01 June 2004

Increased funding for Treaty negotiations

A further $1.2 million a year will be put into Treaty settlement negotiations.

Treaty Negotiations Minister Margaret Wilson says the extra resources are needed to ensure the government has capacity to negotiate with all of the groups ready to enter into negotiations.

“Now that more claimant groups than ever are in, or are ready to begin negotiations, we need to make sure the Crown can continue to match their pace.”

"We are currently in discussions with 25 claimant groups. There are signs that even more groups are interested in getting around the table", says Margaret Wilson.

Recent developments have seen negotiations commence with central north island iwi Ngäti Manawa and Ngäti Whare, and mandates recognised for Te Arawa, Ngati Tüwharetoa and Moriori.

The upcoming months will also see legislation introduced into the house for the Ngäti Awa and Ngati Tüwharetoa (Bay of Plenty) settlements and work continuing towards finalising Deeds of Settlement for Ngäti Mutunga and the Te Arawa lakes claims.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>