political reviews • polynesia 227 defined and interpreted by the forth- cent of the budget). The extent of this coming organic law. dependence on the state is reinforced Contrary to the wishes of President by the latest trade figures, which, Flosse, French Polynesia did not though showing a steady growth in accede to its new status at the same exports, still exhibit a gaping deficit, time as New Caledonia, which had with exports covering only 23.9 per- its organic law passed on 23 March cent of the cost of imports (DT, 6 May 1999. By the end of the year under 1999, 20). To add to its economic review, and in contrast to their exclu- woes, the territory is struggling to sion from negotiations on the consti- recover from another natural disaster, tutional amendment, an opposition as floods in Tahiti on 19 December delegation including Vernaudon and left hundreds homeless and caused Temaru was invited to meet with damages of up to 5 billion fcfp Queyranne and other officials in Paris (TP, Jan 1999, 53). to discuss the content of the organic Emile Vernaudon and Boris Leon- law. tieff, among others, have argued that The rationale behind the Tahoeraa the territorial government ought to government’s determination to remain be doing more to promote sustainable part of France (and one shared by a economic development and social jus- sizable portion of the population) is tice, and spend less money, time, and the knowledge that independence energy on never-ending piecemeal would certainly entail a sharp reduc- reforms to the statute of autonomy. tion in the transfer of funds from karin von strokirch Paris. Despite the closure of the nuclear test program, state funding has continued at high levels as the References following figures demonstrate: France injected a total of us$1.5 billion TP, Tahiti Pacifique. Monthly. Papeete. (152.5 billion fcfp) into the territory DT, La Dépêche de Tahiti. Daily. Papeete. of only 224,000 inhabitants during pina, Pacific Islands News Association, 1998, of which $300 million were quoted in Pacific Islands Report tax exemptions and $1.2 billion were <http://pidp.ewc.hawaii.edu/PIReport> direct transfers (pina nius online, 7 June 1999). Direct transfers from Paris can be broken down as expenditure in the Maori Issues following areas: state controlled sec- tions of the civil service and emer- Politically the second half of 1998 gency relief (16.65 billion fcfp), edu- was very disappointing for Maori- cation and research (40.55 billion dom. In 1996 New Zealand First had fcfp), national defense (35 billion captured all five Maori seats in Parlia- fcfp), pensions (12.5 billion fcfp), ment and formed a coalition govern- municipal government (6.66 billion ment with the National party. The fcfp), and a grant to the territorial cabinet included three Maori minis- budget (9.9 billion fcfp or 12.66 per- ters, all from New Zealand First, with 228 the contemporary pacific • spring 2000 the leader of New Zealand First as that is deeply embedded in the struc- deputy prime minister. However, dis- tures of almost all government and putes within the New Zealand First public institutions throughout the leadership severely weakened their country. He has fought with only position in the government. National moderate success to capture a dispro- had survived a leadership coup earlier portionately small part of the 1999 in 1998, but the replacement of Prime budget for Maori, but has ensured Minister Jim Bolger with Jenny Ship- that funding has been allocated to ley signaled much less commitment to areas of immediate practical concern the coalition, and by August it had to Maori such as the (re)building of dissolved. their marae, the restoration and The sacking in July of the deputy enhancement of the Maori language, leader of New Zealand First, who is and the development of Maori educa- also the minister of Maori Affairs, tion, housing, and health. He has also led fairly rapidly to a split in the New publicly supported debate taking place Zealand First caucus. Once the coali- on the issue of constitutional change, tion government dissolved, leaving whereas the National party and in National as a minority government, particular its minister of Treaty of the split was formalized and the New Waitangi Negotiations have dismissed Zealand First caucus lost seven of its any consideration of the issue. members of Parliament, including Henare’s outspoken support of four of the five who held Maori seats. Maoridom has continued to bring Two of the Maori members remained down on him the wrath of Parliament in cabinet initially as independents. and the Pakeha media. Headlines flash By October, Minister of Maori Affairs his latest choice of colorful words Tau Henare had set up a new Mauri used to illustrate a point, attacking Pacific party, with five of the defect- him on his use of the English language ing New Zealand First members. rather than considering the issue he is National’s previous two ministers raising. The constant attack and deni- of Maori Affairs had shown little gration has begun to take its toll and understanding of Maoridom, with undermine Maori confidence in him. the most recent, John Luxton, being With a general election due in Octo- openly antagonistic toward Maori, ber 1999 he and his fledgling party and derisive and dismissive of Maori face an uphill battle to remain in aspirations for their own future. Parliament, let alone in government. Tau Henare was a welcome change, While Maori were losing ground not only because he is Maori, but on the government benches, the also because he understands and extent of Maori poverty throughout empathizes with the constant struggle the country continued to grow. In Maori have against their European September the Anglican Church, with colonizers. As a result he has not been support from other churches, trade afraid to point out the anomalies that unions, and Maori, organized a pro- permeate New Zealand society in its test march named the Hikoi (walk) of unequal treatment of Maori and Hope. Two groups set out simultane- Pakeha, and the racism against Maori ously from the very far north and the political reviews • polynesia 229 very far south of the country. During to wait any longer and they’d be the month-long march more than prepared to die for the cause. thirty-eight thousand people joined Then in January 1999 three mainly the march, focusing the nation’s atten- Maori communities in the Far North, tion on the massive cuts successive who are among the most impover- governments have made to social ished and neglected communities in service agencies and tertiary student the country, watched helplessly as tor- funding and the fact that New Zea- rential rain brought down surround- land has the fastest growing gap ing hillsides, and tonnes of mud, rock, between rich and poor of any OECD and trees swept away their homes. country. Burgeoning student debt is For decades Maori have complained currently well over two billion dollars of the lack of services they receive with the result that Maori enrollment from local government, not only in in tertiary education has been declin- the form of roads, water, and power ing over the past two years after supply, but also as protection against having slowly but steadily increased natural disasters. As usual with such over the past decade. disasters, the local marae came to the The two groups on the march rescue of the homeless and functioned converged on Parliament grounds as the disaster headquarters. on 1 October with five thousand As local Maori were trying to move marchers confronting parliamentari- quickly to clean up and reconstruct ans. Attempts by some government the community, local and central ministers to deny the existence of government authorities bickered over poverty in New Zealand brought who should do what, whether or not swift and angry reactions during the the army should be sent in to help, march. The government’s own report, and who was going to pay. Politicians issued in July, confirmed the existence visited and left behind promises that of increasing gaps between Maori and were at best partially fulfilled. Help non-Maori in terms of every social for the communities in the form of and economic indicator. The Hikoi food, clothing, and household goods of Hope delivered a strong message flooded in from around the country, to the government that the key to while the politicians continued to addressing Maori poverty lay in argue. The government finally allo- changing the constitution so that cated nz$135,000 for rehabilitation Maori can have a fair share of power work, enough money to build just one as full partners under the Treaty of house. The marae received an insult- Waitangi. While the prime minister ing nz$10,000 grant to cover its costs attempted to dismiss the notion, many for using all its meager resources to commentators, both Maori and non- organize the disaster recovery. The Maori, publicly encouraged debate local authority complained bitterly on the issue. One of the leaders of when the central government directed the hikoi and longtime Maori advo- it to contribute toward rebuilding the cate, Professor Whatarangi Winiata, community. Local Maori simply got warned that unless changes were made on with rebuilding their community some Maori would be too impatient as best they could with what they 230 the contemporary pacific • spring 2000 were given or could find. The han- to repeated warnings from Maori, dling of such disasters demonstrates the courts, and the Privy Council that how deeply entrenched racism is in denying Maori access to a significant New Zealand.