Orewa Speech: Difference between revisions
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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. |
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 people|Māori]], New Zealand's indigenous ethnic group. |
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The speech has been criticised not so much for its substance but for the political intent behind it. It was widely claimed that Brash was "playing the [[race card]]", winning support for his party by fuelling racist sentiment toward Māoridom. 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 as "[w]hether 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}}</ref> |
The speech has been criticised not so much for its substance but for the political intent behind it. It was widely claimed that Brash was "playing the [[race card]]", winning support for his party by fuelling racist sentiment toward Māoridom. 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 as "[w]hether 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}}</ref> |
Revision as of 07:20, 1 March 2011
The Orewa Speech was a controversial 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, particularly the special status of Māori, New Zealand's indigenous ethnic group.
The speech has been criticised not so much for its substance but for the political intent behind it. It was widely claimed that Brash was "playing the race card", winning support for his party by fuelling racist sentiment toward Māoridom. 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 as "[w]hether 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."[1]
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.
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.
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.
Nicky Hager's 2006 book The Hollow Men claims that the speech was written, in part, by Michael Bassett, a claim denied by Bassett.
See also
References
- ^ Johansson, Jon (December 2004). "Orewa and the Rhetoric of Illusion". Political Science. 56 (2).