December 19, 2016
Course correction for Ngapuhi claim
The chair of Ngapuhi negotiation group Tuhoronuku says Treaty Negotiations Minister Christopher Finlayson has a chance to steer the claim back on the road, but he needs a firmer hand on the wheel than has been evident this year.
The Minister says he will chair a meeting in early January with Tuhoronuku and rival group Te Kotahitanga o Nga Hapu o Ngapuhi discuss obstacles to progress.
Hone Sadler says the year was taken up with the Maranga Mai process, which was supposed to merge the two groups.
But he says some Tuhoronuku representatives on Maranga Mai ignored instructions, and the result was skewed.
"The crown was going down the middle of the road at the beginning of the process and then it needed to have a wheel alignment because it started pulling to the left and it left out any of the issues Tuhoronuku had and they were very inclined towards Te Kotahitanga o Nga Hapu o Ngapuhi," Mr Sadler says.
He says it’s essential the settlement reflects the needs of the whole tribe and not just small parts of it.
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