Tuesday 14 September

Press Release: Tariana Turia, Co-leader, Maori Party

“I am delighted to learn that Attorney-General Margaret Wilson has withdrawn her decision to seek a judicial review of Judge Caren Wickliffe’s ruling in the case of East Coast foreshore and seabed claimants”, Maori Party co-leader, Tariana Turia, stated today.

“Since her attack against the Maori Land Court Judge, Caron Wickliffe, it has become apparent that tangata whenua have had enough of being told what to do by this Government”, stated Mrs Turia.

“The Maori Lawyers Conference at Ohinemutu declared their strong opposition to the legislative action taken by the Government, as indeed did the Chairperson of Te Runanga o Ngati Porou, Apirana Mahuika”, said Mrs Turia.

”Indeed Mr Mahuika, was able to clarify that the perceived conflict of interest was clearly wrong, in that it was not only Ngati Porou that had made an application to the Court, but also Ngati Rongowhakaata, Te Aitanga Mahaki, Ngai Tamanuhiri, Ngati Rongomaiwahine, Te Whanau A Apanui and some parts of the Ngati Kahungunu iwi”.

“I am also advised that the Maori Council expressed strong opposition to the government’s actions”.

“The question that still remains in my mind, was whether the Attorney General made the decision to take the case to review because she wanted to reduce the powers of Maori Judges in the Maori Land Court, or was it yet another response to our consistent rejection, as tangata whenua, of the seabed and foreshore policy?”

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>>