David Seymour criticises Rawiri Waititi for ‘insane views' about African leader Ibrahim Traoré
Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour has labelled Te Pāti Māori a threat to democracy after its co-leader Rawiri Waititi declared a West African military ruler to be his 'modern day hero'.
Burkina Faso's leader Ibrahim Traoré has grown in popularity across Africa and beyond,
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
an hour ago
- NZ Herald
Tāmaki Makaurau's byelection is really about Willie Jackson and John Tamihere
The byelection was called after the sudden death of Te Pāti Māori's Takutai Moana Tarsh Kemp in July after a battle with kidney disease. Labour list MP and grandson of Sir James Henare, Peeni Henare. Henare is a great orator and is considered, along with New Zealand First's Shane Jones and Te Pāti Māori's Rawiri Waititi, the best te reo Māori speakers in Parliament. He comes from distinguished political lineage and won the Tāmaki Makaurau seat in 2014, 2017 and 2020, only to lose it in 2023. His grandfather Sir James Henare stood for the National Party in five elections between 1946 and 1963 and his father Erima Henare was head of the Māori Language Commission. Henare's mum Te Hemo Ata Henare was a master weaver and his uncle, Māori activist Dun Mihaka, bared his buttocks to Queen Elizabeth II at Waitangi in 1986. While Kaipara doesn't have the same political whakapapa, she can hold her own in the te reo world, having been brought up in the Kura Kaupapa and Wharekura movements. Former broadcaster Oriini Kaipara. She was afforded the privilege to go total immersion, unlike many whānau of her parents' age who were punished for speaking the language. This byelection will not be one of full-frontal attacks – much to the disappointment of the Government, who would rather see Labour and Te Pāti Māori going toe-to-toe at each other. The byelection will be won by the party that can tap into the disillusioned among Māori. At the ballot box in 2023, of the 43,755 registered, only 27,038 actually voted. If Labour is to win, it must call on its strong ground game, door-knocking throughout the electorate and hitting the weekend markets in Avondale, Ōtara, Manukau and Manurewa. Tāmaki Makaurau has the biggest concentration of Māori in New Zealand. No doubt, Te Pāti Māori will also be on the ground but the party's edge comes in its multi-platform social media channels, which connect it to the younger cohort. Te Pāti Māori MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke in Parliament during the debate on the Treaty Principles Bill. Photo / RNZ, Samuel Rillstone Waikato-Tainui MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke has more than 60,000 Facebook followers and 225,000 on Instagram – far exceeding anything Labour can match. Depending on how Jackson and Tamihere pull those levers will determine whether Te Pāti Māori keeps six MPs or Labour increases its number from 34 to 35. Sign up to the Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Scoop
19 hours ago
- Scoop
NCEA Overhaul, About Time!
'New Zealand students deserve a system that is universally good, not just good depending on the school and the student. The Government cannot take a backward step on NCEA reform,' says ACT Leader David Seymour. 'There's no better indicator of a society's future success than the amount of knowledge passed from one generation to the next. That requires a robust curriculum and a way of assessing it that holds everyone accountable. 'The debate over NCEA was the first time I paid any attention to politics. I watched the Principal of my high school, John Morris, fighting the Minister of Education, Trevor Mallard. Everything John predicted has turned out to be right. 'NCEA was driven by an ideology that competition and excellence are bad, and every student should create their own academic adventure. It has meant diligent students who choose robust Standards and apply themselves still do well, but there are also other, easier options. 'Over the time that the NCEA has been in place, New Zealand high school students have fallen badly in the OECD's PISA study. The study of 15-year-olds in reading, maths, and science is done once every three years. 'In the early 2000s when NCEA was introduced, New Zealand was often in the top five. Today we are 23rd for Maths, and in each subject today's students are about a year behind where the same aged students were at the start of the century. 'There has also been a worrying drift towards anxiety, away from resilience among students. Sitting exams and getting graded is tough, we all know that, but it serves as a useful preparation for life, taking on challenges and building resilience. By moving away from high stakes exams, we may have unintentionally worn down New Zealand's character. 'Replacing the NCEA with a rich body of real knowledge being richly assessed is the right direction. If New Zealand is going to be a high income country through the twenty-first century, it must have the policies in place to pass useful knowledge from one generation to the next. 'ACT wholeheartedly supports this move and urges the Government not to back down."
Scoop
2 days ago
- Scoop
ACT Launches Largest Local Government Campaign In New Zealand
ACT Local has today unveiled its full slate of candidates for the 2025 local body elections: 46 practical, community-minded New Zealanders standing across 25 councils. With 37 ward and constituency level candidates, it's the largest local government campaign mounted by a political party in New Zealand, including Labour and the Greens who have stood council candidates for many years. ACT Local is standing a further 9 candidates for Auckland Local Board positions. 'These are New Zealanders who've had enough of being ignored by their councils,' says ACT Leader David Seymour. 'They're stepping up to deliver real change and lower rates. 'ACT's candidates come from all walks of life; we have business owners, tradies, healthcare workers, farmers, and many professionals. What unites them is a belief in sensible spending, equal rights, and a back-to-basics approach. They're ready to bring real-world experience and common sense to the council table. 'Many have built successful careers, but more importantly, they're local residents and ratepayers – people who've built homes, raised families, and dealt firsthand with council bureaucracy. They know what it's like to stretch a budget and deal with the challenges people face locally. 'Now they're stepping forward to bring practical solutions and a laser focus on core services like roads, water, and rubbish. 'In central government, ACT is cutting waste, defending equal rights, and taking pressure off households. Our councillors will do the same: vote against wasteful spending, stand up for democratic principles, and focus on essential services without driving up rates. 'Kiwis voted for real change in 2023, but our councils missed the memo. 'While ratepayers face eye-watering rate hikes, councils are blowing money on vanity projects, pushing ideological agendas like co-governance, and wasting time grandstanding about global politics – all while ignoring the basics. 'Every local election, voters get the little booklet with their ballot paper and tick whoever they think will do the best job. But too often, you don't know what you are going to get. Candidates promise one thing and then do another. With ACT Local candidates, you'll know exactly where they stand. 'So if there's an ACT Local candidate in your area and you want real change from your council, I hope you will give them your support.' Candidate profiles can be found here. A full list of our candidates is below: Northland Far North District Council Davina Smolders – Bay of Islands–Whangaroa Ward Whangārei District Council Matthew Yovich – Bream Bay Ward Kaipara District Council Nima Maleiki – Kaiwaka–Mangawhai Ward Roger Billington – Otamatea Ward Auckland Council & Local Boards Albany Ward and Hibiscus and Bays Local Board (Hibiscus Coast Subdivision) Samuel Mills North Shore Ward and Devonport-Takapuna Local Board Helena Roza Franklin Ward and Franklin Local Board (Wairoa Subdivision) Dene Green Howick Ward and Howick Local Board (Botany Subdivision) Ali Dahche Manukau Ward and Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board (Ōtara Subdivision) Henrietta Devoe Hibiscus and Bays Local Board (Hibiscus Coast Subdivision) Yang Qu Kaipātiki Local Board Martin Lundqvist Henderson-Massey Local Board Ben Cox Ōrākei Local Board Martin Mahler Amanda Lockyer Robert Meredith Howick Local Board (Pakuranga Subdivision) Pat Arroyo Howick Local Board (Howick Subdivision) William Goldberg Papakura Local Board Prasad Gawande Central & Lower North Island Waikato District Council Peter Mayall – Tamahere–Woodlands Ward Hauraki District Council Michelle Magnus – Paeroa Ward Andrew Pickford – Plains Ward Waipa District Council Stuart Hylton – Cambridge Ward Hamilton City Council Nidhita Gosai – West Ward Preet Dhaliwal – East Ward New Plymouth District Council Damon Fox – Kaitake–Ngāmotu Ward Napier City Council Iain Bradley – Ahuriri Ward Manawatū District Council Jerry Pickford – Feilding Ward Aaron McLeod – Feilding Ward Palmerston North City Council Glen Williams – General Ward Porirua City Council Phill Houlihan – Pāuatahanui Ward Greater Wellington Regional Council Nigel Elder – Lower Hutt Constituency Alice Claire Hurdle – Wellington Constituency Wellington City Council Ray Bowden – Onslow–Western Ward Mark Flynn – Northern Ward Luke Kuggeleijn – Eastern Ward South Island Candidates Tasman District Council David Ross – Motueka Ward Daniel Shirley – Richmond Ward Marlborough District Council Malcolm Taylor – Marlborough Sounds Ward John Hyndman – Blenheim Ward Hurunui District Council Tom Spooner – South Ward Waimakariri District Council Nathan Atkins – Kaiapoi–Woodend Ward Selwyn District Council Chris Till – Rolleston Ward Timaru District Council John Bolt – Timaru Ward Environment Canterbury Regional Council Toni Severin – South Canterbury Constituency Otago Regional Council Robbie Byars – Molyneux Constituency Dunedin City Council Anthony Kenny – Council At-large Ward
