Patea school closing

The good people of Patea made a protest today against the government-ordered termination of their two schools. The closing is unusual as it comes a few months after the government announced a moratorium on Trevor Mallard's crusade to close country schools in general because it was costing them votes in the provinces which they couldn't afford because of Brash's Orewa speech. So why is Patea being singled out for attention now? Has Mallard overpowered his minders or what?

The mystery is solved when one realizes Patea is a predominantly Maori town within the electorate of the apostate Tariana Turia. Since the government has been publicly bashing Maori civil servants with Clark's approval, it's no surprise that they try the stick approach at Patea with an eye for a carrot closer to the elections.