“The promise is that, in the first 100 days of a National-led government, Aotearoa will see the scourge of gangs eliminated — or at least, gang members corralled in a feedlot at an annual fee of only $190,000 per head. Systemic labelling and prejudice come at a price.” — Denis O’Reilly.
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“Being in the gang gave me an identity. No one questioned who you were. No one cared if you’re Māori, Pālagi, or Pacific. You were a Mobster, that’s who you were. You were just one of the bros.” — Warwick Godfery.
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“Sobriety will dawn in the days following the election when whoever finds themselves in power will be confronted by the same intractable and complex problems faced by the current administration.” — Denis O’Reilly.
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“Banning gang patches is pretty pointless when you’ve got it on your face. What’s that going to achieve?” — Warwick Godfery, Kawerau district councillor and former Mongrel Mob member.
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“Māori gang members . . . have suffered the negative consequence of being poor, young and brown in contemporary Aotearoa New Zealand without enjoying any of the compensating advantages of a strong sense of Māori identity.” — Denis O’Reilly.
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“According to the police’s own history, initially, the New Zealand Police were formed to counter a gang problem — that problem being the gangs of Pākehā sealers and whalers wreaking havoc among Māori communities.” — Denis O’Reilly.
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“Black Power Movement was about us discovering, defining, and becoming conscious of our taha Māori and who we were as Māori — and being able to maintain that in our lives.” — Genesis Te Kuru White.
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“My pathway into the Mob wasn’t one of crime. It has always been one of: ‘How do we develop people?’” — Harry Tam.
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“We demonise these guys, right? And then we’ve got reason to hate them. But when they try to do something for themselves, we’re going to bash them again anyway. They can’t win.” — Harry Tam.
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“What outsiders see as mobsters, I see as bros and the people I grew up with and could trust.” — James Papali’i.
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“The Treaty was there. The vision was there. But is this going to make a difference?” — Dr Elana Curtis.
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