The desire for the Veto

When the United Nations was set up after WWII the five major powers decided that they needed to have veto powers in the Security Council so none of the upstart wog nations could over rule them when they were pushing their barrow. To my memory only once has a country missed out, when Russian Minister Gromyko was out of the country, when North Korea invaded the South and the rest of the world, unhindered by the Soviet Veto went to her aid. Though I seem to remember the Soviets as the ones who most used their power I also remember the other countries have exercised their vetos not infrequently. So my feeling is that the Veto is an undesirable tool used by the powerful to go against democratic principles to further their own ends.

Listening to Pita Sharples saying how Maori have been consulted but never getting their way suggests to me that he would like Maori to to have reserved seats in not only the future Auckland Council, but every council in the country, and likely the next stage would be for the minority Maori councillor[s] to have the power of the veto over the other councillors. It is simply not what should happen in any democratic country.

That is the problem for minorities and I'm usually amongst them with my voting, submissions to the RMA etc, but its democracy, the will of the majority. It has its faults but there is nothing better as I believe Winston Churchill said.

Instead of bleating around Maori should get themselves organised, instead of relying on the 'people of the land' argument, make good and valid points relevant to the 21st century in such a way that the majority find for them instead of whinging on about the whitey monied class running over them. I call that racism but of course that term is only applied when comments are made about coloured peoples. That may happen with a conscience vote in Parliament, if so then so be it, democracy has worked and Rodney Hide can withdraw from Ministerial office. I hope he doesn't becuase there are other situations apart from Auckland that need his attention.