Kia ora Rangatira o Rapiti – Dear Rabbits. As one of the so-called community leaders referred to in the wero-challenge by Steve Morris there are issues that need to be addressed. Absolutely, I made public comment about keeping in the Commissioners; and, yes, I was an invitee who attended the announcement of Minister Mahuta and supported her stance that the current Commissioners would stay and the past clowns of council (my words – not hers) would not be sent back in until at least 2024, and by then hopefully, we would have democratically-elected members who could manage a multi-billion dollar business.
Ex-councillor Morris needs to retract his pirau korero that we were a ‘rent a crowd'. He has trampled on the mana of Maori who attended by insinuating we were ‘Uncle Toms', a term used for kupapa or traitors to their own people for payment.
I cannot speak for other Maori organisations or individuals who attended and there were many, however for the record, I have never walked the well-worn track up to the chief executive's office to meet him.
In fact, I have only just established a connection with council's Homeless Taskforce this last week through the Commissioners, as the relationship we had with the then-councillor Steve Morris and the Homelessness Taskforce he headed was tokenistic toward Maori and farcical at best. That is why we walked away and have never been back. Furthermore, we have not had one dollar from the council coffers, even though under Steve Morris' watch $660,000 was awarded to homelessness in his first year as the leader of this taskforce.
We at Te Tuinga (translation: to weave the community together) advocate for 4000 individuals and 200 homeless families per year who do live hand-to-hand, and if there was a worthy recipient of ratepayers putea may I humbly suggest it is our dedicated team who have been doing this mahi in Tauranga Moana for 37 years, and not ex-councillor Morris and his ‘rent a circus' clowns.
If Steve Morris stands at the next election in 2024, I look forward to taking up his wero.
Tommy Kapai Wilson, executive director, Te Tuinga Whanau.
2 comments
Tommy's 'record straight' more than a little crooked
Posted on 02-04-2022 08:46 | By Murray.Guy
Councillor Steve Morris needs to retract nothing, and some would say, apologise Tommy Wilson, to the community and to Cr Steve Morris. ... Just for the record, Tommy Wilson, it seems, struggles with 'straight', and is more than a little hypocritical in the 'mana trampling' department. It seems Cr Steve Morris has offended him, noting his attendance (and clapping) with a select few gravy train groupies at the function Mahuta announces Tauranga is to be further denied it's democracy.
THE SIX
Posted on 03-04-2022 10:45 | By Stanme
As I recall Steve Morris was one of "THE SIX", the councillors who decided they would run the city and to hell with the rest including the mayor if He/She disagreed with them. This Draconian lot would be far better in another country where people are not encouraged to think but just let the Nanny State look after them .
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