NOTE the new bird, the Tui, next to the title.

Two weeks ago I published the first in this series on Trump-like supporters in NZ, dealing with Don Brash and his Hobson's Pledge. It was a response to an article by Chris Trotter who thought "the number of Trump-supporting New Zealanders is really quite astounding". I thought otherwise.  "I don't find it that astounding. Indeed, if you look beyond and behind the largely lumpen-proletariat who comprise the face of Trump supporters you'll find a much more surprising number of highly educated New Zealanders who support  much of what Trump represents" (pn671). 

 Since then, we have had two instances of overt anti-Māori , and Trump-like,  behaviour, the first by John Banks who referred to today's Māori  "stone age culture"(pn677), the other by Don Brash who, for the moment, seems to have been successful in preventing a Māori  ward in Tauranga  (pn678).   It was refreshing to read other views as part of the Waitangi Day celebrations (pn683). 

As a reminder, I thought the Trump-like supporters "comprised three separate but sometimes interconnected groups. The first is Don Brash and his Hobson Pledge troopers, with connections to the NZ Centre for Political Research and the One NZ Party; the second, the Kiwi Frontline Forum and its associated  Democracy Action newsletter; the  third,  Juana Atkins, Cam Slater and other writers on The BFD blog.  Then, of course, there are the outliers, the mainstream journalists who share similar views, most vocal of whom is Mike Hosking."

This article  will identify the policies, publications and key members of the NZ Centre for Political Research and the now defunct One NZ Party, both with connections to  Hobson's Pledge.

NZ Centre for Political Research

NZCPR claims to be an independent political entity that is not afraid to raise controversial issues in  support of democracy. Its founder is Dr Muriel Newman, former Chamber of Commerce President, ACT Deputy Leader and Social Welfare spokesperson. Her doctorate is in Mathematics.  Recent postings on its website reveal its leanings. 

On the resignation of Grainne Moss as head of Oranga Tamariki guest commentator Dr Michael Bassett wrote of "those middle-class Maori Dames... fulminating against a Pakeha trying to do the right thing for young Maori who constitute 60 to 70% of all the children taken into state care " who blame colonialism for Māori over-representation in social statistics. 

I thought their complaint was about cultural insensitivity, the forcible removal of children, and the need to include the wider whanau in child care. 

Muriel Newman, in another article,  writes that Grainne Moss's resignation 

"marks the culmination of an orchestrated witch hunt against her by tribal interests seeking control of child protection services. They have long coveted the power and resources of this $1 billion agency and have relentlessly called for its disestablishment."

Here are some examples of readers' comments on her article condemning government for giving some vaccine precedence to Māori. Government advisors  consider Māori especially vulnerable to Covid 19 and should be among those first to receive the vaccine. 

The comments:

Racism and identity politics are a distraction from the real agenda for the communist Ardern government which is to keep instigating Marxism and socialism into our system.

Once more apartheid at work coming from the PM 

The current government has/is racially dividing our society at speed.

Welcome to Apartheid NZ (or should I say Aotearoa) 

Typical government pandering to Maori.

Who are these people who call themselves Maori when they are at the most part Maori?

In a December article, The Big Lie, she writes, 

"The ‘big lie’ that is being perpetrated against New Zealand democracy is that ‘Maori are in partnership with the Crown’. The ambitious tribal elite driving this dangerous agenda are demanding supreme rights – the power to co-govern New Zealand.

"Astonishingly, instead of ridiculing their greed and rejecting this ludicrous attack on our democracy, Jacinda Ardern’s Government is perpetuating the lie. As a result, activists are now gaining access to public resources and authority they would once have believed impossible.

Where claims of a Treaty partnership were once infrequent, they are now being repeated with such frequency – including in our schools – that New Zealanders are being brainwashed into acceptance."

Other "researchers" noted on the website include:

• Mike Butler,  a property investor and amateur historian.
• Katrina Jensen who is assisting with NZCPR's "Countering [Māori]  coastal claims project."
• Dr Ron Smith, International Relations and Security Studies, University of Waikato.
• David Round, Law lecturer, University of Canterbury, who wrote "Truth or Treaty? Commonsense Questions about the Treaty of Waitangi."      "You get a lighter sentence than anyone else if you are a member of the Maori aristocracy Too bad if you are just a stupid common old white person”
• Frank Newman,  author of several books on investment matters. Director of Smart Business Centre Accounting.

In sum, the political leanings and attitude to Māori  and the Treaty of Waitangi belie the NZCPR claims of independence (as in balanced)  research. Indeed, there's little evidence of any research.  An example of its impartiality is evident in the wording of this week's political poll

Do you believe tribal control of child protection services in New Zealand would deliver better outcomes for at-risk children?

•  Yes
•  No

Its leaders present a picture of all white people, all well educated, all well-off, and all with a defensive corral mentality defending White NZ from a supposed Māori takeover.

But there's more, take a little longer to read her Christmas-New Year message.

 She wrote (my emphasis):

"All is not well in New Zealand. Socialism is on the march and the core values of Kiwi society are under attack. Views that no longer fit the prevailing narrative are being silenced – some newspapers are refusing to publish contrary opinions, books by politically incorrect authors are now being withdrawn from sale, and many of those brave enough to speak out against propaganda and intolerance, are being victimised – their careers ruined.

"This is the first time in modern history that we have had such an extremist government – and one with an outright majority. The socialists now have unbridled control of New Zealand. The tragedy is that many New Zealanders appear to have little appreciation of the dangers."

She goes on to cite our participation in the UN's Agenda 2030 which she labels an "ideological experiment" and the likely endorsement of "another dangerous globalist plan – the World Economic Forum’s ‘Great Reset’ which is seeking to use the Covid-19 crisis as a springboard to create ‘fairer and greener’ economies; possible anti-hate laws and threats to freedom of speech, and ...

 "It is not only the onset of socialism that is a grave concern. The Maori sovereignty movement is becoming bolder as they advance at pace, seizing power and control seemingly with the endorsement of the Government. Using the claim of a Treaty of Waitangi ‘partnership’ with the Crown, which the NZCPR has exposed as a lie, their ultimate objective is nothing short of supremacy – ‘taking the country back’ by co-governing New Zealand." 

She then attacks the Parliamentary Opposition and the Fourth Estate for "failing to protect us.

"Whether we like it or not, an attack is underway for the heart and soul of New Zealand. With your backing, the NZCPR will fight for our country and our way of life. Together we will make a difference – we will defend our future. Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year – and thank you again for believing in us… we simply could not exist if it wasn’t for your support. Warmest regards, Dr Muriel Newman."

The National Party,  ACT, the mainstream media, the  United Nations and the World Bank have been added to the list of our enemies.

Paranoia is too mild a description.

One NZ Party

The One NZ Party (not to be confused with the Christian fundamentalist One Party) was founded in 1999, partly modelled on the Pauline Hanson's Australian One Nation party. Its primary focus was on matters such as the Treaty of Waitangi, but its wider platform was extreme right-wing conservative. It strongly opposed the policies of the government at the time, accusing it of giving special privileges to Māori and of undermining the concept of "one law for all". --Wikipedia. 

It claims that the policies amount to a form of apartheid.  It won 0.06% of votes in the 1999 election, 0.09% in 2002, and  0.02% in the 2005 elections. It was deregistered at its own request in late 2006.  Unlike the NZCPR leaders, it was headed by working class people who "made good" and live in small town NZ, from Russell to Ashburton.

Andy Oakley  spent the first 20 years of his live in state housing in Cannons Creek, Porirua, and later to become national manger of NZ's largest mechanical company and the owner of two other companies.  He is the author of "Cannons Creek to Waitangi" and "Once We Were One, the Fraud of Modern Separatism" which he claims has "resulted in racial separatism and also allowed a false version of the Treaty to be taught to every child in New Zealand."

Warren Preiss grew up in Lower Hutt where he had friends of differing ethnicities. He claims when he went to school "his teachers told him that people of European background could not possibly have similar values or experiences to people who are Maori." He is a small businessman.

Dolf Amersfoort completed an apprenticeship as a motor mechanic and became a the Regional Service Manager for a leading automotive company. He migrated to NZ in 2008.

Tina Mitchell is married to self-employed Andrew who is of Māori descent. She works full-time in asset and contract management, and strongly believes in "free speech, diversity of thought and opinion and equality of opportunity."

Tristan Kiddie runs a property maintenance business in Russell.

The now defunct party had little support because larger parties embraced all but its most extreme values. 

I suspect its former members and people who think like them are lurking in the wings of the centre-right National Party and ACT.

--ACW