Maori to Clark: you are on notice

By ANGELA GREGORY and NZPA

Helen Clark has been bluntly criticised by the traditionally supportive Ratana Church for "sanitising" the Closing the Gaps policy.

Yesterday, just a year after her triumphant post-election visit to Ratana Pa, where she announced the "flagship" policy, the Prime Minister returned but this time to stinging rebukes in the rain.

Church elder Tumanako Wereta, nominated by the church to speak, said it was time for Helen Clark's "performance review"and Maori were unhappy with the Government's performance.

"I would suggest, Prime Minister, that you would do well to understand that you are on notice to perform."

In a further blow, Maori in the Bay of Plenty said they had withdrawn an invitation to Helen Clark to observe Waitangi Day with Te Arawa in Rotorua.

The decision came after four hapu (sub-tribes) of Te Arawa refused to make their marae available.

Helen Clark arrived at Ratana Pa with an entourage of 14 Labour MPs for the celebrations commemorating the birth of the church's founder, Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana, who in 1936 forged an alliance with Labour that delivered the Maori seats to that party for nearly half a century.

Minutes before being welcomed on to the marae, she was told she would be sitting on the hosts' paepae (speaking place) with church leader Harerangi Meihana - not on the visitors' side. Without ministers and advisers, she looked uncomfortable as Mr Wereta launched his attack.

He said Maori around the country were discontented at the "sanitising" of the Closing the Gaps policy, so it focused not on improving the social, health and economic status of Maori but on reducing all inequality between rich and poor.

He likened "equality" to giving one apple to each Maori and one to each Pakeha. But Maori needed "equity" - one apple for each Pakeha and one and a half apples for Maori, "because Pakeha owns the orchard."

Helen Clark responded aggressively, saying the Closing the Gaps slogan had been dropped but Labour had not changed its policies.

"We dropped a slogan that became a target, because when you stand up in this country and say things aren't right and there's a lot of inequality, and it has especially affected Maori ... you get a lot of abuse."

Afterwards, she said: "I'm going to come back here and seek a mandate in 2002 and it will be on the basis of solid achievements and progress and setting new goals for the next term."

The Prime Minister also faced a rejection by Bay of Plenty Maori yesterday, who in a fax to her office withdrew an invitation to her to observe Waitangi Day with Te Arawa at Rotorua.

She has avoided Waitangi since 1998 when she was reduced to tears by Ngapuhi activist Titewhai Harawira, who prevented the then Opposition Leader from speaking.

Kiri Potaka-Dewes, a member of one of Te Arawa's dissenting hapu, Ngati Waiaho, said members thought February 6 was the wrong day for their ceremony, and that Helen Clark should instead be at Waitangi.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister said she still had other options for Waitangi Day which she was considering.

She would announce her choice soon.

Herald Online feature: Closing the Gaps