KEY POINTS:
Here is an earlier selection of Your Views:
Robbie (Auckland)
This is crazy!! This is a political game trying to show a good face and win votes from the gangs since they are mainly Maoris. Most of these gang members live on the benefit. The government should introduce laws to ban gangs claiming benefit and then they will find jobs to survive. We work hard for our living and we need to pay for these criminals as well. Do hard working New Zealanders get free money for their contribution?
Worries me
I have no doubt that mothers with like-mind as Tariana Turia will breed more criminals then the others who have a different stand on gangs.
Terry
I am not sure what all your correspondents are worring about? After all the country is already being run by a gang. The only difference here would be the costs to legitimate tax payers.
jimbo (Port Waikato)
No they should not listen to the gangs at all . If you are going to listen to them then you need to interview all the senior sports teams in the country as well after all they gather together to do battle against each other every week but they don't drive around the oppositions home town and shoot things up when they lose .
Mike (Tauranga)
It is really sad when we have to yield to uneducated thugs who live a code unto themselves. Seek first to understand then to be understood works bothways. Yes they live the rule of the fist because thats how they were raised but we all have choices. Some of us natives have left this life through education and find the actions by a few not only embarrassing but insulting to our tipuna. I always thought that instead of just listing names of these people in the court list recount their whakapapa to the public perhaps through this way their so called whanua may step in and take action.
Jerry Flay
I can now reveal a state secret - Tariana Turia is Sue Bradford wearing a mask.
Len
The only thing I want to listen to from gangs is their response to a simple question: "How do you plead?"
Russ
Ms Turia is defending the indefensible. Gangs are a totally unnecessary part of society. It is only due to the fact that they are mostly Maori she is bothering. Time to start looking forwards Ms Turia, close the gangs down.
NZer living in Canada
This is unacceptable. Gangs are the controlling force of all underground illegal pass times. Drug trades, gun trades, the lists go on and on. Engaging them in open debate and listening to their views legitimises what they do and would make them feel they are actually contributing to society when the majority of them are unemployed, not to mention unemployable. Good working class people don't have an open forum to discuss their issues with the government so why should this group. I am embarrassed as a NZer living overseas to read articles like this!
Listen to gangs
Tariana Turia just reconfirms what thinking kiwis already know; the Maori party is a complete waste of taxpayers money and it's time the party was buried. Don Brash was right.
Dave
Dear Tariana,
What an absolute, total, useless bleeding heart liberal disgrace you are. Everyone in our society has a mind that can choose what they say, and the actions they take. The reason the gangs are on the fringes of society is that they are immersed in, or have brushes with illegal activity (if you were wondering that involves Tariana, that is things that most humans find repulsive and harmful enough to write rules to try to stop them from happening). They are organised in the manufacture and distribution of drugs like methamphetamine, and consume them. They steal. They breed a culture of ultra-violence, and have illegal weapons, which they sporadically use to injure and sometimes kill other people.
Gregor
Listen to them?
Does she mean listen to them as they staunch each other out in our streets over disputes like 'territory' and stuff like that? Stand back and admire the subtle distinctions between the various sub-groups as identified by the colour of bandana they wear? Study, with keen admiration, their historical legacy of retributive drive-bys with rusty shotguns thieved from farmers' homes? Or remark amongst ourselves how our children are so much safer now, from the curse of bullying in the one and only high school for miles, now that Mongrel Mob kids outnumber those who actually want to just be kids? Sorry Tariana, but I'm just not into it. I'm just not into "respecting' them for who they are because they scare me with their lurching menace. They've proved time and again that their culture is based on the culture of fear and violence, and a depressingly obdurate refusal to evolve. It's the digital age; information, knowledge and enlightenment can be plucked like fruit from trees, yet those dogs continue to rage, menace, posture and flounder through time. There's more promise elsewhere.
Damon
Gang culture has brought this country and every other nothing but violence, killing, drugs and crime. If gangs have something positive to put forward perhaps they can start by example, changing themselves, respect is earned not given freely when you carry the kind of history gangs have, it would be stupid to invest time into someone's "ideas" to have them go out the next day and mow down a child in a drive-by.
pCb (Auckland)
With a voting age of 16 and a Ministry of Gang Affairs I'm sure Sue and Tariana will think NZ a nicer safer place - not sure that the working tax paying part of the country will though.
Sebastian
Gangs do not deserve the ground they stand on. They make a point of being on the fringe of decency and morality, seemingly revelling in the notoriety that comes with such a position. The last thing we need to is to be listening to these horrible people.
Jack (Hamilton)
"Is it time to listen to the gang?" I can't believe you are even asking the question.
Duane
Those who are considering voting for the Maori Party at the next election must seriously examine their positions and policies on issues such as this. The assumption that a Maori party will automatically have the position that is best for the Maori people is shown to be false by statements such as these. There are many Maori victims of gang crime, Maori girls and women being prostituted by them, Maori P-addicts and Maori men and boys in jail because gangs led them into a life of crime. If the Maori Party wants to taken seriously as a political force they have to open their eyes to reality and not pretend that the ways of 200 years ago can still apply today.
Gunnie (Waitakere)
I believe maybe we should start listening to gangs. We should listen to them as to how they plan home invasions and deal in drugs and stolen property. And maybe we should listen to them as they hide, not having the balls to front up when they kill little children. Good one Tariana.
Yeah Right!
Lilith
Whatever the ethnicity, grown men who call themselves things like Satan's Slaves, Devil's Henchmen, Hell's Angels, White/Black power, Head Hunters, Mongrel Mob etc, are pleading not to be taken seriously and put themselves in a position of social ridicule.
Dave (Auckland)
Nice pic of you asleep in the Beehive, now go back to dreamland Turia. Your people, once proud with many strong role models, good work and social ethics are in a mess. Stop blaming everyone else and get over the boringly clichéd 'poor us' attitude which you promote. Where are your genuine leaders now, your intelligent kaumatua and kuia? Those Maori not afraid to speak out when yet another Maori child is bashed to death, when Maori still are disproportionately over-represented in crime/prison/poor health/educational achievement statistics. What a last resort to appeal to the 'gangs' to talk sense? As long as they are dealing in drugs/prostitution/prospecting/dealing in stolen goods/intimidation they won't want to be involved or listened to. And as for the Maori King - who is he? What does he do? Does he exist?
Adrian
The Maori party are a joke! Who votes for them?
Lisa
Gangs murder a little baby girl, but we should all sit down and talk about that and make sure everyone is feeling all warm and fuzzy. Scary that people like this are sitting in our government. Wake up Turia and face reality that is the only way this problem will be solved.
Dual Citizen
This woman is out of touch. If these gangs of thugs were not dealing drugs, thieving and murdering people then her comments may hold some water, until the time comes when gangs cease these anti-social activities her comments will be treated with the disdain they deserve.
Mike
No, they should be locked up and their assets seized.
Rob
I have to wonder what planet Turiana lives on. Why is it that when the vast majority of this country (and indeed every country) happily abides by a standard set of laws, but we are now expected to listen to a bunch of low-life criminals? Surely it is the gang members who ought to be listening to the rest of society. There are enough opportunities in New Zealand for everyone to live a good, law-abiding life. I see no reason for the rest of us to kowtow to a pack of bullies, thieves and cowards.
Sarah K
Who can be bothered with such remarks? I am so over this woman's 'fight' for everything that is wrong with this country. The gravy train passengers are too loud for my liking. Just take all the money if you must and shut-up.
Dave
Every time Tariana Turia comments on any topic, she makes thought police seem like a good idea. I don't see the gangs having any incentive to change their ways. Why would the gang leaders work for an honest $12 an hour when instead they can build wealth and power through controlling small empires based on intimidation, violence, murder and drug money. What does she think, that they will suddenly start opening soup kitchens or something?
David
The question is, do I as a New Zealander listen to a politician or the police concerning people who derive income from drugs, crime, murdering small children, and intimidation of people like me? Which organisation is there to protect New Zealanders, uphold the law and positively contribute keeping our nations citizen's as safe as they can be in today's world - the police? Politicians are creatures of the moment indulging in self promotion who sometimes achieve great things! I back the Police and their dealing to the gangs on a nationwide basis.
Stan
The day when it will happens that NZ will "start listen to gangs" it will be the day when I as an engineer will buy a tickets for all family to go to the country where citizens are not going to talk to gangs but dealing with them using police, jails etc. Kids are fighting: first kid: "I will not kick you first!" - "Oh good then I will!" answers the second kid - guess what - social engineering of Turia is load of BS.
Lars
If ever we wanted evidence that Tariana Turia is so out of touch with reality its her latest comments. Listen to the gangs she says. What planet does she live on? The gangs are about intimidation, drugs, violence, child murders, pack rapes, disrespect for the law, abuse of women and children. And this woman, who is in Parliament, wants us to listen to them? I remember a week before the baby in Wanganui was murdered by Mongerel Mob Gang members that the gangs had a hui to discuss stopping violence and building futures for their families. I wonder if the murder of a baby was their vision for the future? Don't talk to these scumbags, come down hard on them as the majority of Kiwis don't want these gangs in their communities.
Emma (Auckland)
No Way! We are not America. We shouldn't have "gangs" living in our communities! It's not safe and listening to them is only going to go wrong and cause major problems when they want something the Government can't give them! No we shouldn't listen to them! Do they listen to us?
Concerned
I can almost understand where Turiana's coming from but I do not agree that we, the public, should be tolerant of organisations/gangs who exist to break the law. Why should we tolerate the level of violence that gangs inflict on the public? What am I missing here? I can't think of one good reason why we should trust anything these gangs have to say, having grown up with gang houses around my family home and being witness to the terrible way gang members can treat people, all for the sake of the gang who didn't care about teaching them anything useful in the first place, No! If gang members really want to make a difference and change for the better then do it! Don't wait for others to hold your hand and just trust you. It doesn't work like that. Show the public, what you're really willing to do to change and then we might give you the benefit of the doubt.
Genevievie
Tariana Turia's comments I find rather pathetic. Resolving issues such as "rocketing" interest rates, bureaucratic bumbling or insider trading isn't going to bring back Jhia. As Parliament is incapable of multitasking, I would have thought that personal safety would rise above issues such as the rocketing interest rates! Gang warfare stems from greed and stupidity! Listening to those who take the easy way out in life by making a dishonest living is a farce. What is a gang going to contribute to make the general community feel a little safer? Impose curfews so that no one gets hurt during their time of drug distribution? Divide territory so turf wars do not arise? Come on lady, unclog your sight and see what gangs are in existence for and that is to make a living through dishonest means! If they wanted to contribute try making an honest living and stop terrorizing people as we are all human beings and we are all capable of making a living honestly and treating each other with respect.
Duckonin
Tariana Turia has to be joking if she believes white Kiwis or any Kiwi for that matter, should bow down to Black Gangs, (or any gangs). Kick her out of Parliament.
Richard
It's not moral panic Turiana, it's fear of home invasion, assault, murder, drugs and bully boy tactics. We don't want a country run by criminal gangsters!
Mat
Tell the MP that when gangs stop breaking the law, controlling the distribution of drugs, stop intimidating towns and cities, change their rules for being a member (i.e. young people committing all level of crime to earn entry to a gang)then I would be prepared to listen to what they might have to say.
Craig (Auckland)
Maybe it's time the gangs listened to society. We have seen (over the years) the downside of gang activity (brutal bashings, rapes, drug dealing and worst of all murder. And more recent a toddler shot dead. If gangs were involved in altruistic activities that helped society rather than themselves, then and maybe then society wouldn't want to be so controlling. For Turia to think that society should sit up and listen to the gangs is quite frankly lunacy and very naive. I for one have no problem with them living the lifestyle they choose, but maybe they should live on the outskirts of town and keep to themselves!
Tash (Auckland)
Every time Tariana opens her mouth, garbage spews out. She brings absolutely nothing to the table. To let criminals call the shots is just plain stupid.
BD
She has got to be joking - although maybe not. The "gang" way of life is probably close to the tribal one that existed at the time Capt James Cook arrived in NZ, stealing from a neighbouring tribe was the way to get stuff you needed (food, clothing or even children). When Cook arrived he was bemused by the barefaced "thievery" from his ships & stores. He didn't realise this was simply the way things were done in NZ within the Maori culture. To try to change this would surely be "culturally offensive"?
Allan
First we need to settle grievances we caused hundreds of years ago. Next we have to settle claims made in modern time that have little bearing on anyone alive apart from those making the outrageous 'traditional' claims. Now we are being told that we need to settle grievances with gangs as if they are not criminals. What's next? Giving them land back for their customary crime dens?