Brash, Peters and Assimilation

Don Brash’s new 'anti-Maori' stance is setting up a showdown with New Zealand First over how to deal with the increasing problems posed by multiculturalism.

Brash calls for the abolition of all racial preferences for Maori including television and radio quotas and Maori political seats. Peter’s has responded by saying that such policies are tantamount to racial nihilism and will trigger unnecessary conflict.

I suspect that Brash thinks that if Maori continue to have special preferences then other minorities will start to campaign for special privileges and the country will descend into a full-blown ethnic spoils system.

National’s new, harder line on assimilation may be a good idea for screening prospective immigrants but is a questionable policy for dealing with Maori.

As indigenous people, the Maori did not have a choice about whether or not to accept western values. White westerners came in numbers and they had to adapt to a largely western way of life. In contrast, prospective immigrants are free to stay at home if they don’t agree with New Zealand’s predominantly western culture.

If all special accommodations for Maori are cut they will be even more detached from their native culture – arguably, this could well make social problems such as crime and educational underachievement even worse. Furthermore, even if Brash is right, Maori are too large a group to be totally assimilated into White culture so there will always be a large number of dissenters who will seek to undermine such an approach.

While New Zealander First has a slightly softer line on Maori assimilation, it has a harder line on immigration. New Zealand First is the only party with an explicit commitment to limited immigration, so it doesn’t need to ‘make an example’ of Maori to maintain social cohesion. Conversely, National has a more expansive immigration policy and is therefore compelled to pursue an aggressive policy towards assimilating Maori.

While it is good to see Brash talking candidly about Maori problems like domestic violence and obesity, he fails to consider the possibility that expansive immigration policies may have contributed to some of these problems.

Even though Maori unemployment has gone down, wages have not kept pace with the rising cost of living. Property prices have soared in the major cities and in the competition for housing, relatively wealthy East Asian immigrants have out bid Maori families who are increasingly unable to get a toehold on the property ladder. Like it or not, this trend is only going to add to the Maori grievance culture.

There has also been a hollowing out of Maori communities as many hard working Maori have left the country to seek higher wages in Australia. Restless young men in these communities now have few role models to look to for help and guidance.

Where there is clear evidence that affirmative action policies are failing then there may be a good case for removing them or replacing them with something better. If there aren’t enough Maori applicants to fill university quotas then perhaps the government would be better off providing polytech scholarships instead.

In general, it appears New Zealand First aims to help Maori by maintaining support for Maori culture and moderating inequality. At the same time it is aware that continuing transfers of resources from Whites to Maori is creating a strong White backlash.

Brash’s policy of attacking Maori culture appears to be undermining support for New Zealand First, but come election time it may drive moderate voters into the hands of Labour. This could create an even stronger Labour government that is free from any restraining influence from New Zealand First.