February 25, 2019
Paoa factions unite against outcast
Two boards fighting for control of Hauraki iwi Ngāti Paoa want to sack the iwi's negotiator for signing off on a settlement supported by 96 percent of voters.
Ngāti Paoa Trust Board chair Harry Williams says Morehu Wilson signed the Pare Hauraki Collective deed of settlement without the approval of the board or the post-governance settlement entity, the Ngāti Paoa Iwi Trust.
The board and the trust have been fighting over the status of the mandate and a botched transfer of authority between the two groups, with the trust operating for six years with only two appointed members.
The board wants Mr Williams included as a negotiator, but this has not been accepted by the trust or the crown.
Mr Williams says as the mandated entity the board has consulted the iwi, and it is not happy a deed has been signed that was only ratified by 152 people from an Iwi of 3,500.
Ngāti Paoa Iwi Trust chair Garry Thompson says says Mr Wilson signed under duress as a result of the immense pressure from other iwi negotiators and the Crown’s policies, processes, practices and officials.
He says the matter will be addressed in the Hauraki Tribunal Inquiry starting next month.
Both boards are now working together to provide leadership and unity within Ngāti Paoa to protect Ngāti Paoa interests in the Hauraki and Marutūahu settlements.
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