'I was frustrated': Bishop explains music award comments
During Walker's performance of Māori Ki te Ao on Thursday last week in Auckland performers took to the stage with flags displaying Toitū Te Tiriti - a movement borne out of opposition to the controversial and voted down Treaty Principles Bill and other government legislation.
Bishop, who was in attendance, was seen criticising the performance, and has since said he should have kept the comments to himself.
Today he told reporters his comments were not directed specifically at Walker.
"I was frustrated and annoyed by the sort of overt politicking around it.
"It's not about Stan Walker, I actually quite like Stan Walker, actually quite liked his performance. It was just the sort of politicisation of it that frustrated me."
Bishop singled out the Toitū Te Tiriti "banners and paraphernalia" as the source of his frustration, not the performance itself.
He said he would not be apologising to Walker.
"It's not clear what I'd be apologising for."
The producers of the Aotearoa Music Awards said Bishop's remarks had "no place" at the ceremony. In a statement, they said they were committed to creating a safe, respectful and inclusive environment.
"The Awards respect and honour te ao Māori and we were proud to support Stan with his vision for his powerful rendition of Māori Ki Te Ao ."
Bishop's comments led to backlash from other performers, including Don McGlashan, who was seen on video confronting Bishop.
But the National MP said the irony was he is a "huge" Don McGlashan fan.
"I love the Mutton Birds. But Don McGlashan is a noteworthy non-supporter of the National Party.
"People might remember the 2008 election, in which he expressed some frustration at Anchor Me , which is a great Mutton Birds tune, being used by TVNZ on the election night coverage," Bishop said.
"His political views are quite well-known. But look, it is what it is - he's entitled to his views in the same way I'm entitled to mine."
Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister Paul Goldsmith, who was also at the awards, brushed off whether the performance was controversial.
"There's always controversy at music awards. It goes without saying."
Māori Crown relations minister Tama Potaka said he disagreed with Bishop's comments, but they were for the minister to respond to.
"I absolutely love Stan Walker and his commitment to te reo, and the mahi that he does particularly in his engagement with Ratana, the hāhi. I don't agree with Minister Bishop's comments, however those are a matter for him to comment on," Potaka said.
Labour's Māori Development spokesperson Willie Jackson said Bishop, as a music fan, should know that music had always been political.
"He should know music better than anyone. Look around the world, people have been doing that for years. Whether it's Bob Marley, Bono, whatever, it's been happening, it's not like something new.
"He should talk to his Shihad heroes, 'cos the lead singer there's got pretty good politics too."
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told RNZ's Morning Report programme today he was comfortable with Bishop's response, and had spoken to him over the weekend.
"I just got his side of the story about what he said and it was exactly as reported. He corrected it well before I got to him... he just acknowledged he should have kept his thoughts to himself.
"The bottom line is, your listeners aren't losing a lot of sleep over what a politician sharing his opinion on some music was about."
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said Bishop's behaviour was disappointing, but it was for Luxon to bring his ministers in line.
"You've got to remember when you're a government minister that you're on public display all of the time."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
an hour ago
- Otago Daily Times
NZ 'back on course', govt says
By Russell Palmer of RNZ The government has launched a defence of its record on tackling the cost of living. Finance Minister Nicola Willis joined Prime Minister Christopher Luxon at the Beehive Theatrette for the weekly post-Cabinet briefing. She spent much of the previous week facing questions about her meeting with Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell. Luxon said this week marked a full year since the tax bracket changes National campaigned on had come into effect. "It's only through a strong economy that wages rise faster than inflation, that Kiwis can get ahead of their daily costs and our businesses can take risks that can mean that they can invest, grow, and create more jobs," he said. He directly targeted National's main rival in opposition. "Other parties in Parliament believe that raising taxes, growing the public sector, and giving more handouts to those who refuse to work is the answer. Taxing more, spending more, and borrowing more as Labour and others advocate for didn't work in the past and it won't work in the future." The government's decision to increase fees paid to board members on Crown entities - in some cases up to 80 percent - may undercut the messaging that National is prioritising low and middle-income New Zealanders' interests. But Luxon today pointed to the building products changes announced over the weekend, and the proposed ban on payment surcharges as recent examples. He then pointed to other items in the government's agenda, including: the current pipeline of infrastructure projects, Roads of National Significance, completing the City Rail Link, signing trade deals with the United Arab Emirates and Gulf Cooperation Council, starting negotiations with India, the digital nomads visa, and the Investment Boost policy. Willis soon picked up the baton, rattling off her own list of changes the government had made which she said had helped lower costs, including: the Family Boost policy, ending the Reserve Bank's secondary mandate to account for unemployment, curbing government spending, changing residential tenancy laws, tax deductability changes for landlords, delaying the previous government's petrol excise increases, scrapping the Auckland Regional Fuel Tax, increasing rates rebates for seniors, increasing Working for Families support, and extending maximum subscription lengths. She said National had campaigned on tackling the cost of living crisis, and pointed to rising GDP per capita and wages rising faster than inflation as a result of the government's interventions. "Taking the pressure off inflation - that is the general level of price increases across the economy - helps with the cost side of the cost-of-living equation. Lower inflation means less pressure on prices... it's pleasing to say that wages are now growing faster than inflation and forecasts show this trend continuing over the next few years." She said the government's tax changes meant "households have benefited by an average of $60 a fortnight". The change to interest deductibility for landlords had helped to take the heat out of the rental market, she said, noting "the 2.6 increase for the year to June was the lowest since 2011". She said the government was also making big structural changes, saying "the last government conclusively proved that band aids are not enough" and pointing to a series of policies yet to come to fruition: the Going for Housing Growth policy, Fast-tracking renewable energy consenting, work to address supermarket competition, and to curb council rates increases. "Economies are like oil tankers, you can't turn them around on a dime. But New Zealand is back on course," Willis said. The lists of government achievements kept coming, with Willis also pointing to: education reform, the investment boost (again), promoting global trade and investment, changes to the research and development sector, and "delivering infrastructure projects faster and better". Meanwhile, a Cabinet Office Circular reveals the government signed off on increases to fees available to board members of Crown entities. This includes increases of 30 percent for Group 2 and 4 boards and Audit and Risk committees, and an increase of 80 percent for Group 3 bodies. Luxon said the public sector director fees "have got completely out of whack compared to private sector fees". "Obviously we will never pay as much as someone in the private sector but when you are spending $32 billion on healthcare for example, it's important that we are actually able to attract really good governors for the Health NZ board, for example," he said. The changes took effect at the start of July.
NZ Herald
3 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Te Pāti Māori announces Ikaroa-Rāwhiti candidate Hayley Maxwell
Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech. Haley Maxwell co-ordinated the Toitu Te Tiriti hīkoi in Gisborne. By Russell Palmer of RNZ Te Pāti Māori has announced Haley Maxwell will stand for next year's general election - for the one Māori seat currently held by Labour. Maxwell helped organise the Hīkoi mō te Tiriti in the region last year. 'Haley Maxwell spearheaded the historic Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti from Te Tairāwhiti right through to Kahungunu. Haley embodies the fierce compassion and courage that Ikaroa-Rāwhiti is famous for,' Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi said in a written statement. 'She has stood on the marae, in the courts and on the streets for our people. Parliament will be a stronger house with her voice echoing the roar of Te Tairāwhiti.'
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
Electoral law changes 'serious breach of rights': Lawyer
politics national 22 minutes ago A constitutional lawyer says the electoral law changes planned by the government are a serious breach of New Zealanders rights. Constitutional lawyer Graeme Edgeler spoke to Charlotte Cook.
