January 28, 2021
Iwi chairs skip Waitangi party
A member of the Iwi Chairs Forum says conversations with the Government will continue – even if not at Waitangi.
Iwi leaders have decided not to hold their scheduled hui at Waitangi in the days preceding Waitangi Day, but to instead meet online.
Harry Burkhart says it was an easy decision to make because of what they felt was a heightened risk of COVID-19 transmission in the north.
He says other hui associated with the national day are also being reconsidered.
"We're not quite sure where the Labour Government is sitting, They are aware of our position. It will be interesting if they turn up and no one there. But it does not preclude us from celebrating the importance of Waitangi in another way and the work for the iwi chairs will not abate. We still have lots of conversations we need to have with the current Government," Mr Burkhardt says.
Meanwhile, Māori Party co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi say they’re skipping Waitangi Day commemoration in the Bay of Islands on iwi advice.
Ms Ngarewa-Packer says they will err on the side of caution and will continue to do so until people are vaccinated and can minimise the risk of spreading the coronavirus.
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