Key strategy out of step

Boot Camp is not what it used to be.

That's the view of Malaya veteran Jim Perry, who still has whanau serving in the army.

National leader John Key has proposed young offender get up to three months residential training with the army as part of a year long Fresh Start Programme.

Mr Perry says the modern army has to take account of the soldiers' human rights and other employment legislation, so the old style toughening up most people consider to be boot camp no longer exists.

“John Key will pick up support for his get tough army boot camp idea as part of the fresh start programmes, but, boot camps are no longer the epitome of disciple they once were. The leniency exercised today is the equivalent of being hit over the hand with a wet bus ticket,” Mr Perry says.

GREENS TARGET PARTY VOTE FROM MAORI

The Greens will be making a play for the Maori vote this election.

Metiria Turei, its Maori spokesperson, says as a Pakeha organisation the Green Party has been doing its best to understand treaty issues and better meet Maori needs.

She says it has developed a good relationship with the Maori Party, but it has more to offer Maori in exchange for their party votes.

“The demographics of the Maori population is changing. It’s younger, it’s better educated, regardless of the issues around student loans. People are really questioning and analysing what politics and politicians are really saying, whether it really does affect them or not. And so there’s a shift away from our traditional support for Labour and more a questioning of other political parties and what they offer,” Ms Turei says.

She says Maori are looking for policies which are socially fair and environmentally sound.

TUHOE REMEMBERS GREAT SONGWRITER

One of Tuhoe's top composers is being honoured almost 20 years after her death.

The whanau of Kohine Ponika is preparing a docudrama about her life and a CD of some of her most famous songs.

Producer Ngahuia Wade says her grandmother started composing songs as a teenager in the 1930s, writing Maori words to popular tunes of the day, but quickly developed her own voice and sound.

She says many of the songs were picked up outside Ruatoki, as Maori of the day recognised their quality.

“Their hit parade, they didn’t just turn on the radio. Their hit parade was a at big Maori events all over the country that they traveled to. I find that people who attended those remember her songs quite distinctly,” Ms Wade says.

Filming for the Maori Television docudrama starts in Ruatoki next week.

MANUREWA TO HUI ON YOUTH CRIME

Maori in Manurewa will meet later this week to discuss ways to heal their community.

The South Auckland suburb has been rocked by a series of violent crimes over the past month.

Tu McLean, a local community worker, says there's a desperate need more for resources from central government.

Apart from a small boost for Maori wardens, there's been little support for the sprawling suburb, which has one of the largest concentrations of Maori in the country.

He says Friday's hui will be chance for residents to come together.

“We've had a bit of korero amongst ourselves and we want to look for a way of bringing some wairua back to the community of Manurewa and look at ways of how we can heal our community and our whanau that live in Manurewa,” Mr McLean says.

The hui at Manurewa Marae will be hosted by the Manurewa Maori Wardens and the Maori Women's Welfare League.

FIREWORKS EXPECTED AT WAITANGI

Expect some fireworks at Waitangi this year.

That's the warning from Pita Paraone, who chairs of the Waitangi Day organising comittee.

He says Waitangi is traditionally a place for Maori to air their grievances with the Crown, so he says it's unrealistic to expect calm given October's police raid on Ruatoki.

“We would certainly be pushing the imagination to see a so called trouble free commemoration at Waitangi, and that’s usually determined by the political events during the year and I suspect that the terrorist raids on Ruatoki may have some impact as to how the day goes,” Mr Paraone says.

The formal programme includes a church service, sports tournament, a concert, 14 waka and contributions from the Navy frigate Canterbury.

MAORI STYLE MOKO MORE POPULAR

If your moko comes home with a moko after the holiday break, be comforted that they're not alone.

Christchurch tatooist Riki Manuel says there's growing acceptance of traditional moko, even in mainstream society.

He's been working in ta moko for the past decade, as well as carving in wood.

He says more New Zealanders, Maori and Pakeha, are getting a Maori-flavoured tattoo.

“Sometimes it's just a matter of national pride for them, especially a lot of people who move overseas or traveling. They want to be recognised as kiwis and I think the moko art represents that better than any other,” Mr Manuel says.

If customers don't want to know about the meanings of the ta moko designs, he won't tattoo them.