The Maori Affairs Select Committee today approved a request from Maori Party MP Hone Harawira to hold an inquiry into “the impact of tobacco use on Maori”.
“Tobacco kills 5,000 Kiwis every single year, more than 100,000 New Zealanders in the last 25 years alone. It’s time we held those people responsible for these tobacco deaths, accountable for their actions.
How can we if they are dead?
“This inquiry is New Zealand’s opportunity to have Tobacco companies explain their actions of promoting and maintaining tobacco addictions which lead to these painful deaths.
Oh, I see.
“We will also be taking this inquiry on the road to make it easier for whänau to attend, and I have no doubt that by the time we finally get the tobacco company execs in front of the committee, we will have gathered enough testimony to really take them to task.
Because it wouldn't be peer pressure that created a pressure to smoke? It wouldn't be the strong role modelling from their own whanau that could be considered part of the reason Maori choose to smoke?
“To be brutally frank I’d like to lynch these bastards,” said Harawira. “I’ve watched too many people die horrible deaths because of their addiction to tobacco, and I’ve seen too much pain and heartache in those left behind to want to be objective about this.
So, not an enquiry looking at all the reasons, just part of the blame game approach to curing "Maori problems".
And next, sue the beer companies because some kids father was a drunk? How about the Ministers of Parliament for not banning this drug 50 years ago? Where does it really end?
Role models, Harawira. Role models.
Update: Lindsay Mitchell has more of this
Harawira definitely thinks making the production and sale of alcohol and tobacco illegal is going to solve this problem once and for all. I'm a bit worried that he's forgotten gambling. Surely, banning pokies and horse racing would make it the winning trifecta?
Maybe he could just ban the sale of tobacco to Maori, and see how it goes?