#regional: Ngāti Ruanui Calls On Governor-General To Intervene Over Shane Jones Remarks

Ngāti Ruanui is seeking intervention from Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro following what the iwi describes as a “shocking display of arrogance” by Minister Shane Jones in Parliament.

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ruanui Trust Tumu Whakaae Haimona Maruera Jnr says the extraordinary move reflects the seriousness of repeated comments made by the Minister targeting the iwi.

“This request centres on comments made by the Minister regarding our intellectual capacity,” Maruera Jnr says.

“This is not the first time the Minister has made disparaging comments referencing Ngāti Ruanui in the New Zealand Parliament.”

Ngāti Ruanui says the remarks were made during debate surrounding opposition to seabed mining proposals off the Taranaki coast — an issue the iwi has fiercely challenged through the courts and parliamentary processes.

The iwi says it has successfully opposed seabed mining through every legal avenue, including the Supreme Court, and notes the proposal was also rejected under Fast Track consenting legislation.

Maruera Jnr says the Minister’s comments undermine the relationship established under the Ngāti Ruanui Claims Settlement Act 2003, which included a formal Crown apology and commitments based on mutual respect.

“To have a Minister of the Crown suggest in the highest court of the land that our iwi lacks intelligence because we hold a different view on the extraction of minerals is authoritarian and shameful,” he says.

“It is an attack on the mana of our entire iwi.”

Ngāti Ruanui says it regularly participates in parliamentary processes through select committees and formal submissions, describing its approach as professional and respectful.

“It is shameful a Minister treats us in the way he has,” Maruera Jnr says.

The iwi has lodged a formal complaint with the Speaker of the House and is also seeking an apology from Parliament itself over the treatment received.

The call for intervention from the Governor-General comes amid increasing tensions over mining, environmental protections, Treaty relationships, and the Government’s resource development agenda.

Shane Jones has frequently defended mining and resource extraction projects as critical to economic development, while iwi and environmental groups continue raising concerns about environmental impacts and Māori rights.

Ngāti Ruanui says allowing ministers to attack Treaty partners while protected by parliamentary privilege risks damaging the Crown-Māori relationship.

“When a Minister of the Crown uses the debating chamber to insult a Treaty Partner, and does so while hiding behind legal immunity, the relationship risks being fundamentally fractured,” Maruera Jnr says.