November 16, 2018
Put up or shut up time for hostile hapū
It’s D-Day for Ngāpuhi hapū as the first hui are held to collect their views on the proposed evolved mandate for resuming negotiations on settlement of historic claims.
This week there have been 17 hui around the country giving people the information they need to cast their individual votes.
Technical advisor Willie Te Aho says he is upbeat after gauging the reaction at this week’s hui, and was looking forward to today’s hui a hapū at Waimamaku and Taheke where six of the 110 hapu will say āe or kao.
He’s not concerned by the number of individuals who have taken to social media in recent weeks saying their hapū have rejected the proposal.
"To be honest it's not my D Day, it's their D Day. Will their hapu support what they say? We'll see tomorrow in terms of Hinerangi Himiona who has been against the process, hasn't allowed us to go and discuss the proposal with her and her hapū will speak tomorrow, so after that we will know," Mr Te Aho says.
He says bn 1000 individual votes have come in already, and people have until December 7 to register and vote.
Tomorrow is also the annual meeting of Te Rūnanga o Ngāpuhi, starting at 10am at the Tikipunga Baptist Church in Whangarei.
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