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Ngati Kahungunu Iwi are calling out Central Hawkes Bay Mayor Peter Butler for his attack on the iwi over its opposition to his council’s planned Ruataniwha Dam.
In a weekly email newsletter to councillors, Mr Butler said if the dam goes ahead, Ngati Kahungunu chair Ngahiwi Tomoana and his mates should be banned from any employment pertaining to it.
Rather than apologising when it became public, the mayor called whichever councillor forwarded the email.
Ngati Kahungunu says Mr Butler singled out Maori, and failed to mention that Fish & Game, Forest & Bird and the Environmental Defence Society also oppose the project.
It asked whether as a community leader Mr Butler can be trusted to fairly share out the benefits of the $240 million of government, ratepayer and private investors’ money going into the project.
Copyright © 2014, UMA Broadcasting Ltd
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