October 15, 2012
Long fight ahead in water case
A treaty lawyer says the New Zealand Maori Council and water claimants could have a long fight ahead of them in the courts now the Government has announced its pushing ahead with its sale of state power companies.
Mighty River Power will be removed from the schedule of the State Owned Enterprise Act next week, opening the way for the sale of 49 percent of its shares.
Willie Te Aho says on past form the Government could win in the lower courts, but the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court could have a different view.
He says different hapu around the country have different claims, so there can’t be a one size fits all solution.
“What we’ve got to do is ensure iwi sit at that decision making table in relation to water. Secondly, that if the Crown wants to work through the treaty rights as they relate to each iwi, that iwi are empowered to do that, so take a collective approach on getting the fundamentals right, and then an individual approach in relation to the uniqueness of each hapu of each iwi in their rohe,” Mr Te Aho says.
The New Zealand Maori Council is meeting today with the Maori king, claimants and iwi leaders to discuss the way ahead.