Just over 50 years ago I attended a 'Get the North Moving' hui in the Kaikohe Hall. There was a good mixture of people who were very concerned about unemployment, roading problems, lack of government ideas and action, crime figures and education etc.
There was a collection ofconcerned Maori and Pakeha movers and shakers with positive suggestions. I sat next to a respected old kaumatua who suggested to me during the lunch break that we weren't united enough to throw a decent political punch and too many chiefs going in different directions.
Since then education has improved, and would improve more if it was left to qualified teachers on the job without ministry pencil-pushers and some politically confused politicians putting their oar in.
If we look at the provinces in New Zealand that are humming along well they all have in common good roads and a successful port. Agricultural and other industries established in these areas mostly make big profits for their few mega-rich owners. Northland needs such enterprises established but for the good of the people, so government money is needed to start the ball rolling in the North with eventual profits being ploughed back here. Private enterprise won't do it, as they can make more money where conditions are more favourable.
We now have the qualified, educated Maori and Pakeha available to play leading roles in enterprises established with the aim of providing careers and work for local people in their own Turangawaewae.
Responsible government should stop using the North as a breeding ground for workers forced to move to Auckland with its ever-increasing problems. Hopefully settlement of long- overdue Maori compensation claims can help the employment situation, but government must now spend on roads and other problems that have been on the drip feed in needed areas of the North for generations.
Then again, are you on the electoral roll? Did all of you get out and vote? Are we all telling politicians what we want? Will northern politicians stand shoulder to shoulder as a united front? The squeaking cog gets the oil
