1 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:08,400 Speaker 1: Kyoda. I'm Georgina Campbell in for Chelsea Daniels and this 2 00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: is the Front Page, a daily podcast presented by The 3 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:20,720 Speaker 1: New Zealand Herald. Last week, kingny to Haitia, the seventh 4 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:25,239 Speaker 1: Maldi Monarch, passed away aged sixty nine, a little over 5 00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:33,159 Speaker 1: a week after marking eighteen years of his reign. By 6 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:38,680 Speaker 1: his shock death has seen a week of morning at 7 00:00:38,800 --> 00:00:43,160 Speaker 1: Turanga yy Madi, the official residence for the head of 8 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:47,920 Speaker 1: the kingy Tongua Movement, political leaders have paid their respects. 9 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:52,239 Speaker 1: Prime Minister Christopher Luxen's voice broke with emotion when he 10 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 1: spoke last week. He later explained to journalists. 11 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 2: I was just remembering some times that I had actually 12 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 2: in the photo with him, and whenever I came, we always, 13 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:07,000 Speaker 2: you know, his wonderful wife arranged white bait fritters for 14 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 2: me and it was lovely and so so I was 15 00:01:09,760 --> 00:01:11,480 Speaker 2: just remembering that, and I was also thinking of the family. 16 00:01:11,520 --> 00:01:13,960 Speaker 2: You know, you know, I've lost a husband, I've lost 17 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 2: a dad, not just the king, but you know they've 18 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:18,319 Speaker 2: lost a family member as well. So for me, yeah, 19 00:01:18,319 --> 00:01:21,119 Speaker 2: it was emotional as I was getting through my remarks. 20 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:25,639 Speaker 1: Labor Party leader Chris Hipkins recalled a conversation with kingy 21 00:01:25,680 --> 00:01:29,600 Speaker 1: to Hatia when he admitted being nervous about his too 22 00:01:29,640 --> 00:01:33,080 Speaker 1: Dow Maldi and co Papa Maldi needing some work. 23 00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:35,120 Speaker 3: And I recall the advice that he gave to me 24 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 3: at the time, and I've carried it with me ever since. 25 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:41,120 Speaker 3: He said, the important thing is that you try, and 26 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 3: you'll get more respect from trying than from getting it perfect. 27 00:01:44,560 --> 00:01:46,320 Speaker 3: And so I've remembered that. 28 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 1: Green Party co leader Chloe Smallbrick said he saw the 29 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:53,400 Speaker 1: nation we could be and invited us all to live 30 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: up to it. 31 00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 4: Can Ktahitanga on the national agenda as our guiding star 32 00:01:59,280 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 4: to build thee that all of us deserve. His legacy 33 00:02:03,040 --> 00:02:07,640 Speaker 4: is one of unity, kindness and truly listening to understand. 34 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:11,640 Speaker 1: Tens of thousands of mourners from throughout the country have 35 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 1: been at tudangaway Wi for the tongue hunger of the 36 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: Maldi king and the Defense Force has been called in 37 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:19,880 Speaker 1: to feed them. 38 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 5: New Zealand Defense Force was requested through Tipunikooki by tung 39 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:29,360 Speaker 5: Awaiwimi to provide catering support and so we have behind 40 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:33,920 Speaker 5: me now a catering detachment of twenty eight personnel, nine 41 00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:37,960 Speaker 5: vehicles and various pieces of equipment. Essentially, we have three 42 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 5: field kitchens behind me and they have been providing support 43 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 5: to the fighter Coo and wed A Hair for the 44 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:48,880 Speaker 5: multitudes that have arrived for King you Do Haitia's tongue Hunger. 45 00:02:49,240 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 1: The next Maldi monarch will officially be revealed this morning, 46 00:02:54,120 --> 00:02:57,880 Speaker 1: just hours before King to Haitia is laid to rest. 47 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:02,560 Speaker 1: Proceedings will begin at Tu Dunga yy Madi at ten am. 48 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 1: Kingy Too Haitia's funeral will then take place before his 49 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 1: casket is taken to the banks of the Wykuttle River. 50 00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:12,880 Speaker 1: A guard of honour will be there from members of 51 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:17,680 Speaker 1: Nati Mahanger and the New Zealand Defense Force for Waka 52 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:21,840 Speaker 1: will take the late King's casket along the river towards 53 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 1: his final resting place on Topity Mountain. The late King's 54 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:30,360 Speaker 1: casket will then be carried to the summit. Today on 55 00:03:30,520 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 1: the front page to discuss the legacy of kingy To Haitia, 56 00:03:34,600 --> 00:03:39,440 Speaker 1: we're joined by professor of Political science at Charles Sturt University, 57 00:03:39,920 --> 00:03:51,120 Speaker 1: Dominic O'Sullivan. Dominic, can you start by explaining the background 58 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: of the King Tunga movement For those who aren't familiar. 59 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 6: Well, it was established in the eighteen fifties in response 60 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 6: to increase in colonization and in response to fears that 61 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 6: perhaps from the government's perspective, to tidity your waiting, he 62 00:04:10,080 --> 00:04:15,120 Speaker 6: wasn't going to be upheld, and promises contained in the 63 00:04:15,160 --> 00:04:20,160 Speaker 6: agreement were promises that the government didn't see his binding. 64 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:26,799 Speaker 6: And it was thought that political unity among the different 65 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:30,599 Speaker 6: Dewy of New Zealand would be a good thing. It 66 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 6: would be a way of being able to achieve more 67 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:40,320 Speaker 6: coordinated and cohesive resistance to colonial expansion. And not all 68 00:04:40,360 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 6: the we had agreed with this, but many did, and 69 00:04:45,360 --> 00:04:50,640 Speaker 6: King to Hatia's ancestor port Tototo Federal Federal was chosen 70 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:51,640 Speaker 6: as the first king. 71 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:55,920 Speaker 1: And how has the movement grown since then? 72 00:04:56,320 --> 00:05:00,799 Speaker 6: Well, it's always been very important to the world Tony 73 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 6: people and other Ewi, but it does at different times 74 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:11,520 Speaker 6: take on great national significance. It is the longest continuing 75 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:17,320 Speaker 6: political institution in New Zealand outside Parliament. Parliament's only a 76 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:20,320 Speaker 6: few years older than kingy Tonga and King e tong 77 00:05:20,400 --> 00:05:22,800 Speaker 6: Ha set me older than any of the political parties 78 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 6: that we have in Parliament at the moment. I think 79 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 6: we saw in January when King two Ata called a 80 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:38,440 Speaker 6: meeting hue a Ewe to discuss how people might respond 81 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:46,400 Speaker 6: to the new government's treaty policies and genuine undermining of 82 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:51,360 Speaker 6: in general undermining of Maori culture and that who he 83 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:55,160 Speaker 6: attracted ten thousand people from all over the country. So 84 00:05:55,440 --> 00:05:59,600 Speaker 6: it's a much bigger movement than just wyatt or tiny. 85 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:03,200 Speaker 6: It has that that broader significance, and I think that 86 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:10,839 Speaker 6: simplicity of two Ata's messages is really important. At the 87 00:06:10,880 --> 00:06:15,599 Speaker 6: coronation celebrations in August, for example, he made the really 88 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:21,800 Speaker 6: simple but far reaching observation that manamute haak needs that 89 00:06:21,880 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 6: there's room for everybody. And you know that is a 90 00:06:26,480 --> 00:06:29,680 Speaker 6: very powerful political statement. I think there's room for everybody, 91 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:34,080 Speaker 6: and that has far reaching policy implications that can test 92 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:39,920 Speaker 6: the direction that the present government is taking. But also 93 00:06:40,480 --> 00:06:46,279 Speaker 6: really I think creates a juxtaposition with the government's preference 94 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:55,320 Speaker 6: for a less cohesive, less united community and Quotahitanga unity 95 00:06:56,000 --> 00:07:02,039 Speaker 6: is an enduring theme that the King Tunga brings into politics, 96 00:07:02,560 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 6: and it does stand in quite significant contrast I think 97 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 6: with the policy directions that the government is wanting to 98 00:07:09,400 --> 00:07:10,120 Speaker 6: take at present. 99 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:13,880 Speaker 1: Yes, and as you say, his death comes at a 100 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:19,000 Speaker 1: really difficult time for relationships between martyrdom and the Crown, 101 00:07:19,760 --> 00:07:24,560 Speaker 1: largely driven by the Coalition government's policies. Are you able 102 00:07:24,640 --> 00:07:31,239 Speaker 1: to expand on the policies that are challenging and what 103 00:07:31,320 --> 00:07:33,720 Speaker 1: impact do you think, you know, the loss of his 104 00:07:33,840 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 1: leadership could have in regards to those policies. 105 00:07:37,960 --> 00:07:44,640 Speaker 6: Well, I think the policies range from the petty to 106 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:52,320 Speaker 6: the potentially transformative. For example, one of the first policy 107 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:56,000 Speaker 6: priorities of the government was to diminish the use of 108 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:58,920 Speaker 6: the Maori language and the public service. We weren't allowed 109 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:00,840 Speaker 6: to say what a quarte we had to say the 110 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 6: New Zealand Transport Agency because that was too much of 111 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 6: a concession from the government's point of view, to a 112 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 6: Maori presence in the broader New Zealand culture. And at 113 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:19,640 Speaker 6: a more substantive level, we have the Treaty Principles Bill 114 00:08:19,680 --> 00:08:24,520 Speaker 6: which the act Party is preparing to introduce, and that 115 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 6: really rewrites the Treaty of White Honey. The proposed principles 116 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:32,960 Speaker 6: bear no relation at all to the original agreement and 117 00:08:33,600 --> 00:08:39,840 Speaker 6: the intention is to diminish the Marii capacity and authority 118 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 6: basically to be themselves to diminish Runga Teatunga, as one 119 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:50,840 Speaker 6: of the original treaty promises that Mary would retain authority 120 00:08:50,880 --> 00:08:54,360 Speaker 6: over their own affairs. So what the Treaty Principles Bill 121 00:08:54,440 --> 00:09:00,320 Speaker 6: is intended to do is really create an assimilationist kind 122 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:06,200 Speaker 6: of policy regime where Mary participation in public life is 123 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 6: conditional on not expressing themselves in a distinctively Mary way, 124 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:17,920 Speaker 6: not wanting to protect traditional environments and traditional authority, like 125 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:21,560 Speaker 6: I said, not really being allowed to protect the right 126 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:27,040 Speaker 6: to be marty. So it creates, I think a class 127 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:31,800 Speaker 6: of citizenship for Mary people that doesn't reflect the promises 128 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 6: of equality that tutility made, and that's why people are 129 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:40,080 Speaker 6: so worried about it. There are other measures like the 130 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:44,120 Speaker 6: repeal of section seven AA of the orung Atomiki Act 131 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:49,480 Speaker 6: that's the act that establishes ortung Atomariki as the government's 132 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:54,439 Speaker 6: childcare and protection agency. And a succession of reports show 133 00:09:54,640 --> 00:09:59,200 Speaker 6: that the state does a very very poor job looking 134 00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:03,839 Speaker 6: after Mardi kids at risk, and this particular section of 135 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:09,120 Speaker 6: the legislation that the government has taken exception to is 136 00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:14,640 Speaker 6: one that made sure that Maori people and Mary communities 137 00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:18,719 Speaker 6: could take a leadership role in making decisions about how 138 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:22,600 Speaker 6: to look after kids who couldn't be looked after well 139 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:27,040 Speaker 6: by their their their parents, by involving grandparents and aunties 140 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:32,400 Speaker 6: and uncles and other members of a child's world in 141 00:10:32,440 --> 00:10:35,480 Speaker 6: their in their care and protection, instead of taking them 142 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 6: off to strangers to be looked after or not looked after, 143 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:44,480 Speaker 6: as is often the case by by the state. It's 144 00:10:44,559 --> 00:10:47,680 Speaker 6: quite interesting that you know that the act Party, for example, 145 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:52,680 Speaker 6: comes to politics with a general philosophy of small government. 146 00:10:52,880 --> 00:10:57,040 Speaker 6: It seems to set that philosophy aside and want big 147 00:10:57,080 --> 00:11:02,640 Speaker 6: government over mary lives and Mahi resources and so on, 148 00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:07,800 Speaker 6: big government in terms of diminishing the Mahdi language. And 149 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:11,080 Speaker 6: those are the sorts of things that people went to 150 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 6: Tudanngawaiwei to air their concerns about back in January. As 151 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 6: I said, ten thousand people attended. They're also the concerns 152 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:24,240 Speaker 6: that Tukta raised just as recently as last month that 153 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:28,520 Speaker 6: the annual celebrations to mark the anniversary for coronation. When 154 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:32,120 Speaker 6: he made that comment, there's room for everybody in that message. 155 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:33,800 Speaker 6: I think what he was trying to say is that 156 00:11:34,800 --> 00:11:37,320 Speaker 6: Madi people looking after their own kids when they're in 157 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:40,440 Speaker 6: trouble doesn't diminish the space that there is for other 158 00:11:40,480 --> 00:11:45,760 Speaker 6: people to do their thing and to exercise their rights 159 00:11:45,559 --> 00:11:50,400 Speaker 6: of citizenship and so on. His message really is that 160 00:11:50,960 --> 00:11:55,120 Speaker 6: Marti people wanting to be Mary is not a threat 161 00:11:55,160 --> 00:11:59,600 Speaker 6: to anybody. There's room for that, just as there's room 162 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:00,520 Speaker 6: for everyone body else. 163 00:12:13,559 --> 00:12:17,760 Speaker 1: Do you think that the government heard to Hata's message 164 00:12:17,960 --> 00:12:21,080 Speaker 1: or that his passing might have any spay on the 165 00:12:21,120 --> 00:12:24,040 Speaker 1: government's response in terms of its policies. 166 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:31,520 Speaker 6: Well before the big Quebec in January, the National Party 167 00:12:31,559 --> 00:12:35,040 Speaker 6: had indicated it wasn't too keen on the act Party's 168 00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:40,720 Speaker 6: Treaty Principles Bill and would support it to a first 169 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:43,280 Speaker 6: reading in Parliament because that's what it had agreed to 170 00:12:43,320 --> 00:12:47,160 Speaker 6: in the coalition agreement, but it wasn't too keen on 171 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:52,800 Speaker 6: going any further. But after that, Christopher Luxon came out 172 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:57,440 Speaker 6: and said quite categorically that the National Party wouldn't support 173 00:12:57,800 --> 00:13:01,920 Speaker 6: this legislation beyond a second reading. So that means although 174 00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:05,320 Speaker 6: the bill will go to a select committee and people 175 00:13:05,360 --> 00:13:08,960 Speaker 6: will be able to make their submissions, it won't be 176 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:13,400 Speaker 6: passed into law. And I think the size of the 177 00:13:14,280 --> 00:13:17,240 Speaker 6: whoy that to Ato was able to convene was a 178 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:22,200 Speaker 6: significant influence on that decision, and I think the numbers 179 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:25,480 Speaker 6: of people that we're seeing in aadawaha this week is 180 00:13:25,559 --> 00:13:30,880 Speaker 6: again that's a measure of people's support for the idea 181 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:35,920 Speaker 6: of for Tahitanga that Kingtunga has represented since its inception 182 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:38,720 Speaker 6: back in eighteen fifty eight. You know, that might have 183 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:41,280 Speaker 6: some influence on the National Party. I don't think it'll 184 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:45,880 Speaker 6: have any influence on ACT or New Zealand. First, they 185 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:50,400 Speaker 6: represent a sector of the population that is probably not 186 00:13:50,600 --> 00:13:54,679 Speaker 6: widely represented at Notawaha this week, you know, appealing to 187 00:13:54,720 --> 00:13:58,240 Speaker 6: that that base remains important to those parties. But the 188 00:13:58,320 --> 00:14:03,440 Speaker 6: National Party needs to attract support beyond its base, and 189 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:08,720 Speaker 6: it needs to attract the support of people who agree 190 00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:12,480 Speaker 6: with that statement. Is room for everybody, and the National Party, 191 00:14:12,520 --> 00:14:16,400 Speaker 6: I think, to attract support beyond its space, and it 192 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:19,520 Speaker 6: needs to be mindful of those kinds of things and 193 00:14:20,160 --> 00:14:24,880 Speaker 6: mindful of not wanting to cause unnecessary conflict. Whereas the 194 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:28,920 Speaker 6: ACT Party is very much ideologically focused. If to make 195 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:32,720 Speaker 6: its point it needs to generate conflict and as a 196 00:14:32,800 --> 00:14:35,400 Speaker 6: result of that conflict, perhaps it doesn't do so well 197 00:14:35,440 --> 00:14:39,160 Speaker 6: at the election next time. It's not so worried about that. 198 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:44,360 Speaker 6: If the National Party generates conflict which diminishes its electoral support, 199 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:47,040 Speaker 6: that's a real problem for it going into the next election. 200 00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:50,720 Speaker 6: It wants to be in government, and that's more important 201 00:14:50,760 --> 00:14:53,880 Speaker 6: than perhaps what the act Party sees as the points 202 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:55,359 Speaker 6: of principle that it's advocating. 203 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:58,720 Speaker 1: And as you say, that recent Hui is such a 204 00:14:58,760 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 1: strong and recent example of kingy to Hatia's leadership. He 205 00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:08,240 Speaker 1: was in this role for eighteen years, though, what are 206 00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:11,080 Speaker 1: some of the highlights of that reign. 207 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:15,400 Speaker 6: I think that is a highlight because at no prior 208 00:15:15,560 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 6: point in the last eighteen years has the Treaty of 209 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 6: Waitangi been undermined in the way that it has been 210 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:29,840 Speaker 6: in the last few months. At no point have things 211 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:34,520 Speaker 6: like the Mardi language been undermined in this way. So often, 212 00:15:34,800 --> 00:15:39,560 Speaker 6: leadership is most obvious and most pronounced when there's a 213 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:45,560 Speaker 6: concrete political issue around which leaders can galvanize people, and 214 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:48,440 Speaker 6: we just haven't had that in the last eighteen years. 215 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:53,320 Speaker 6: That's not to say that Marti crown relationships are always good. 216 00:15:53,800 --> 00:15:59,000 Speaker 6: There are always points of contention, and we should expect 217 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:05,680 Speaker 6: that political relationship with different perspectives and different ideas conflict 218 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:11,560 Speaker 6: itself isn't necessarily a problem, but when it reaches the 219 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:16,080 Speaker 6: scale that the government has provoked in the last year 220 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:21,720 Speaker 6: or so, that does create space for leadership that just 221 00:16:21,800 --> 00:16:24,280 Speaker 6: doesn't bear in ordinary times. 222 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:27,400 Speaker 7: As the country mourns the death of King E Tuaia, 223 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:30,960 Speaker 7: attention is slowly turning to who will be his successor. 224 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:35,360 Speaker 7: But the Marti movement isn't as straightforward as traditional monarchs. 225 00:16:35,760 --> 00:16:38,440 Speaker 7: It's not hereditary, and the king or queen is instead 226 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 7: appointed by the leaders of the EWE involved in the 227 00:16:41,360 --> 00:16:45,320 Speaker 7: Mali king movement known as the king E Tongue. Despite 228 00:16:45,360 --> 00:16:48,880 Speaker 7: not needing to be, the monarchy has been hereditary in effect, 229 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:52,560 Speaker 7: as every new Marty monarch has been the previous monarch's heir. 230 00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:56,040 Speaker 7: The King's Council is meeting with EWE leaders this week 231 00:16:56,120 --> 00:16:58,360 Speaker 7: and tod on a Yi and that I to discuss 232 00:16:58,400 --> 00:17:02,920 Speaker 7: the criteria for two highs successor. The successor will likely 233 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:06,199 Speaker 7: be appointed on Thursday, the day of his funeral and 234 00:17:06,280 --> 00:17:11,280 Speaker 7: before the burial. Now a successor and new monarch will 235 00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:15,600 Speaker 7: be revealed this morning. Can you explain what the monarch 236 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:18,520 Speaker 7: role is in this system and how it works, what 237 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:22,440 Speaker 7: sort of duties or responsibilities does that monarch. 238 00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:25,080 Speaker 6: Have well, I think we go back to eighteen fifty 239 00:17:25,119 --> 00:17:30,879 Speaker 6: eight when Portoitou became the first king and the point 240 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:37,480 Speaker 6: was called Teitong unity. So to provide a figurehead for 241 00:17:38,119 --> 00:17:46,240 Speaker 6: that unity among erewe to provide more coordinated and cohesive 242 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:51,760 Speaker 6: resistance to colonial expansion. And in the eighteen fifties and 243 00:17:51,800 --> 00:17:57,679 Speaker 6: sixties it was avert military aggression, the confiscation of lands 244 00:17:57,720 --> 00:17:59,440 Speaker 6: and so on. You know, one of the King of 245 00:17:59,480 --> 00:18:03,639 Speaker 6: Tongue Is main priorities between then and the settlement in 246 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:08,320 Speaker 6: nineteen ninety five was to achieve that settlement. But it's 247 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:13,480 Speaker 6: a bigger purpose now. So it's a person that can 248 00:18:13,520 --> 00:18:19,520 Speaker 6: command the respect of people across the country, across the 249 00:18:19,560 --> 00:18:24,720 Speaker 6: Maori world and beyond. Is what makes this position an 250 00:18:24,760 --> 00:18:29,680 Speaker 6: important one or conversely, what potentially diminishes it if the 251 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:30,760 Speaker 6: job is not well done. 252 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:34,199 Speaker 1: So is it unity then that you think will be 253 00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:37,840 Speaker 1: front of mind for those make that choice today? 254 00:18:38,119 --> 00:18:40,760 Speaker 6: I think so, and they'll be wanting to choose somebody 255 00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:44,520 Speaker 6: that they have confidence to be able to make a 256 00:18:44,520 --> 00:18:47,200 Speaker 6: contribution to that and to lead that objective. 257 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:54,640 Speaker 1: Thanks so much for joining us, Dominik. That's it for 258 00:18:54,720 --> 00:18:57,880 Speaker 1: this episode of the Front Page. You can read more 259 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:02,879 Speaker 1: about today's stories stinks of news coverage at inzidherld dot 260 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:06,880 Speaker 1: co dot inzid. The Front Page is produced by Ethan Sills. 261 00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:11,920 Speaker 1: Dan Goodwin is the sound engineer. I'm Georgina Campbell. Subscribe 262 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:15,320 Speaker 1: to the Front Page on iHeartRadio or where of it 263 00:19:15,359 --> 00:19:19,399 Speaker 1: you get your podcasts, and tune in tomorrow for another 264 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:22,119 Speaker 1: look behind the headlines.