2008: The New Zealand Pacific Party

August 4, 2022

By AHNZ

Today in history, 4 August, 2009, Philip Field was found guilty of corruption and bribery for which he ended up in prison. Field was New Zealand’s first Pacific Islander to be elected to Parliament. The Samoan had risen to become a MHR in the seat of Otara, the government-made immigrant slumlands, then moved down the street to succeed David Lange in the seat of Mangare when that MP retired.

Field went on to become a Minister in Labour 5.0.

“The most notable thing about the Pacific Islander population is their love of the Labour Party….For the most part, this simply reflects the degree to which Pacific Islanders in New Zealand tend to be working class.” – Understanding New Zealand: Voting Patterns of Pacific Islanders, VJM (2017)

Evidently Field had become a too powerful force in his own right and threatened the establishment, especially within Labour. His ‘crimes’ in my opinion were benign and benevolent community behavior of a sort that has always gone on and which society depends upon. We need social proof and evidence of commitment to run the social system that formal government labour laws can never capture. Field was using informal arrangements to connect with and help people which the law must usually turn a blind eye to or else our country would fly apart. When it suits though, when someone becomes inconvenient, these latent laws can be activated. Field was expelled from the Labour Party in early 2007.

It’s worth noting that another MP, Metiria Turei, was also sent hurtling on her way out of the establishment in similar circumstances. This Green Party Co-Leader had also been involved in informal economic transactions common to very many New Zealanders many years before the 2017 election campaign. She had faked her address to vote for a friend and she had taken income by renting rooms in her flat without telling her local commissar (Work and Income New Zealand.) Possibly someone, possibly again in the Labour Party, intended to disclose this information but Turei broke the news in public and tried to own it. Tried to seem relatable to everyday New Zealanders who do things like she did but which were, technically illegal.

“Metiria Turei’s spectacular own goal in admitting to benefit and electoral fraud not only effectively ended her career but also took down two of her colleagues, savaged a healthy poll rating and led to Labour’s changing of the guard and reversal of fortunes.” New Zealand Listener, Wiki

“Taito represented as an MP for Ōtara and then for Māngere in 1996.  He left the Labour Party in 2007 amidst inter party conflict and returned to Parliament as an independent. Taito’s long political career was marred by controversy, following charges of bribery and perverting the course of justice over the infamous ‘Thai Tiler’ affair. In August 2009 he was found guilty on some of the charges and was sentenced to six years jail in October 2009 – a sentencing that many in the Pacific community criticised as being unneccesarily harsh.” – The Connect (2021)

“This Friendship helped the over-populated and under-developed nation and it helped a New Zealand that had plenty of well-paid low-skilled work to offer. The State planted the seeds of future slums like Otara (Auckland) and gave them to the welcome visitors. Then, when the Golden Weather turned to recession the work-visa Samoans were viciously turned on by Labour 3.0 and National 3.0 in the 1970s with cruel Dawn Raids to enforce the law.” – 1962: The Treaty of Friendship, AHNZ

An old State trick for getting rid of Samoans who have become inconvenient was employed to rid Labour 5.0 of this turbulent Taito. Pacific Islanders were welcomed and encouraged by our State while their effort and sweat was required. Over-staying, though illegal, could be tolerated during a boom time. So could Philip Field’s technical illegalities. When the status quo becomes the status post-quo the transgressions are reappraised by the elites and they send their favorite policemen to enforce the otherwise latent laws. Thus, the cruel Dawn Raids on over-stayer Pacific Islanders in  the 1970s. Thus, the expulsion and conviction and imprisonment of Philip Field, thus the expulsion and early retirement of Metiria Turei. In each case, it was beneficial to the Labour Party. Field would otherwise have continued to be a Minister and perhaps even Prime Minister but space was made for others. Turei’s fall hurt her party greatly but this was to the benefit of Jacinda Ardern’s Labour 6.0 Ministry which was made possible thanks to Turei’s ‘crimes’ coming to light at this right moment.

Philip Field died in late 2021. Prison healthcare isn’t compatible with reaching old age. He was a fighter, and between being expelled from Labour 5.0 and judged guilty in court he created his own political party while still a sitting MHR. The New Zealand Pacific Party was launched on 16 August 2008 on a Christian-Pacifica platform but was not enough to save Field from jail. He was replaced in his Labour Safe Seat by another Samona-born New Zealander, William Sio, who acts as a a safe electoral power conduit from Pacific voters to the Labour Party without drawing much of that power for himself as Field did.

Demographics is destiny, therefore New Zealand’s destiny is to be increasingly dominated by Pacific Islanders. This already causes friction between the Islander factions and in turn with Maoris who rightly recognise that their territory is being threatened. For the most part the ethnic tension is ignored by the public which allows it to grow weirder and stronger unchecked. Instead of solving our race relations problem by thinking about it we’ll likely end up doing something drastic and last-minute and violent unless someone gets the conversation going.

The New Zealand Pacific Party was an early and abortive attempt to join the existing race-based political arena. It will certainly go down in history as the precursor to a powerful Pacifica political force which will eventually break down the stable door of the Labour Party vote plantations and demand power in its own right.

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Image ref. NZPP cap, Museum of New Zealand

Note: Philip Field has the title ‘Taito’; Taito Philip Field. AHNZ doesn’t use Statist titles.

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