March 13, 2024
No room for lone rangers in Ngāpuhi settlement
New Zealand First deputy leader Shane Jones says the party supports the nga in Ngāpuhi – and it won’t stand for a settlement that is atomised into multiple different parts.
Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says he’s making a settlement with the northern iwi a priority, but the timing of negotiations would be up to the various hapū.
Mr Jones says jockeying by individual hapū had added years of delay and he singles out Ngāti Hine for undermining previous talks.
“I think if a hapū like Ngāti Hine want to break away from the Ngāpuhi tribe they need to do it in a very public fashion and the leaders of Ngāti Hine need to tell their own people to hand back their Ngāpuhi whakapapa so there is no double dipping. There will be a Ngāpuhi (settlement) over the lifetime of our Government and any hapū that wants to break up Ngāpuhi needs to ensure all their marae hand back their Ngāpuhi whakapapa because after that they have decided to be lone rangers,” Mr Jones says.