June 15, 2015
Minister gung ho on iwi housing role
Labour’s Hauraki Waikato MP Nanaia Mahuta says Housing Minister Nick Smith has dug a hole for his government by ignoring the rights of iwi.
Ngati Whatua Orakei and Waikato Tainui say they’re going to the High Court for a declaratory judgment on whether the crown can sell surplus crown land for housing without giving them the right of first refusal written into their treaty settlements.
Ms Mahuta says it’s the first time the cashed up post settlement iwi have jointly asserted their mana on an Auckland issue, and the government should be concerned.
"I think the minister has gone in a bit gung ho and is treaty the treaty settlement process as a bit of an aside whereas he could work constructively with iwi on the challenges around providing social housing but more importantly low cost affordable housing to the tribal members of Ngati Whatua and Waikato Tainui which actually supports the government’s ambitions," she says.
Nanaia Mahuta says Labour will hold a public meeting in Otara next week on how it would handle the challenges of creating more public and affordable housing.
Mahuta says Labour will hold a public meeting in Otara next week on how it would handle the challenges of creating more public and affordable housing.
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