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Tāmaki Makaurau MP Peeni Henare says he’s backing Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei to win its case against the crown’s overlapping claims policy.
The hapū this week started an 11-week judicial review in the High Court arguing the crown was wrong to assign settlement properties in central Auckland to other iwi.
The crown will argue that Ōrākei’s decision almost 10 years ago to be part of a collective settlement meant it gave up claims to exclusivity or a veto on other iwi settlements.
Mr Henare says Ōrākei tried to settle the issue through tikanga and was forced into court as a last resort.
"I’m in support of Ngāti Whātua. I'll put my cards on the table. I think what they are doing is right. I think what they are doing also sends a signal in claims and settlements yet to be achieved about the way we should be acting, the way we should be dealing with overlapping claims so I support them and I will watch with interest as the court case unfolds," he says.
Mr Henare says there will always be other tribes, including those well out of Tāmaki Makaurau, looking to invest in the city.
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