October 10, 2016
Court purge could cripple land reforms
Ikaroa Rawhiti MP Meka Whaitiri is accusing Maori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell of being cavalier about the loss of institutional knowledge and skills from the Maori Land Court.
The court is set to lose dozens of positions in a Ministry of Justice review of the courts.
Ms Whaitiri says it seems to be happening independently of a rewrite of Maori land law, which will transfer many of the court’s functions to an as yet undefined Maori Land Service.
She says Mr Flavell doesn’t seem to be on top of his own reform.
"I think he should just ask the minister of justice to taihoa any changes proposed in the Maori Land Court until he can get his bill through and more importantly until he can get some detail around the design of this supposed new Maori Land Service. It's too critical to throw all this institutional knowledge out the window," Ms Whaitiri says.
She says hui to consult on the shape and functions of the Maori Land Service indicate planning is still at the blue sky phase.
Copyright © 2016, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com