Labour and National join forces in new Maori confiscations
Labour and National join forces in new Maori confiscations
Chris McKenzie, former-treaty negotiator
and Te Tai Hauauru Maori party candidate, says that the
Minister of Primary Industries’ plans to remove temporary
exemptions for vessel operators derived from settlement
negotiations is akin to confiscation and diminishes Treaty
settlement assets and our Treaty rights as tangata
whenua.
“The Foreign Charter Fishing Vessel
legislation currently going through Parliament destroys
Maori assets secured through a Treaty
settlement."
“The first confiscation of our
fisheries resources came when the Government assumed
ownership of our taonga. The Fisheries Treaty settlement,
which took years to negotiate, was a means for the Crown to
redress their assault on our rights, but the Minister’s
decision wipes out the value of that
settlement."
“National, supported by Labour, will
effectively bankrupt some operations by stripping out the
right for iwi to get an extension of time to comply. They
will tell you it is because iwi should be hiring local and
paying a higher wage to boats but don’t be fooled; the
National Government had promised temporary exemptions to the
iwi working group right up until the last minute when they
finally tied down Labour’s support and dropped the bill on
the House, suddenly late last night. It’s purely a
political decision - their people over ours,” says
McKenzie.
The four-year extension would have given
tribes time to fully transition to the new compliance
regime. That time would mean the difference between staying
in business or having to shut shop.
“There appears
to be a trend forming with settlements: give iwi assets and
then destroy their value a few years later. That is the case
with the carbon credits received as part of the forestry
settlements. The value disappeared as the Government allowed
cheap foreign credits to flood our market” McKenzie
says.
“It’s disappointing that Labour, who seemed
to have some empathy with the tribes’ position at select
committee, has now back-tracked and will support National in
this bill."
“If the Government is purposely going to
devalue our settlements it may be time to go home and ask
the tribe to consider fresh contemporary
grievances."
ENDS