Customary Title Or Customary Rights - Which Will It Be?

New Zealand First said the Government must stop changing its position on the foreshore and seabed depending on who it is talking to on the day.

“In July it was Crown ownership, in August it was a public domain, now it is September and we do not know if it is going to be Customary Title or Customary Rights,” said New Zealand First Maori Affairs spokesperson Bill Gudgeon.

“The Government is doing nothing to clarify the situation, all they have achieved is utter confusion and frustration among Maori and the rest of New Zealand.

“The Attorney General, Margaret Wilson, has added to confusion by saying that the Government’s proposal was looking at what was meant by customary interest, customary right and customary title and hinted at the possibility of access rights being up for negotiations.

“This has become a joke, the Government needs to make-up its mind once and for all,” said Mr Bill Gudgeon.

© Scoop Media