Let’s finally talk about the “Stop Co-governance” national tour

Protestors at the Ōrewa “stop co-governance” tour. Photo/RNZ/Supplied Jake Law

Some of the Te Akatoki executive peacefully protesting outside one of the Christchurch tour stops.

Julian Batchelor, an evangelist, and former real estate agent, is currently on a nationwide “Stop Co-Governance Tour.”

Co-governance is a hot topic at the 2023 General Election, often discussed but little-understood. Co-governance is shared responsibility in governance between Pākehā and Māori; the concept of co-governance aligns with the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

On the lengthy homepage for his tour’s website, Julian Batchelor describes co-governance as “code for the takeover of New Zealand by tribal companies and their representatives” and “the end of democracy.”

There’s also a section titled “Why Colonialism Was So Beneficial To New Zealand,” an “anti-woke” quote from billionaire Elon Musk, and a meme calling Newshub reporters liars.

When referring to Pākehā, Batchelor uses the terms “we,” “us,” and “New Zealanders.”

“Right now, it feels like we are living in an occupied country,” he writes in his “About” page, with the inflammatory accompanying statement “not unlike how Ukrainians would feel about the Russian invasion.”

Anna Pohatu, 21, is Tumuaki of Te Akatoki, UC’s Māori student executive. Pohatu first “heard about the protests on social media” and went to Batchelor’s Ōtautahi Christchurch event in July at the Scottish Society Hall in St Albans.

Pohatu decided to attend after hearing what had happened to her friend Mikaela Matenga, who is Massey Albany’s Tumuaki. Matenga had protested at a Batchelor event in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, ripping up one of Batchelor’s books.

Batchelor then published an article on his website attacking Matenga, dismissing her as “lost and confused” while accusing her and her fellow protestors of being “thugs and anarchists.”

Pohatu described Batchelor’s behaviour: “He got his people to email and spam and harass her for months. So, when she told me about that I said, ‘I’m going to the Christchurch one’.”

“We went along with our flags… all we did was we stood outside the venue and just sung songs, and just, kind of just looked after each other. We had food going around.”

Pohatu said that Batchelor’s event refused entry to people who looked Māori. “If you look Māori, or have a tattoo that’s Māori, or ta moko, or anything that gives you features that identify you as Māori – they won’t let you in because they’ll think you’re in there to anti-protest their protest.”

“So, we had people that were non-Māori-looking go in, and all they wanted to do was sit in there and hear what he had to say. Those people left because the stats – the ‘facts’ that he was stating – were not true.”

Batchelor stated that he condemned “elite Māori” whom he believes are the richest people in the country. Pohatu stated: “I will say, personally, I’ve never met one of these elite Māori’s – I’d love to meet them, I’d love to hear how much money they get, how they get it, because I don’t think that’s true at all.”

Pohatu described Batchelor as targeting the discriminatory anxieties of his followers, “all he’s doing is feeding on their fears.”

The tour has been controversial nationwide, with host venues cancelling in Ngāmotu New Plymouth, Waitohi Picton, Rotorua, and Karanema Havelock North.

Batchelor is currently under investigation for illegally distributing 350,000 promotional pamphlets across Aotearoa. He faces a fine of up to $40,000.

Pohatu said that Batchelor’s Ōtautahi Christchurch event was not held in a spirit of kindness or cooperation. “His aim was not to come in agreeance, his aim was not to even try and have discussions with Māori.”

Political leaders from all sides have weighed in on the topic of co-governance. Chris Hipkins, current Prime Minister with Labour, said that Māori decision-making alongside Pākehā is “something that we signed up to when the Treaty was signed.”

Leader of the National Party Christopher Luxon has said that National “does oppose co-governance in the delivery of public services.”

Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson has criticised Luxon’s stance and advocated for co-governance. “When Māori are able to control our people and our land, it’s good for everyone. Whether it’s looking after our rivers and our waters, looking after our community, that is good for future generations.”

ACT Leader David Seymour opposes co-governance and has even proposed a national referendum on it, stating that “Labour is trying to make New Zealand an unequal society on purpose.”

Pohatu explained that a Rotorua event with Mikaela Matenga was held, intending to provide education on co-governance. Pohatu said that a lot of the people in attendance were Batchelor’s followers: “So many of them have come out saying ‘thank you’… they said, ‘we were quite surprised that you welcomed us with kind arms, even fed us food, gave us tea and coffee, you know, allowed the space to be completely comfortable even though we weren’t in agreeance’.”

“They left understanding more about co-governance – what it actually is, what it will look like – and facts that are actually backed up by evidence.”

Cooperation and education have been key to understanding co-governance. Batchelor has spent a lot of time speaking; his greatest challenge will be listening.

“I think people should understand that co-governance is not an indifference in power… it’s literally more spreading the power across, so that the communities and the iwi engage in things that help New Zealand,” said Pohatu.

“It’s putting people at the table that should have been there in the first place.”

Batchelor and many of his supporters have claimed that free speech allows them to say whatever they want. As Pohatu put it: “It’s not freedom of speech if your speech is spreading hatred.”