July 02, 2020
Treaty partnership sidesteps renewed ward battle
Full interview with Colleen Tuuta click here
A north Taranaki iwi has challenged the New Plymouth District Council to become a treaty-based partnership within six years.
The council held a hui this week about whether to try again to create Māori wards.
Colleen Tuuta from Ngāti Mutunga says when it went down that path before the ward proposal was voted down by referendum and then-mayor Andrew Judd was ousted.
"We're not going to waste another generation training our kids to actually fight racism and to fight to have their voices heard when we can actually make that happen. I said at the hui 2026 but I think we can do it in a shorter time. Those young Pākehā sitting at the table, they and our young Dinnie (Councillor Moeahu) the younger generation do not have the same hand-ups as some of their tūākana that are there," Ms Tuuta says.
She says the council advisory group Te Huinga Taumata, which includes representatives from the five iwi in the council district, can form the basis for the partnership.
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