Louis Crimp was a delusional old fart, basically (but RIP sorry)

Right on cue with our lectures on the challenges of indigeneity and 'Pakeha-ness' in New Zealand, I found the following 2012 interview the New Zealand Herald published with Act Party's largest financial backer Louis Crimp.

Act backer: We all dislike Maori

Crimp, the article reports, doesn't like Maori. He gave his grand donation of $125,250 to the Act Party during the 2011 elections in the hopes that "they could stop the special treatment for Maori who were either 'in jail or on welfare'". Demonstrating what can only be called delusion, Crimp believes that he has the support of "other 'white New Zealanders'". His inspiration? The 2004 Orewa speech from then-National Party leader Don Brash. This speech broached the subject of the "special status of Maori people" (as if they are lucky that their ancestors were robbed of their land and culture and rights for over a hundred years?), suggesting that a "one rule for all" approach was needed in New Zealand and called for an end to "the Maori's special privileges". Criticisms of this speech included Brash "playing the race card" - a term usually used by generally racist individuals against people of colour for bringing up their tribulations, but in this case opposing one of the racists. It seems that no one is allowed to bring up race.

Back to the article on Crimp: rather than denounce his intensely racist claims against Maori, the article reports that the Act Party "affirmed Mr Crimp's right to have his say - and welcome future donations if he was inclined to make them." Not that I expected any less from the right-wing party, and it's not as though I'm not aware that Maori continually experience racism even in 2016, but it is disturbing to really see such bigotry in political action.

Crimp says about Maori, "[they should] be treated like equal New Zealanders... they don't get any more than a normal New Zealander and we're all the same." 'We're all the same'; like, Maori also turned up on boats and colonised an entire ethnic group and stole their homes and attempted to assimilate them, and a century or so later promptly forgot all the horrors they had committed? That is historical amnesia right there.

"I know white New Zealanders want the Maoris to be treated like ordinary New Zealanders." - wait, what? First of all, if you want the Maori to be treated the same and act the same as you, don't differentiate them from the 'ordinary' people. And secondly, Crimp is displaying the kind of aversion to Pakeha-ness that we talked about in week 7; a refusal to use the term 'Pakeha', calling them 'white New Zealanders' to distance them as much as he could from Maori. He is clearly at odds with his Pakeha identity. What's more, it is immensely obvious that he cannot accept his Pakeha privilege, the same privilege that no doubt allowed him to become a multimillionaire and donate his money somewhat frivolously to a party that has not been incredibly successful.

"All the white New Zealanders I've spoken to don't like the Maoris, the way they are full of crime and welfare." And: "This is the problem with New Zealanders... most of them dislike the Maoris intensely, but they don't like to say so." Crimp is displaying a monocultural view of what NZ society should be like and ignoring the challenges of indigeneity forced upon indigenous people by white colonisation. He is acting exactly as a rich, white, presumably heterosexual male old fart comfortable with his privilege but uncomfortable with acknowledging it would; not that this conviction makes me feel any better. The fact that Crimp has the money and time to advocate for the end of Maori rights, awarded to them precisely because they are underprivileged, institutionally beat down by systems that favour Pakeha-ness, some (but certainly not all, Mr Crimp) driven to crime because of their low socio-economic positions, concerns me greatly. And while I don't believe that Crimp is backed by all those he believes, I'm aware that he is not alone in his beliefs, and these people (mostly rich men I'd wager) aren't going to be swayed so easily. All I can do is hope that they are unsuccessful in teaching this hatred to their children, and it will end with them, the old twits.