November 13, 2012
Jones slams Ngāi Tahu water stance
Labour list MP Shane Jones has slammed Ngāi Tahu’s decision to file an affidavit supporting the Government against the Māori Council’s water case.
The council's request for a judicial review of the decision to sell shares in Mighty River Power is due to be heard in the High Court from 26th November.
The council and Waikato river iwi will argue that selling shares in Mighty River Power and other state-owned power companies will make it impossible for the Crown to acknowledge Māori interests in water, if they are established at a later hearing.
Ngāi Tahu says its rights won’t be affected by the sale of shares on South Island hydro power generations, and it wants to keep working through the issues via the Iwi Leaders Water forum.
Mr Jones says the affidavit splits Māoridom, and the tribe should stand back and let the matter be tested in court.
Activist Mike Smith says its North Island iwi who have kept treaty issues alive, and while Ngāi Tahu hasn’t led that challenge it has been happy to ride that train all the way to the station.
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