" But there were also iwi, disposessed of their land, their populations already ravaged, who wanted no part of the Empire’s war, and Maori who absconded from conscription for the same reason." .......
Yes - and some of those iwi (Tainui in particular) were jailed at North Head (Takapuna) for years because their leaders at the time (Princess Te Puia for one) said they had no business to be fighting in this British War. There is no commemoration to their brave stand. That is also a part of NZ's history which continues to be ignored.

Lynn Williams - if my memory serves me correctly, that was a statement made by James Dann when he was campaigning.

What James Dann is now saying is unbelieveably arrogant. And all of those who also profess to the opinion that David Cunliffe should leave the Party need to go back into the history of Labour over the last three decades, really read up and research on the damage that Roger Douglas left behind, and the continuing damage his accolades - some of whom (Goff, Mallard, King, Cosgrove) are still in caucus and recruiting others of their ilk ie they are all spinning the line that Labour needs to move more to the right, to the centre right, to win. Load of bullsh - -
Labour needs to move to the left and stay there and convince the non-voters that it is genuinely left again and genuing about putting ordinary people first. That is what Cunliffe attempted to do and was hampered by his own caucus, traitorous leakers that they are - spitting their venom out to the media to lap it up.

"The ‘political theatre’ isn’t working well when we don’t know the political leanings of the main characters. Unless it’s theatre designed to deceive …"

Its not "political theatre".Its a real effort to have the Labour membership involved in deciding who will be the next Labour leader - and judging by the large numbers of previously unfinancial members coming out of the woodwork to have their say, and new members joining up at the door of the leadership meetings, involving the ordinary Party member in this process is proving attractive.
As to the "political leanings" of the main characters - I thought that was fairly obvious from what they have said, and what has been said about them in the mainstream media. Jones - to the right, doesn't like the Greens or environmental policies. Robertson - one of those caucus members who pushed for the inexperienced Shearer as leader (doesn't say much for his political nous) and known to be conservative - maybe right as well. Cunliffe - producing new ideas to Party members which achieved aclaim from members, and with the political experiences in his background to really "take" it to Key and the National Government.

Yes - Jones is at home on a marae . I was there, and that aspect was good to observe.
What was not so good - Jones and his TV entourage did not stay for the actual business of the hui. They did the powhiri, had cuppa tea and chat, and left.
The business presentation was about future economic development for the north - a subject Jones as regional development spokesperson for Labour, should have been interested in. Not a good look.