September 22, 2016
Ministerial humility needed for Ngapuhi solution
Northland MP Winston Peters says negotiations with Ngapuhi are in crisis because the Minister for Treaty Negotiations doesn’t understand the northern tribe.
Christopher Finlayson is consulting MPs with Ngapuhi links, but not Mr Peters, about how he should proceed.
He has threatened to cut off the mandated negotiating body, Tuhoronuku, unless it complies with the recommendations of the Maranga Mai report that it hand over the task to a new hapu-driven structure.
Mr Peters says Mr Finlayson is playing silly games.
"Here we are back at the drawing board virtually, but remember only a year ago it was he who was banging on about the right guy being Sonny Tau and telling everybody up there and every other leader to beggar off. Now he's hoist by his own petard. He should show a little humility. Yes we can solve Northland, we can solve Ngapuhi, but not with the sort of arrogant high handedness emanating out of Wellington," he says.
The Tuhoronuku board will meet tomorrow to discuss whether to accept the Maranga Mai report or seek further concessions.
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