August 19, 2014
Land law reform crown meddling
A stinging critique of a review of Maori land law has won support from one of those involved in developing Te Ture Whenua Maori Act.
In a Maori Land Court newsletter, Judge David Ambler said the expert panel reviewing the act had failed to show what was wrong with the current act and how its proposed changes would improve things for Maori owners.
New Zealand Maori Council co-chair Maanu Paul says the 1993 Te Ture Whenua Maori Act came out of an extensive consultation process with Maori, driven by the philosophies contained in the Maori Council’s Brown Paper on Maori land.
He says the current reform process is driven by unsubstantiated claims that the law is holding back Maori economic development.
"No Maori organisation asked for the review of Te Ture Whenua Maori Act. It was the crown that asked for it. And the crown don't own the Maori land. But what the crown is saying is that political expediency requires that we meddle with this act so that we can get economic progress for Maori. Utter rubbish," Mr Paul says.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH MAANU PAUL CLICK ON THE LINK
http://www.waateanews.com/play_podcast?podlink=MjEyNDQ=
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