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The chair of Northland iwi Ngati Hine says there’s no easy way back for Ngapuhi’s Sonny Tau into any leadership position.
Waihoroi Shortland says in breaking the conservation laws, his credibility to represent the tribe has been serious damaged.
He rejects the suggestion by Iwi Leaders Group member Willie Te Aho that Ngapuhi’s position it didn’t cede sovereignty means it can’t hold Mr Tau to account for breaking Pakeha law.
"You know I’ve got a lot of respect for the things that Willie (Te Aho) has done, but this is one of the dumbest things I think Willie has come up with. If we were to apply that maxim onto this case, we would go into the jails and free every Ngapuhi. When do you stop? Do you stop at pigeons? Do you stop at violence? Am I to sell the way I value sovereignty on the backs of five dead kereru?" Mr Shortland says.
He says Sonny Tau was found wanting in the way he wanted to structure Ngapuhi’s treaty settlement negotiations, and now he has come up short on his personal behaviour.
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