Mana News editor Joe Trinder

James Fitzgerald a New Zealand member of parliament , was a humanitarian that tried to save the lives of thousands of New Zealanders from systematic impoverishment. Fitzgerald of Irish descent was born in Bath, England and emigrated to New Zealand in hope that more opportunities might exist for prosperity. In 1863 the New Zealand premier Sir George Grey and Sir William Fox were making an argument for the largest gravy train in New Zealand history – the New Zealand Settlements Act. James Fitzgerald put up resistance against the Act because it was designed to confiscate two million acres of private real estate. Both Grey and Fox knew fully well they caused the rebellion by encroaching on private land, but used the rebellion to push their land acquisition agenda and confiscate 95% of Maori real estate.

Sir William Fox who was intolerant of Maori once described the Natives of New Zealand as “Haory cannibals living in beastly communism”. Fox would often taunt Fitzgerald by calling him a “Maoriphile”. Fox and Grey did not tolerate Maori and were comfortable with exterminating the indigenous population to which they had some success.  During the land wars  James Fitzgerald attempted to resist their greed of land and argued in Parliament that they were not honoring the Treaty of Waitangi, condemning land confiscation as an “enormous crime”. Fitzgeralds description of the NZ Settlements Act 1863 was contrary to the Treaty of Waitangi, in his own words –  “which distinctly guaranteed and pledged the faith of the Crown that the lands of the natives shall not be taken from them except by the ordinary process of law-that is, taken within the meaning of the Treaty.”

If the New Zealand parliament had listened to Fitzgerald and adhered to the Constitutions Act, New Zealand Aotearoa would be a more tolerant society today. Here are hypothetical effects of James Fitzgeralds recommendations;

* Reserve 33% of parliament for Maori  -Today 40 out of 120 members of parliament would be Maori.

* Prevent the New Zealand Settlements Act -Today the lucrative dairy farms of the Waikato would belong to its rightful owners.

* The Constitutions Act –  The State may not confiscate private real estate for personal gain.

* Te Reo Maori -With strong parliamentary representation the Maori Language could have been preserved.

* Over 1 million Maori today– 47,000 Maori died within 50 years of signing the treaty without land to grow crops and with diseases that decimated the population.

* No War -With equal representation in Parliament  and a power sharing agreement the land wars could have been averted.

* Poverty -The majority of Maori would not live in State housing today having retained their real estate.

* Health care -The health Minister Sir Maui Pomare extended healthcare to include Maori in the 1930’s – this could have happened 70 years earlier.

* Civil rights – Maori were treated as second class citizens well into the 1980’s.

* Education -New Zealanders would have been taught New Zealand history and not a sanitised British history.

Sir George Grey and Sir William Fox are commemorated today with street names and townships that have been named in their honour, when in reality they did the nation a great dis service. Their fundamental beliefs in eugenics are that the British race were superior and the natives should yield to their authority. James Fitzgerald being of Irish descent saw through British racial superiority and was the voice of reason that advocated for compromise and power sharing.

Fast forward 152 years to  today’s treaty debate, we have entrepreneur Gareth Morgan asking for an upper house with 50% Maori representation. James Fitzgerald would expect an upper house to be nothing less than 100% Maori representation.