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{{Short description|2004 speech by New Zealand politician Don Brash}} |
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The '''Orewa Speech''' was a controversial speech delivered by the then-leader of the [[New Zealand National Party]] [[Don Brash]] to the [[Orewa]] [[Rotary International|Rotary]] Club on 27 January 2004. It addressed the theme of race relations in New Zealand, particularly the special status of [[Māori]], New Zealand's indigenous ethnic group. |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}} |
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[[File:Don.Brash.jpg|thumb|right|Don Brash, then newly installed as [[Leader of the Opposition (New Zealand)|Leader of the Opposition]], used the Orewa Speech to broach the topic of Māori-Pākehā relations.]] |
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The '''Orewa Speech''' was a [[Public speech|speech]] delivered by the then-leader of the [[New Zealand National Party]] [[Don Brash]] to the [[Orewa]] [[Rotary International|Rotary]] Club on 27 January 2004. It addressed the theme of [[race relations]] in [[New Zealand]] and in particular the status of [[Māori people]]. Brash approached the subject by advocating 'one rule for all'<ref>{{cite news |title=Non-Maori say they've had enough |first=Geoff |last=Cumming |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=3550487 |newspaper=[[The New Zealand Herald]]|date=4 February 2004 |accessdate=29 April 2011}}</ref> and ending equitable measures and affirmative action for Māori, which he described controversially as "special privileges". |
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== Content == |
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⚫ | The speech |
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{{Anti-Māori sentiment}} |
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Brash covered many aspects of Māori-Pākehā relations in his speech. He criticized policies he believed to be [[Separatism|separatist]], such as required levels of [[iwi]] representation on district health boards and the allocation of [[Māori electorates|Māori electorate seats]] in Parliament – something he labelled an "anachronism". The speech made particular reference to the [[New Zealand Labour Party|Labour Party]]'s stance on the [[Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004|Foreshore and Seabed Act]], which Brash disagreed with. He also questioned the use of Māori spiritual traditions in official events and the open-ended nature of the [[Treaty of Waitangi claims and settlements|Treaty of Waitangi settlement process]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0401/S00220.htm|title=NATIONHOOD - Don Brash Speech Orewa Rotary Club {{!}} Scoop News|website=www.scoop.co.nz|access-date=2018-05-15}}</ref> |
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==Reaction== |
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⚫ | The speech was criticised not so much for its substance but for a perceived political intent behind it. It was widely claimed that Brash was "playing the [[race card]]",<ref>{{cite news |title=Don Brash tells: Why I played the race card |first=John |last=Armstrong |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=3550537 |newspaper=[[The New Zealand Herald]]|date=21 February 2004 |accessdate=29 April 2011}}</ref> winning support for his party by fuelling racist sentiment toward Māoridom.{{Citation needed|date=April 2011}} The speech itself was framed in terms of equality and pragmatism, arguing for dispensing with [[affirmative action]] programmes and poorly understood references in legislation to the principles of the [[Treaty of Waitangi]], and ending the alleged "[[Treaty of Waitangi Grievance Industry]]". His speech was criticised by lecturer and political writer [[Jon Johansson]]: "Whether intended or not, the Orewa speech reinforced the ignorant and racist stereotype that Māori were 'savages' before the 'gift' of European civilisation was visited upon them."<ref>{{cite journal|last=Johansson|first=Jon|date=December 2004|title=Orewa and the Rhetoric of Illusion|journal=Political Science|volume=56|issue=2|pages=111–129|doi=10.1177/003231870405600212|s2cid=145471843}}</ref> |
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The speech resulted in a major surge for the National Party, which had been languishing from an overwhelming defeat at the [[New Zealand general election, 2002|2002 election]]. From 28% in the polls a month before the speech, the National Party jumped to 45% two weeks after it: ten points ahead of [[New Zealand Labour Party|Labour]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Poll puts National ahead of Labour |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=3549317 |newspaper=[[The New Zealand Herald]]|date=15 February 2004 |accessdate=29 April 2011}}</ref> |
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Polls showed that many Māori were comfortable with Brash's speech, and the National Party threw its support behind it, but [[Georgina te Heuheu]] was removed as National's Māori Affairs spokeswoman after criticising it.<ref>{{cite news |title=No surrender vows te Heuheu as she loses role |first=Ruth |last=Berry |url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=3547313 |newspaper=[[The New Zealand Herald]]|date=4 February 2004 |accessdate=29 April 2011}}</ref> It was instrumental in establishing a public profile for Don Brash, who had only recently become the party's leader. |
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Subsequent to the speech, Brash's catch-cry "need not race" was taken up by the other side of the political divide, the governing [[New Zealand Labour Party|Labour]]-[[New Zealand Progressive Party|Progressive]] coalition. An audit of government programmes was put in place to determine whether there were race-based programmes where need-based programmes would suffice. |
Subsequent to the speech, Brash's catch-cry "need not race" was taken up by the other side of the political divide, the governing [[New Zealand Labour Party|Labour]]-[[New Zealand Progressive Party|Progressive]] coalition. An audit of government programmes was put in place to determine whether there were race-based programmes where need-based programmes would suffice. |
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Several former New Zealand Prime Ministers have criticized the speech in the time since its delivery. [[Jim Bolger]] said in an interview published in 2017 it was in the same "frame" as [[Donald Trump presidential campaign, 2016|Donald Trump's 2016 campaign]], and that "some people follow absurdities". Former Labour Prime Minister [[Helen Clark]] said of Brash's motives that "he would’ve done a lot of opinion polling on that, and knew it would strike a chord".<ref>{{Cite book|title=The 9th Floor|last=Espiner|first=Guyon|publisher=Bridget Williams Books|year=2017|location=Wellington|pages=116, 199}}</ref> |
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The speech resulted in a major surge in the polls for the National Party, which had been languishing from an overwhelming defeat at the 2002 election. It was also instrumental in establishing a public profile for Don Brash, who had only recently become the party's leader. |
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==Legacy== |
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Brash returned to Orewa on 25 January 2005, hoping to capitalise on the previous year's success, and gave a speech on social welfare and on [[welfare dependency]]. This speech, dubbed '''Orewa 2''', failed to generate the publicity of the original. After failing to endorse this second speech, National's social-welfare spokesperson [[Katherine Rich]] was removed. |
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Brash has returned to make annual 'Orewa speeches' every year since, on a wide range of topics.{{Clarify timeframe|date=February 2022}} |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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* [[Treaty of Waitangi claims and settlements#Criticisms|Treaty of Waitangi claims and settlements]] |
* [[Treaty of Waitangi claims and settlements#Criticisms|Treaty of Waitangi claims and settlements]] |
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== |
==Footnotes== |
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{{Reflist}} |
{{Reflist}} |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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* [http://www.national.org.nz/speech_article.aspx?ArticleID=1614 Text of the 2004 speech] |
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* [http://www.national.org.nz/Article.aspx? |
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20050204002525/http://www.national.org.nz/Article.aspx?ArticleID=3498 Text of the 2005 speech] |
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* [http://www.vuw.ac.nz/pols/documents/Orewa%20And%20The%20Rhetoric%20Of%20Illusion.doc Orewa and the Rhetoric of Illusion], by Jon Johansson, ''Political Science'', Vol.56, no.2, December 2004. |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:2004 speeches]] |
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[[Category:Political history of New Zealand]] |
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[[Category:Race relations in New Zealand]] |
[[Category:Race relations in New Zealand]] |
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[[Category:Māori politics]] |
[[Category:Māori politics]] |
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[[Category:New Zealand National Party]] |
[[Category:New Zealand National Party]] |
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[[Category:2004 in New Zealand]] |
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[[Category:2004 in politics]] |
Revision as of 03:35, 31 May 2024
The Orewa Speech was a speech delivered by the then-leader of the New Zealand National Party Don Brash to the Orewa Rotary Club on 27 January 2004. It addressed the theme of race relations in New Zealand and in particular the status of Māori people. Brash approached the subject by advocating 'one rule for all'[1] and ending equitable measures and affirmative action for Māori, which he described controversially as "special privileges".
Content
Part of a series on |
Anti-Māori sentiment |
---|
Brash covered many aspects of Māori-Pākehā relations in his speech. He criticized policies he believed to be separatist, such as required levels of iwi representation on district health boards and the allocation of Māori electorate seats in Parliament – something he labelled an "anachronism". The speech made particular reference to the Labour Party's stance on the Foreshore and Seabed Act, which Brash disagreed with. He also questioned the use of Māori spiritual traditions in official events and the open-ended nature of the Treaty of Waitangi settlement process.[2]
Nicky Hager's 2006 book The Hollow Men claims that the speech was written, in part, by Michael Bassett, a claim denied by Bassett.
Reaction
The speech was criticised not so much for its substance but for a perceived political intent behind it. It was widely claimed that Brash was "playing the race card",[3] winning support for his party by fuelling racist sentiment toward Māoridom.[citation needed] The speech itself was framed in terms of equality and pragmatism, arguing for dispensing with affirmative action programmes and poorly understood references in legislation to the principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, and ending the alleged "Treaty of Waitangi Grievance Industry". His speech was criticised by lecturer and political writer Jon Johansson: "Whether intended or not, the Orewa speech reinforced the ignorant and racist stereotype that Māori were 'savages' before the 'gift' of European civilisation was visited upon them."[4]
The speech resulted in a major surge for the National Party, which had been languishing from an overwhelming defeat at the 2002 election. From 28% in the polls a month before the speech, the National Party jumped to 45% two weeks after it: ten points ahead of Labour.[5]
Polls showed that many Māori were comfortable with Brash's speech, and the National Party threw its support behind it, but Georgina te Heuheu was removed as National's Māori Affairs spokeswoman after criticising it.[6] It was instrumental in establishing a public profile for Don Brash, who had only recently become the party's leader.
Subsequent to the speech, Brash's catch-cry "need not race" was taken up by the other side of the political divide, the governing Labour-Progressive coalition. An audit of government programmes was put in place to determine whether there were race-based programmes where need-based programmes would suffice.
Several former New Zealand Prime Ministers have criticized the speech in the time since its delivery. Jim Bolger said in an interview published in 2017 it was in the same "frame" as Donald Trump's 2016 campaign, and that "some people follow absurdities". Former Labour Prime Minister Helen Clark said of Brash's motives that "he would’ve done a lot of opinion polling on that, and knew it would strike a chord".[7]
Legacy
Brash returned to Orewa on 25 January 2005, hoping to capitalise on the previous year's success, and gave a speech on social welfare and on welfare dependency. This speech, dubbed Orewa 2, failed to generate the publicity of the original. After failing to endorse this second speech, National's social-welfare spokesperson Katherine Rich was removed.
Brash has returned to make annual 'Orewa speeches' every year since, on a wide range of topics.[timeframe?]
See also
Footnotes
- ^ Cumming, Geoff (4 February 2004). "Non-Maori say they've had enough". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
- ^ "NATIONHOOD - Don Brash Speech Orewa Rotary Club | Scoop News". www.scoop.co.nz. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
- ^ Armstrong, John (21 February 2004). "Don Brash tells: Why I played the race card". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
- ^ Johansson, Jon (December 2004). "Orewa and the Rhetoric of Illusion". Political Science. 56 (2): 111–129. doi:10.1177/003231870405600212. S2CID 145471843.
- ^ "Poll puts National ahead of Labour". The New Zealand Herald. 15 February 2004. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
- ^ Berry, Ruth (4 February 2004). "No surrender vows te Heuheu as she loses role". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
- ^ Espiner, Guyon (2017). The 9th Floor. Wellington: Bridget Williams Books. pp. 116, 199.