1908: The Prime Minister and the Prophet

March 22, 2022

By AHNZ

Today in history, 23 March, 1908, Prime Minister Joseph Ward met with the prophet and leader Rua Kenana. Rua’s followers nearly at point of warfare with Tuhoe chief Kereru.

Ward and Rua retired in private to the Commercial Hotel for a drink some face time. Rua emerges apparently enlightened and everyone better off thanks for Ward’s ‘sweet reason’. The Liberal’s PR machine even brands this the ‘Ceremony of Union.’

I’m highly dubious this event was anything more than a PR move for Ward in this, the year of election. Getting loveydovy with the Maoris makes the Lefties who voted for Ward feel happy. His administration also passed the Native Rights Act to make it clear that Maoris were part of this nation too. This was largely symbolic electioneering since the same thing had been done by an act of the same name over 40 years previously. After the election, in the following year, having won, Ward passed another act to undo some of it!

During this election year Ward traveled all over the country like royalty making sure everyone could see him and how important he was. This was similar to the same election campaigns run by Seddon and Grey before. Part of the vote grab at Wanganui (and what the Liberals had determined would play well) was showing that Joe Ward had the touch when it came to the local Rua Kenana ‘problem’. The crowing bit of theater for Ward’s re-election was, of course, the ecstatic reception of Roosevelt’s Great White Fleet.

Ward needed such tricks, including an electoral one (The Second Ballot Act of 1908,) to hold on to power. William Massey was the rising man and the Fourth Turning Boogaloo could only be held back so long. What’s that? That’s the great switching away from the Old Liberal Lefty Wokesters to the New Conservative Right Practical New Zealanders. Ward was so desperate, he even held back from announcing the election day until 4 weeks before. Ward’s political tricks worked this time in a similar way that Labour 6.0 would exploit the COVID Crisis to hold power in the 2020s.

“Ward traveled from Bluff to Wellington, back to Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill, from there back to Ashburton, Wellington, Westport and Auckland…He would drive like royalty down main streets, talk with schoolchildren, and bestow holidays upon them like some visiting potentiate.” – Bassett (1993)

“A spectacular election year diversion for PM Ward who, none the less, spurned US military support for Britain’s.” – 1908: The Great White Fleet, AHNZ

Rua Kenana and his people would eventually be stomped out by The State but here, in 1908, he enjoyed the status of a Victimhood Culture celebrity darling. At times like these women, in particular, fawn over an exotic dark-skinned man with a mysterious and sketchy past who is romantically available. Te Kooti was this man, 20 years before then. Ahmed Zaoui was this man 20 years before now and the 2020s one is certainly Behrouz Boochani. The potential Tuhoe Civil War and potential rebellion against The State was a problem solved on 2 April, 1916, when Rua and his people were invaded and charged with sedition by the William Massey Ministry.

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Image ref. Rua Kenana Hepetipa meeting with Joseph George Ward on the beach at Whakatane, Alexander Turnbull Library

Ref. Sir Joseph Ward, Michael Bassett (1993)

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