"[N]o-one speaks on behalf of [all] Māori. I doubt even King Tuheitia would make such a claim. There are a few Māori leaders who might be able to pull together a coalition of Māori voices to speak with unity on some kaupapa of the moment, but Māori have a jealous tendency to always retain the right to speak on their own behalf. Even a kuia of Whina Cooper’s mana struggled to hold together the coalition of Māori interests that swung in behind the Land March of 1975. What is so hard to grasp about this - Māori are as diverse in thought and opinion as any other group of people."~ Aaron Smale, from his op-ed 'The political liability of Matt Tukaki' [hat tip Home Paddock]
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