Thousands Rally in New Zealand to Protest Cuts in Māori Funding

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Facts

• Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets on Thursday across New Zealand to express their opposition to what they allege are efforts from the center-right coalition government to dismantle Māori rights.¹
• In the wake of this mass anti-government protest, the Māori Party issued a declaration of political independence to assert Māori sovereignty and start the process of establishing a Māori parliament.²
• This comes as Finance Minister Nicola Willis delivered the Budget 2024 on Thursday, with reduced funding for Māori programs and the abolishment of the Māori Health Authority.³
• Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has denied that the multimillion-dollar cuts would negatively impact the Māori people, arguing that the budget allows increased spending on health, education, and law and order.⁴
• Pro-Māori policies have been under reconsideration since the three-party governing coalition took office last year as part of its rightward shift that is said to promote equal rights for every citizen.⁵
• People of Māori descent amounts to nearly one-fifth of the country's total population, according to the Census 2023, and the self-determined Māori ethnic group is second only to European ethnicities in New Zealand.⁶

Sources: ¹BBC News, ²NZ Herald, ³RNZ, ⁴Stuff, ⁵New York Times and ⁶Stats NZ.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by 1News. With the Budget 2024, the coalition government has made good on its electoral promise to give New Zealanders their first tax cuts in 14 years as they endure a prolonged cost-of-living crisis, benefitting low and middle-income households and families with young children the most. Māori or not, everyone will be in a better position now.
• Narrative B, as provided by Te Ao Māori News. While tax cuts included in this year's budget do benefit white New Zealanders, this isn't true for the Māori people as the package targets employed people. As public departments will have to cut their costs, thousands of public service staff will lose their jobs — and that's particularly harmful to the Māori.