Labour’s Maori policy

Press, 19 April 1980, Page 14

Labour’s Maori policy

Sir, ■ — It stunned me to read that Mr Rowling is blaming Mr Rata for lack of Maori policy. It is the sign of a very poor leader that he should blame his subordinates if they fail. Labour has for some time tried to woo Mr Rata back into the Labour Party and during this time Mr Rowling stated Labour had never let the Maoris down. Now that Mr Rata has decided to stick to his guns Mr Rowling. has come out, admitted that Labour did not do all it could for the Maoris and blamed Matiu Rata. If the Labour Party was in power and failed who would be blamed? — Yours, etc., S. A. GUNBY. April 16, 1980. .

Sir, — The recent attack by Mr Rowling on Mr Rata shows how stupid the present system is.. When Mr Rata resigned from the Labour Party he was invited to return and assured that Labour’s policies on Maori affairs were- entirely satisfactory. Now it seems that Mr Rowling considers .the policy was inadequate otherwise why all the changes? No doubt if Mr Rata was still with Labour the latest list of political carrots for the Maori people would not have even been dreamed of,, let alone released, as the bribe they are., Mr Rata is to be congratulated on taking the stance he has, and for having the good sense to leave a party that has lost; all sense of purpose and only exists as a burnt-out shell of a once respected movement. The series of events and statements referred to above could’only happen in a system that is insensitive to people and their needs, beliefs and aspirations. — Yours, etc., L. A. WRIGHT. April 17, 1980.