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"There is no Maori problem until we start making one..."

The clipping below was submitted by a reader who noted the passage of fifty nine years since.


Old Doc Paewai combined a medical degree with skills as a rugby player. He was a man of colourfully-expressed opinions. He suffered from a bit of racism in his early days at university, but went on to hold forth on many subjects. I vividly recall his opposition to the “No Maori, no Tour” movement in 1959-60 when Walter Nash’s government refused to get involved in South Africa’s rejection of Maori in the All Black team to tour South Africa. This was a position Doc Paewai supported, irritating my cohort of students at the time. He practised medicine in Kaikohe where he was also the Mayor, and in later years was an Auckland City Councillor. Old Doc Paewai was quite a guy in his day.






 
 
 

36 Comments


This comment was deleted.
Michael
Michael
Nov 02, 2021
Replying to

having lived in that environment, what do you think the reasons are behind a propensity for violence?

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John Hurley
John Hurley
Oct 30, 2021

I see 2 Maori advisors hired by Invercargill City Council. 10hrs /month $34,000.That's 283/hr.

AI could do that. "The awa used to be clean. We had tuna in there. etc. Would save a lot of money.

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ron
ron
Oct 31, 2021
Replying to

Hiring an expert advisor on local Maori affairs (presumably themselves at least part Maori) on as needed basis seems reasonable. However the ripoff rate is at best squandering public money and potentially corrupt.

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Woodstack
Oct 29, 2021

Dr Paewai was a true visionary - the continuing cycle of welfare within some Maori families will ensure no end to their expectation of a lifetime of free money........


No politician has the backbone to stop the endless gravy train - in fact all they do is give away more money supporting mindless idealistic dreams that rarely deliver.....


Break the cycle - no work, no money.......abolish the Maori roll, the Maori political Party (racist) and every other apartheid based hair brain scheme that the collective idiots in Parliament devise at whim......


Responsibility reaps Rewards....

Then we might start to grow this country as ONE PEOPLE, ONE NATION

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tjalling.jonker
tjalling.jonker
Oct 30, 2021
Replying to

when i arrived here as a migrant in 1980 my "kiwi mum" once recited a saying:

"the best dressed maori is the one who's the first to get up in the morning"......

at the time i thought it was a joke, much like the poms / irish jokes or the dutch jokes about the belgians.


but i have woken up to it not being much of a joke......


🤣🤣 yes, perhaps i am "woke"...... 🤣🤣


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This comment was deleted.
kisspete47
Nov 09, 2021
Replying to

I quite agree . What we are missing , are the likes of John Minto , who rallied like minded students and individuals , and protested , sometimes vilolently . And they WON ! I doubt if anybody went to jail for more than a night . BUT , leaderless we are : can't see Collins or Luxton leading us anywhere . Seymour needs a bit more fire in his belly : One body who may well become our saviour , is no less a maori : Winston Peters . A wise , old and canny politician who has been a round the block . Can't call him a racist : he seems to be biding his time , bu…

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larina
larina
Oct 29, 2021

Thanks for the memories. Happy days!

Doc Paewai was our family doctor "back in the day" in Kaikohe, we went to school with his children, Alma was/is my age. I wonder what they're all up to now, how things have turned out for them.

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