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The promise of a meal of kereru has cost Sonny Tau his seat at the head of the Ngapuhi table.
Radio Waatea broadcaster Pierre Lyndon says the long-serving chair of Te Runanga o Ngapuhi was last night stood down as chair of Tuhoronuku, the body overseeing negotiations for settlement of the tribe’s historic treaty claims.
Mr Lyndon says only two board members voted for him.
Deputy chair Sam Napia and chief executive Lorraine Toki will hold the fort until a new chair is elected.
Pressure on Mr Tau has been mounting after it was revealed that he had been stopped at Invercargill Airport allegedly with five plucked native pigeons.
He promised to cooperate fully with the Department of Conservation investigation, but there were calls for him to step down to test his mandate.
Labour’s Te Tai Tokerau MP Kelvin Davis said the integrity of Mr Tau’s positions had been diminished, and the honourable thing to do is to test the support he still has by resigning and seeking his positions again.
Copyright © 2015, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com
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