Espiner was of course talking to Brash about his decision to speak at Te Tii Marae at Waitangi on Tuesday. You could expect that most of the speakers will have quite different views on Māori and the Treaty of Waitangi to Brash, whose infamous visit to Waitangi in 2004 led to mudslinging when protesters hurled dirt at him. Thomas initially cited security concerns but it was later revealed she was personally opposed to the possible content of Brash's talk. Waitangi Day in 2018 was the peak of then-new Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern's political honeymoon, a moment symbolised in Ardern feeding the multitudes when she cooked a Waitangi Day breakfast. Brash's appearance as the ghost of Waitangi Day past is one of several signs that the celebration may itself be more nuanced in 2019 than it was in 2018.

Source: Stuff February 04, 2019 02:15 UTC