Maori Party Members Raise issues around Mixed Messages at the SOE Hui

Saturday 18 February 2012

Donna Gardiner, Co Vice-President, Maori Party

At their National Council hui held today at Makaire Tapu Marae in Palmerston North, Maori Party members were disappointed to hear feedback coming back from the consultation hui with the Government on partial asset sales, demonstrating contradictory messages regarding Treaty provisions in new legislation.

“It creates tensions where there are contradictory messages coming from senior Ministers” said Donna Gardiner, Co Vice-President of the Maori Party. “Different messages can be divisive”.

“Party members attending the Tamaki Makaurau hui advised us there appeared to be a different message coming through from Ministers”.

“While there was a public statement declaring Government had an open mind, Minister Ryall was putting forward a different view – suggesting that section 27 of the State Owned Enterprises Act was sufficient for all of our rights and indeed that participants at the other hui supported that view. Our feedback challenges that view”.

“We have had reliable and regular feedback from every single hui and the message is unanimous – at the heart of the debate is section nine of the SOE Act requiring the Crown to act in accordance with the Treaty" said Ms Gardiner. "Nothing less will do".

“If anything, the predominant view was that we needed to both protect and enhance the rights and obligations expressed in Section nine”.

Sir Api Mahuika advised the participants at the Gisborne hui, that at the Iwi Chairs Forum at Waitangi there was also a clear message to retain section 9, and then to strengthen it”.

“Other key themes in the hui from the feedback we have received include: that the consultation process was poor (and in itself a breach of section 9); that our relationship with water needs to be properly reflected and acknowledged and that the questions asked by the Crown to do with Te Tiriti o Waitangi should come through the constitutional review process”. “There has been an emphatic consensus coming throughout the hui and we look forward to analysing the hui feedback, to ensure a clear direction ahead”.

"We are also sending a clear message to our people, for those in the Hawkes Bay to turn up to the hui on Monday night at Pukemokimoki Marae; and to get writing - there's only five days left to get the submissions in!".

"We also hope that our leadership will be engaged in early discussion with the Government, once the final hui is over and the submissions received (Wednesday 22nd)".

Other feedback from Maori Party members can be found at: http://www.maoriparty.org/index.php?pag=cms&id=200&p=soe-consulation-hui-feedback.html

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