September 05, 2012
Maori Council challenges drip approach
The lawyer for the New Zealand Maori Council says the Government’s plan to address water claims iwi by iwi will be unfair to all iwi.
The Prime Minister, John Key, says the Government will consult with iwi in the lead up to the float of Mighty River Power shares, which has been delayed until next year because of the Waitangi Tribunal’s initial report on water claims.
Mr Key ruled out the national hui on water recommended by the tribunal.
Donna Hall says the Crown has historically treated the Treaty of Waitangi as a national agreement with Maori, so it can’t change the rules to suit itself.
“The Government going out iwi by iwi is very unfair because without fixing what the rules are first no iwi will know what they can ask for and what they can’t because the rights have no framework so it’s really asking iwi to go to the table and settle for whatever they get,” she says.
Donna Hall says the proper way to set a framework is to let the Waitangi Tribunal finish its inquiry into the nature and extent of Maori interests in water.