[able]

From The Telegraph

A campaign has been launched to earn British pension rights for the Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand.

There are more than 600,000 Maori in New Zealand
The claim is based on the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, the document that handed sovereignty over New Zealand to Britain, ruled at the time by Queen Victoria.

Article Three of the treaty guarantees Maori "the same rights and privileges as British subjects."

The campaign is being led by David Rankin, a direct descendant of Hone Heke - the first of dozens of Maori chiefs to sign the treaty.

Mr Rankin, leader of the Matarahurahu hapu or sub tribe, said that he would also investigate Maori entitlement to other perks of British citizenship.

"We may expand the claim to include British passports, unemployment benefits, and other entitlements," he said.

In return for British protection, the Treaty of Waitangi granted the Maori the rights of British subjects.

They were also allowed to retain control of their lands, forests, fisheries, culture and language.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=ZCN40F41HZORPQFIQMFCFFOAVCBQ YIV0?xml=/news/2006/10/12/umaori.xml

[Diny]

I once heard the Treaty of Waitangi described as ......'when Victoria rogered the Maori'

Guess the repercussions are only to be expected.

Diny

[Mart1]

The UK has opened its borders to the millions (of poor) in the EU and they are pouring in already claiming all sorts of benefits i.e. child benefit by Polish workers who have children in Poland? Sadly, there will be nothing left for anyone so the claim will not be successful. Just hope that those with the foresight to see the way the UK is going and are heading for NZ etc get in before it goes completly belly-up.

Get me out of here - now. :clap

[willsken]

Hey, if they succeed, it could help the social problems over there no end! That would make for a much better NZ. Very good luck to them is what I say!! :D

[marcia]

I had to laugh at this - I mentioned in a post the other day about there only being so much in the 'pot' of money, and the thousands of people being allowed to take out of the pot they have never contributed to it - making it so those people who DO work have to continue doing so into their 70's now to try and fill the 'pot' back up, it's laughable - when is the uk government going to get this total fiasco sorted?? :no

[pieeater]

Re.U.K.State pension,I've always been under the impression that you have to pay into it via N.I.contributions to get anything out of it.So can't see them being successful on this one.

[willsken]

Re.U.K.State pension,I've always been under the impression that you have to pay into it via N.I.contributions to get anything out of it.So can't see them being successful on this one.

Damn! :roll

[Trigirl]

exactly - its currently 39 years NI contributions for a woman to claim full pension. more for a man. are many maori's going to manage that one?

[Avalon]

If they want all the rights and privaleges of being a british citizen - I hope they also feel they have to go through the SMC to see if they have anything of value to New Zealand before being allowed to live here.

[veronica]

the rights of British citizens are not the same as the british citizens who live there. Brits living here can't claim child benefit, unemployment benefit etc. etc. from the UK, so can't see they would get far on that one

[bob_the_engineer]

I know loads of “Maori people” and I’ve heard many many more complaints directed at politicians/lawyers who claim to represent their views than anything else.

On the other hand a politician was ragged recently for saying something like we are all NZ’ers, lets get on with it!

Vocal minority silent majority sums up my experience.

I know this story will annoy so many Maori people, this really saddens me! :(


Bob