OPINION

Well, we've got a new idea from Wellington Central MP Tamatha Paul and you better brace yourself for this one.

She was in the paper over the weekend - not advocating for Wellingtonians, for our economy, our businesses or our vulnerable people. She’s advocating for something else entirely.

She wants to strip prominent statues around Wellington of their heritage status. She wants these statues bowled.

She wants to strip Wellington of its history.

Now I can tell you Tamtha's got her sights firmly on the William Wakefield monument at the Basin Reserve. You know the one; the white Greek dome on the bank. 

She also wants to get rid of the bronze bust of Edward Wakefield on Mount Victoria. She also doesn't like the Queen Victoria statue between Cambridge and Kent Terrace.

These three people are, according to our local MP, “thieving criminal colonisers".

This is the most ridiculous thing I have heard coming out of Tamatha Paul's mouth, and remember, she's the Green MP who wants to defund the police. 

Imagine what's going to come out of Tamatha Paul's mouth next. I can guarantee you it’ll be nothing about Wellington’s struggles.

Remember she’s not your average Green MP who is elected on the party list. She is Wellington Central’s local MP, elected by the people of the city. 

Why is our local MP focused on something like this?

Now looking at what she wants to do here, it'll be a difficult feat for Tamatha to pull off. She'd have to pass an amendment to the Resource Management Act the same way Chris Bishop removed the heritage status from the Gordon Wilson flats, paving the way for the building's demolition.

She'd have to persuade a majority of her fellow MPs to vote for her amendment, something that is not likely to happen.

But that aside, why is she even talking about this? 

I wonder how she would feel if we talked about pulling down the statues of some of the more controversial Maori leaders? Questionable history isn’t limited to just colonial leaders.

I think we can all appreciate that times were different in the 1800s. The conduct of some people we have statues of are far from acceptable. 

But it's our history. Should we just forget about it? Should we actively destroy it? 

At a time when we're trying to rebuild Wellington and our economy, should our local MP be looking at doing something so destructive as to pull down parts of our history? 

I personally love the statue of Queen Victoria on Cambridge and Kent Terraces, and I want the opportunity for us to have a piece of history that we can celebrate.

And remember these memorials were created by previous generations of Wellingtonians. I can't even believe that we are talking about something so important to our history as the capital city. 

I think Tamatha Paul is way off the mark here, and it would be a slight on our history to get rid of things we should be celebrating. 

We need as a city more of our history to celebrate rather than denigrate.

And I say to our local MP, sit down, maybe meet with some Wellington leaders, people in businesses or our charities.

Get an idea from them about the real issues. I can guarantee you none of them care about a few statues.

LISTEN ABOVE

<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">OPINION
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Well, we've got a new idea from Wellington Central MP Tamatha Paul and you better brace yourself for this one.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">She was in the paper over the weekend - not advocating for Wellingtonians, for our economy, our businesses or our vulnerable people. She’s advocating for something else entirely.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">She wants to strip prominent statues around Wellington of their heritage status. She wants these statues bowled.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">She wants to strip Wellington of its history.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Now I can tell you Tamtha's got her sights firmly on the William Wakefield monument at the Basin Reserve. You know the one; the white Greek dome on the bank. 
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">She also wants to get rid of the bronze bust of Edward Wakefield on Mount Victoria. She also doesn't like the Queen Victoria statue between Cambridge and Kent Terrace.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">These three people are, according to our local MP, “thieving criminal colonisers".
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">This is the most ridiculous thing I have heard coming out of Tamatha Paul's mouth, and remember, she's the Green MP who wants to defund the police. 
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; background-position: 0px 100%; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent;">Imagine what's going to come out of Tamatha Paul's mouth next. I can guarantee you it’ll be nothing about Wellington’s struggles.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Remember she’s not your average Green MP who is elected on the party list. She is Wellington Central’s local MP, elected by the people of the city. 
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Why is our local MP focused on something like this?
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Now looking at what she wants to do here, it'll be a difficult feat for Tamatha to pull off. She'd have to pass an amendment to the Resource Management Act the same way Chris Bishop removed the heritage status from the Gordon Wilson flats, paving the way for the building's demolition.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">She'd have to persuade a majority of her fellow MPs to vote for her amendment, something that is not likely to happen.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">But that aside, why is she even talking about this? 
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">I wonder how she would feel if we talked about pulling down the statues of some of the more controversial Maori leaders? Questionable history isn’t limited to just colonial leaders.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">I think we can all appreciate that times were different in the 1800s. The conduct of some people we have statues of are far from acceptable. 
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">But it's our history. Should we just forget about it? Should we actively destroy it? 
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">At a time when we're trying to rebuild Wellington and our economy, should our local MP be looking at doing something so destructive as to pull down parts of our history? 
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">I personally love the statue of Queen Victoria on Cambridge and Kent Terraces, and I want the opportunity for us to have a piece of history that we can celebrate.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">And remember these memorials were created by previous generations of Wellingtonians. I can't even believe that we are talking about something so important to our history as the capital city. 
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">I think Tamatha Paul is way off the mark here, and it would be a slight on our history to get rid of things we should be celebrating. 
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">We need as a city more of our history to celebrate rather than denigrate.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">And I say to our local MP, sit down, maybe meet with some Wellington leaders, people in businesses or our charities.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Get an idea from them about the real issues. I can guarantee you none of them care about a few statues.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">LISTEN ABOVE

Wellingtonians now have the chance to discuss the issues of the day one-on-one with proud local Nick Mills and have a forum to share their ideas, passions and outrages on a daily basis.

You don't find many people more passionate about the capital than Nick, and he comes to Wellington Mornings after decades of success as the man behind some of the city's leading hospitality and entertainment offerings - Spruce Goose, Hummingbird and the Wellington Saints basketball team just to name a few.

Nick's proud of his city but also knows much can be improved on to make Wellington an even better place, and brings an honest, edgy, fun and engaging show to Wellingtonians each weekday from 9 'til midday.

Wellingtonians now have the chance to discuss the issues of the day one-on-one with proud local Nick Mills and have a forum to share their ideas, passions and outrages on a daily basis. You don't find many people more passionate about the capital than Nick, and he comes to Wellington Mornings after decades of success as the man behind some of the city's leading hospitality and entertainment offerings - Spruce Goose, Hummingbird and the Wellington Saints basketball team just to name a few. Nick's proud of his city but also knows much can be improved on to make Wellington an even better place, and brings an honest, edgy, fun and engaging show to Wellingtonians each weekday from 9 'til midday.

Wellingtonians now have the chance to discuss the issues of the day one-on-one with proud local Nick Mills and have a forum to share their ideas, passions and outrages on a daily basis.

Wellington Mornings with Nick Mills

Nick Mills: Why does Tamatha Paul want to tear down our history?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/7675f1a0-f0e8-4147-ae1b-b30b016b541e/transcript