Comment: Towards a true national day

Rotorua's Mike McVicker questions what Waitangi Day currently means for New Zealand and how it could be changed to become a day of national celebration, rather than division.

Once again Waitangi Day has passed and the question must be asked - is it truly a day of celebrating our heritage or is it just another holiday for most Kiwis?

While one must respect the past, there remains a strong feeling among many thinking Kiwis that we continue to pussy-foot around the nonsense of Waitangi Day. How many times should the Prime Minister, heads of state, diplomats and citizens be threatened, spat upon and generally abused while we continue to pretend this is a joyous celebration of nationhood?

Sure, here in Rotorua and elsewhere around the country, we have our own celebrations but over-shadowing this is the minority spoiling it for the majority once again at Waitangi. As per usual, radicals from fractious hapu continue with their disruptive and vocal abuse of all concerned on this special day in New Zealand's history.

Consequently, there is an understandable swell of opinion that suggests it is time to end this annual farce and replace it with a date that could become a true national day, when all New Zealanders can express their pride of nationhood of this special country of ours.

One just needs to observe the pride and patriotism that encompasses Australia Day, or Independence Day in America, to appreciate that our Waitangi Day only serves to divide our country, rather than unite us.

At the crux of this debate - which we all need to have if we are to move ahead - is the Treaty of Waitangi and how we perceive it. Then we have to ask, which Treaty? What is currently and generally understood as the Treaty of Waitangi differs vastly from the document of the same name signed in 1840.

Indeed, since 1975 the courts, the legislature, and the Waitangi Tribunal have considerably changed the meaning of the text of the Treaty, causing the original aims to become progressively more opaque.

In its present form, a document that was scripted 172 years ago has evolved into a vague statement of rights, little resembling the intent of the day. Hence the need today for a complete review of this founding document as to whether its meaning and status should be locked into the ideological positions promoted by extremists of various persuasions.

Alternatively, should the Government lead the debate in a non-partisan and dispassionate way as to how treaties should be applied and managed? The Treaty of Waitangi will always be a polarising issue for our country, but if we are to develop as a nation we need to have this debate. The forthcoming constitution review may be the vehicle to have this discussion.

Finally, the issue of the tino rangatiratanga flag has been in the news of late and, for the record, it quite simply is not a flag that deserves to be flying next to our national flag. While it is a very colourful flag, it has no history beyond the land protest movement and that is not necessarily a good symbol for a national banner.

As we know, it does not represent all Maori and locally there is undoubtedly a preference for a Te Arawa flag. Nationally, I have a preference for the silver fern.

A more suitable national day that can be celebrated by all in our multi-cultural society, combined with the constitutional review of the Treaty, are prerequisites for our nation to move ahead.

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