May 08, 2014
NZ First votes against Tuhoe Bill
New Zealand First has voted against the Te Urewera Tuhoe Bill because it says the crown has sidelined some legitimate iwi in a hurry to conclude a settlement with Ngai Tuhoe.
The bill passed its second reading today, along with bills progressing settlements for Waikato iwi Ngati Haua and Ngati Koroki Kahukura.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters says the party believes there is merit in the bill, but it is concerned some Maori may not have been heard during the negotiations.
He says it is not disputing the correctness of Tuhoe’s claims, but the boundaries of the settlement.
He says if it is unchanged in its committee and third reading stages, other iwi will lose the chance to seek redress for past wrongs.
The select committee which considered the bill reported that the concerns of other iwi were unfounded, and they would not lose the chance for their own settlements.
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