Maori flag bid does not fly with council

NO GO: Te tino rangatiratanga flag.

The Maori flag won't be hoisted officially during Manukau's Waitangi Day celebration tomorrow.

Manukau City Council's policy and activities committee rejected a proposal to fly the tino rangatiratanga flag at council buildings to mark the day.

Committee chairwoman Colleen Brown says the proposal aligned with the government's December decision to recognise the tino rangatiratanga flag as the preferred national Maori flag and to allow it to fly on the Auckland Harbour Bridge and other government buildings and installations.

Tuesday's flag debate was the council's third in two years. In June 2008 it adopted a flag policy that allows only the flags of New Zealand, Manukau City Council and its sister cities or visiting overseas delegations to fly on council flagpoles.

But on Tuesday councillor Arthur Anae recommended that policy be changed to allow for the Maori flag to be flown alongside the New Zealand flag on Waitangi Day.

Some councillors led by Howick councillor Jami-Lee Ross say the flag is a symbol of division, racism and separatism.

"The tino rangatiratanga flag is not a symbol that represents Manukau city or New Zealand. It has no place flying on council flagpoles," Mr Ross says.

Manurewa councillor Daniel Newman says the flag is a Maori Party flag that represents the aspirations of Hone Harawira.

Treaty of Waitangi chairman Alf Filipaina says that while the tino rangatira-
tanga flag might have evolved in a radical manner, the government's acceptance of it as the preferred Maori flag lends it credence. "I don't think it was a weak decision on the part of the government to fly the flag.

"Flying the Maori flag is a recognition of the status of Maori as tangata whenua and their contribution to New Zealand," he says.

Mayor Len Brown asked the council to respond to the change initiated by the government.

"What is being proposed is the development of aspirations of Maori. It is a potential to develop national pride.

"It is not threatening going forward."

The committee voted the 9-7 not to fly the tino ranga-tiratanga flag.

- © Fairfax NZ News