1997: The Death of Mat Rata

July 17, 2021

By AHNZ

Today in history, 18 July, 1997,….

Matiu Rata was a Labour 3.0 Minister and one of the many men who helped launder millions of dollars of taxpayer money using the cover story that it was owed to Maori plaintiffs. He wasn’t as good as Doug Graham (National 4.0) or Chris Finlayson (National 5.0) but was better at the guy who does it now, Andrew Little (Labour 6.0.)

Eg. Rata’s Labour Government awarded $20,000/year in perpetuity to Ngai Tahu and started paying it out as full compensation to make everything right between Crown and Tribe. State History wont tell you about that but I will.

It would have been difficult for National 4.0 to re-litigate that Ngai Tahu claim in 1998 if Rata were still around. His knowledge and grip on the political strings could have been a real obstacle to a gigantic State scam that is still paying out today.

“Eventually, in the Maori Affairs Amendment Act 1974, a Maori was defined as “a person of the Maori race of New Zealand; and includes any descendant of such a person”. This was such a broad definition that one MP asserted amidst some hilarity in Parliament that anyone who rode past a marae on a pushbike could claim to be a Maori!” – Bassett (2021)

Mat Rata, First ethnic Maori Affairs Minister since Apirana Ngata “a wily, voluble and silver-tonged opportunist” – Persuaded this inexperienced administration to go for his United Nations indigenous agenda; Ref. Scott (1995)

“Mr. Rata died of injuries from a crash on July 18, when a car driven by a young Singapore couple on their honeymoon veered in front of Mr. Rata’s vehicle. The newlyweds died instantly”- New York Times (1997)

Tragic accident.

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Image ref. Rata showing the size of the Treaty claim that got away; Evening Post; nzhistory.govt.nz

Ref. The Travesty of Waitangi: Towards Anarchy, Scott (1995)

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