New Zealand: thousands protest against new government policies that unravel Māori gains
GuardianNOV 2023
New Zealand: Thousands Protest Govt's Indigenous Policies
Image copyright: Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images
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.