Listen Now: 
Urban leaders John Tamihere and Willie Jackson have lost their bid for the two Mataawaka seats in the Independent Maori Statutory Board in Auckland.
Over 20 Marae and Māori Agencies including the Tamaki Makaurau Wardens, Branches of the Maori Women’s Welfare League, Education and Health Providers wrote in support of Urban Leaders Willie Jackson and John Tamihere for the two Mataawaka IMSB seats.
Two seats are allocated for Mataawaka who number over 130,000. Tamihere and Jackson are vocal critics of the IMSB's lack of support for no-low income whānau in Auckland.
IMSB is charged with ensuring Māori economic and social development interests are being met by Auckland Council. But it came under fire from both Mana whenua and Mataawaka when it decided to relinquish it's position on the Unitary Plan. The Auckland Council went on to remove all the Māori sites of value from the Plan.
The National Urban Maori Authority who nominated Tamihere and Jackson are considering legal action citing undue selection process and inequitable representation for Mataawaka.
Copyright © 2016, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com
RELATED NEWS
