Maybe we will be thanking our "Treaty' partners soon!

No, I am not being a smart arse or cynical and especially not tongue-in-cheek when I write a header like the one above. I am referring to the possibility that it may take the efforts of Maori and the opposition they can garner from both political sources, and that on Treaty of Waitangi grounds to stop the sale of State assets. At the very least they may be able to slow the process down, giving the rest of us time to slam home to the Government that we do not want our assets sold.

When are we going to learn that once sold, it is very hard to get back these valuable assets? The very idea of selling water rights is repugnant and against everything I believe in. I include in that the claims that Maori own water. I have absolutely no problem with Maori having ‘Guardianship’ over water; indeed if it wasn’t for that I am sure we would see a plethora of overseas companies charging us for what is God-given. Guardianship is very different to ownership.

I see an alliance of Maori and those opposed to the further sale of any more state assets as the way forward. We have already let go so much of what our forefathers worked so hard to build, only to have it sold to keep the books balanced. Both major parties have been guilty of that.

For those people amidst us who have always had a problem The Treaty, then is not the fact that it can be seen as a protector of our assets? The old argument that State assets are inefficiently run is no longer true. It is merely an excuse to bring in a short term gain to lesson Government debt. If using the Treaty to stop further asset sales, then all and good.

 It has been very interesting hearing people who would have ‘thumbed down’ The Treaty in the past as being a relic and not in touch with the modern world, having a change of view, now that there is a distinct possibility of that historical document being a source of resistance to Governments hell-bent on flogging off what is essentially owned by all of us. Perhaps it is also a way forward for us as a nation---finally coming together.