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Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Andrew Little had his best poker face on while talking to various Ngāpuhi factions over the past few days.
Mr Little has re-engaged with the factions for the first time since the collapse of the Tūhono unification attempt at the end of last year.
Pita Tipene from Ngāti Hine, which led the opposition to the Tūhono model, said the nine hapū in Ngāti Hine were united in their desire to get a separate settlement.
He says Mr Little seemed concerned that any such settlement would overlap too much with other Ngāpuhi hapū.
"Our response to him was "why have you done it with other tribes throughout the country?' A real local example is Ngātiwai, basically just over the hill. How is it a government can be trying to settle with Ngātiwai but can't settle with Ngāti Hine? There's no difference," Mr Tipene says.
He says Minister Little would not agree to a request to fund the round mandating hui the hapū intends to run at the end of August, but said he would be discussing the state of the negotiations with his cabinet colleagues next month.
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