Woeful Choice For Privatisation Stooge

This has to be the worst appointment of the year already. Maui Street has already opined and I agree with him from different views. Morgan is a concerned Maori against asset sales and I am a concerned supporter of the asset sales wishing for the process to be expedited and run smoothly enough so it can even be expanded to include such cash cows as Landcorp.

Wira Gardiner is an unusual creature I have examined before when he was entertaining an equally stupid idea that he could be National Party President. He threw his toys after a day, perhaps this is a backhander to invite him back into their trough? To marry an MP can be brushed off as a school girl or school boy mistake because they are all dastardly difficult and absent creatures. To turn around and volunteer to do it twice makes you insane or on the pull for the bonuses attached to it - government jobs.

Which is why appointing Wira Gardiner to broker talks with Maori about asset sales is a shocker from a non-Maori perspective. Having Tuku Morgan even mentioned in the same breath is an equal shocker.

We understand Maori views on asset sales perfectly. Hui isn't required. And really it matters stuff all what Maori think of asset sales because they didn't come out and vote against them in November last year, they sat on their couches watching the world go by. There are three groups.

a) Most Maori won't have a clue what is happening as they are nicely purposely disenfranchised by their Iwi.

b) Maori where Iwi have already spent their Treaty Settlement monies will be against the sales.

b) Maori where they are in a brotocracy position and can see the benefit if their Iwi can buy in. In other words - they are in it for their own benefit. Just like everyone else.

All will give reasons of assets being sacred to them as indigenous people while at the same time Ngai Tahu just last year flogged off some of their precious land to foreigners. We will all gush with their faux concern at asset ownership then roll our eyes as Maori take the piss yet again.

Appointing the husband of not just an MP but a Cabinet Minister is atrocious and already undermines the credibility of the process. It puts Hekia Parata in a conflict of interest and potentially damages her politically, it puts Gardiner himself in the same conflict.

A facilitator of anything has to be seen to be neutral. There can be no less neutral facilitator than one married to a now senior member of the very political party seeking views of others.

An effective Labour opposition would already be all over this.