March 18, 2014
Warden oversight job for Maori councils
A senior Maori Council member says the resurgence of the Maori wardens now needs to be managed by district Maori councils rather than Te Puni Kokiri.
Des Ratima from the Takitimu District Maori Council will be giving evidence this week to the Waitangi Tribunal on the New Zealand Maori Council wardens claim
He says money put into the wardens several years ago has given the movement a boost, even though most of it was siphoned off by the ministry for administration.
Mr Ratima says the hearing is needed to establish whether the ministry has been overriding the Maori Community Development Act, which gives the wardens their powers.
"I’m not saying the (TPK) project team hasn’t done a good job. I’m just saying it’s not their job. It’s our job. It’s the job of the district Maori councils and the New Zealand Maori Council," he says.
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