The promise of “equal rights” of the treaty and ignores the dead points of our democracy

Despite the fact that it is used in both Rules of the Waitangi account Treaty and Act on regulatory standardsThe term “democracy” is neither defined nor explained.

This rhetorical and ideological ambiguity covers a key point: there is no such thing as a peculiarity of democracy.

The ACT party is behind both bills and its leader David Seymour justified the account of the rules of the treaty – Now in front of the elected committee – as maintaining and protecting democracy. He asks: “Are we a current democracy in which all citizens have equal rights?”

But democracy takes various forms and has been doing it for millennia. From an archaic Greek “demo” (people) and “kratos” (power or rule), this word generally means “principle by people.” And this can be realized in many ways.

A classic Greek form was direct democracy, also known as deliberative or participatory democracy. This concerned men’s citizens participating equally and directly in political decisions.

However, the archaic Roman form was an indirect, representative democracy. Representatives elected by qualifying citizens made decisions on their behalf. It was the basic model adopted in 1852 New Zealand Act on the Constitutionas in most current democracy.

There are also other models. But the point is that democracy is an evolving concept. It is a mistake to say that any type of management or decision making other than our existing representative of representative democracy (one person, one vote, fired by the rule of law) is undemocratic or anti -democratic.

Most tyrants

Many political mechanisms that the current government wants to undress – such as Maori troops AND Consultation processes – They were established due to problems related to representative democracy.

It is widely assumed that the political representation should reflect the various features of the community. But what is called “Most tyrants“It can lead to a continuous equipped minority.

He is unable to obtain a representation proportional to their population, their interests are excluded. In miniature, it is completely possible for democracy to be used in a way that promotes inequality, not equality.

Common interpretation of equality as the meaning of “identity” – everyone who receives the same resources and possibilities – is at the basis that rights and policies must be applied regardless of individual and group differences. Everything else is unfair or “special” treatment.

However, these statements overlook the warning of our institutions towards members of the dominant or majority culture and uneven results (in health and other countries) for people who have maoris caused marginalization and adverse situation.

Improving this imbalance is a political challenge. How Others were arguing“Protection of minority rights is an equal feature of true democracy.”

Immense landing and democracy

The term “justice” refers to this recognition of unevenness that exist between people. Where are these unevenness possible to avoid and unfairResources and possibilities should be allocated to achieve an equal result.

Achievement Health capital for Maori was a key goal Root of life/Maoris of the Health Office, against its protection.

For Maori, injustice goes beyond uneven health and other socio -economic results. This includes neglected guarantees promised by the Crown in TiRiti about Waitangi/Waitangi Treaty in 1840.

They included the right maosts for self -determination, or independencewhich is the source of so many current debate.

Tino Rangatiratanga questions a single basis for the power adopted by the Crown, and the representation system “One size matches everyone.” But despite the opposite claims, others say that maintaining Tino Rangatiratanga is completely possible in the field of democracy.

The idea of ​​”Principles and by people” can take many forms, just like Matike workThe independent working group for constitutional transformation is trying to demonstrate.

By proposing constitutional changes, Matike Mai describes the sphere of influence Based on the Maori-Crown where “conciliatory and consensual democracy” works.

Difference and equality

This He was argued that these Tiriti is “his time” and therefore should be reinterpretation. And yet the same argument is rarely submitted about the concepts of democracy and equality that have been with us since 1852.

This is vital for many communities that experience avoiding and unfair health and social inequalities, not only Maori.

In September last year Cabinet Required public sector agencies to ensure that “services are not arbitrarily assigned on the basis of ethnic origin or other aspect of identity.”

At first glance, this is a call to a fair and equal treatment based on need. But the language suggests that the difference is how the individual decides to identify, not how its identity and circumstances make them treated differently.

As long as it is, these differences and related needs will always be underestimated.