John Ansell is a racist and a fool

John Ansell is the front man for the Treatygate Campaign and his main financial support comes from self-confessed, racist Invercargill millionaire Louis Crimp.

Treatygate is a nonsensical racist campaign where Ansell and a few rednecks go around the country spouting about what they perceive as inequality and Maori privilege.

I met Ansell by accident in Waitangi. He is a more than cordial type of bloke. I said to him I thought he was a racist, and so he challenged me to have him on our RadioLIVE talkback show.

Ansell spent two hours with me and John Tamihere last week and absolutely confirmed my view he is a racist and a liar.

Of course, Ansell thinks I’m exactly the same so he was given an opportunity to put his case.

Now I’m sure his three supporters thought he did magnificently but I can assure them, most think he failed miserably.

You see Ansell starts off with the premise and lie that Maori ceded sovereignty in the Treaty of Waitangi. He said it was in the English version for everyone to see.

Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. International law says that the contra proferentem rule applies which means in any dispute the indigenous view takes precedence and in this case that’s the Maori language version of the treaty which is explicit that Maori gave the British the right to govern they did not give away their sovereignty.

When the Maori language text was translated, it was done wrongly and nearly all of our great historians and academics have conceded this. Governments through the years have acknowledged this both Labour and National.

But Ansell says they are all wrong and he knows best. Yep, Johnny knows more than David Lange, Doug Graeme, John Key, Professor Michael King and Judge Dame Sian Elias just to name a few. He and his mate Lou Crimp know the real truth!

He then argues taonga in 1840 had nothing to do with assets or treasures and he talks about one definition where taonga is described as a spear and how that word can’t be applied today. Particularly when it comes to water rights, minerals rights and spectrum rights.

This was despite me telling him there are several definitions to Maori words as in English.

But old Ansell just wanted to stick to his one definition because it suited his stupid argument.

His arguments got constantly sillier as the two hours on air dragged on. He said Maoris were violent and savage people, murderers.

But I put to him that’s what happens in war – that’s the nature of the beast.

People fight for their territory but Ansell just wanted Maori to roll over and welcome his loving Pakeha ancestors with open arms.

And his summary is that all the privileges for Maori must stop now. But his argument is so stupid and weak, he will be ignored for the fool he is.

Ansell won’t make progress because even the right wingers in Parliament think he’s a nutcase.

John key, Winston Peters, Peter Dunne and even John Banks don’t back him. So the only chance Johnny might have will be if he and his mate Lou Crimp form a party. So let’s watch that space.