February 04, 2019
Tribes lagging in urban outreach
Tāmaki Makaurau MP Peeni Henare believes iwi leaders need to do more to service their people in the cities.
Mr Henare was among ministers and MPs who fronted up to the Iwi Chairs Forum in Waitangi on Friday.
He says while iwi chairs claim to speak for their people, the debate over urban representation in the Ngāpuhi settlement shows it can’t be taken for granted.
That’s why he is challenging tribes to say what they are doing for their people in Auckland.
"There are no offices set up for them. There is no point of contact for them in Tāmaki Makaurau and they need to remember. When we think about things like the Provincial Growth Fund or the future Ngāpuhi settlement or settlements that have already been done, I still haven't seen one example of a tribe that better engages with their tribe in Tāmaki Makaurau beyond a Facebook page," Mr Henare says.
His Ngāpuhi constituents are more likely to identify with Manurewa than Kaikohe, so telling them they have to go through their hapū to have a say in tribal affairs is unreasonable.
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