PRESS RELEASE - 6 May 2013
 
As you will be aware, the Minister for Maori Affairs have tasked a Review Panel aimed at finding better ways in which to utilise better ways of improving the use of Maori freehold land.  There has been much hype, contest and regard given to this topic from all academic corners of the room.  However, there has been no real way to gauge the response from Maori land owners themselves.
 
In this context,

(1) maoriCARE was raised from an overseas perspective to engage and understand what the Review Panel's ideologies were.

(2) In doing so, fundamental flaws were found in the notification process which will endemically wipe out Maori land owners rights to their lands.

(3) Further, those living overseas are predisposed with the myth that their whanau's living back in New Zealand will contact them.

(4) This is fundamentally wrong because the address databases are not been properly maintained so there is no reliance that Maori land owners will be notified.
 
To support this argument, this press release asks you to simply go to this website:
 
http://maoricare.com.au/maori-press-release/
 
And make your own judgements about the value of the propositions put forward to the Review Panel and I humbly ask whether or not, the propositions and consultation process is fair to all?  Here are my details should you seek more information;
 
Beverley Rewa McGhie
Trustee for the McGhie Whanau Trust
PO Box 175
Greenwood WA 6023
Australia
 
Sent without prejudice
Sent without any financial gains
Sent because I am a Maori land owner living overseas and iCARE...

ress Release
Press Release

Despite brave attempts by the New Zealand Government to engage a Review Panel specifically aimed at improving Te Ture Whenua Maori Act, 1993, overall the Discussion document failed miserably simply because at the end of the day, Maori will lose more of their lands and the terribleness of this consequence is Maori land owners won’t know until it’s too late. And the saddest part of this consequence is this website will end up being made a pawn in the political game where government and their agencies will be able to point directly into this website and say Maori land owners knew it was coming.

This press release is being prepared to distribute to all media outlets as well as, whanau on facebook to get the message out that something is wrong if we don’t stand up and speak up now…

Q&A

Question 1:  How can Maori land owners lose their lands?

(1)  The Review Panel have found a new way to force Maori land owners to participate, and

(2)  if Maori land owners don’t participate in hearings/meetings then their rights to have a say WILL BE removed, and

(3)  Maori land owners rights to determine what is best for the land, WILL BE removed, and

(4)  for which the Law Review state that external administrators would have the right under the new laws, remove land Maori ownership  and  “take under their[external administrators] wing”.
 
Question 2:  So what do the Review Panel really want to do in their Discussion Document?

(1)  The Panel want to enforce engagement by law, and

(2)  if Maori land owners don’t engage, then external administrators will be elected by the Court, and

(3)  there are no means which tells the public how Maori land owners can re-engage, so

(4)  once the lands are forced into adminstration, there are no clear  details on how the lands are returned to the owners.
                                        

Question 3:  What happens to Maori land owners then?

(1) Maori land owners become “disengaged” or in the old context, become “Absentee owners”

(2) But at the death of Maori land owners, their children and grandchildren will have no means to regain their lands

(3) These elements are akin to the Public Trustee acquiring lands in the same manner as the Taranaki West Coast Settlement scheme.

Question 4: So if Maori land owners need to be engaged, how do the owners do this?

(1) Maori land owners need to be correctly registered?
 
Question 5: How are Maori land owners registered?

(1) When Maori land owners succeed, the address details are taken up when applications are made to the  Maori Land Court

(2) Thereafter, the address details are passed onto the Maori Trustee, who in turn, keep an internal database.

(3) And there are no laws which hold the Maori Land Court and or, Maori Trustee to account if the Maori land owners are not notified.

Question 6:  So what’s the problem?

(1) Currently the internal databases used by the Maori Land Court and Maori Trustee are not maintained properly.

(2) Since 2010, the Maori Land Court are inundated with Maori owners who were not notified of a hearing or meeting affecting their land or their interests.

(3) Hence,  currently Maori land owners are having a hard time now being notified.

(4) So if the law changes to enforce engagment, then it is likely the the criticism increase severely.
 
Question 7: So does this mean you have to change Te Ture Whenua Maori Act?

(1) No.  You need to change the Maori Assembeld Owners Regulations, 1995.

(2) And you need to change the Maori Trustee Act to prescribe a correct maintenace procedure for the address database.
 

Question 8: Okay, then why can’t the Review Panel look at the other laws as well as the Maori Land Law?

(1) That’s just the thing.  The Review Panel have only written up rules/suggestions for the land law itself without any regard to scoping the other laws as defined in question 7.
 
Question 9: So okay, are there other legal opinions out there that are saying what this website is saying?

(1) Yes. The Law Review clearly analysed what needed to happen, what happened and what ought to happen.

(2) The Law Society also commented on the reasons surrounding profits; as in who gets the profits, what happens to the profits and who is to blame if the land performs poorly?
 
Question 10: But why should I need to worry about it cause families are onto it and they’d let others know anyway?

(1) This is a myth because it’s all fine and well providing the address details are correct. If the Maori land owners addresses are not correct and/or have not been entered properly, then Maori land owners cannot be notified and hence, Maori land owners will be disengaged. Maori land owners effectively get unbolted from the system and they are snapped off completely.

(2) Moreso and when you read through this website, you will note that there are many Maori land owners who were NEVER notified in the first place and if the propositions are encased in law, then Maori land owners rights to engage are snapped off.

(3) Further and again when you read through this website, you will also note there are many Maori land owners who had insufficient time to prepare even though the Regulations stated that 14 days clear notice be given prior to a  meeting.
 
Question 11:  Well, shouldn’t these conversations be handled at the consultation meetings held by the Review Panel at various locations around country?

(1) Yes.  This is suppose to happen; however, in Owae – the meeting was a misrepresentation of consultation.

(2) Maori land owners at this meeting felt like they were being herded into a room like cows been poked into the corner.

(3) Maori land owners at this meeting felt like the meeting was conducted in such a way that the Panel were making sure they got the tick in the box.
 
Question 12: Was the consultation meeting conducted properly?

(1) Yes.  So long as you mimicked and said what the Panel wanted to hear.

(2) Notes were taken; however, when Maori owners got up to speak, the pens dropped and no notes were taken.

(3) Maori land owners asked for minutes of the meeting and were told that a prepared release was being compiled.  This is code for, we’ll see what you have to say and then publish what we want.  Hence, unless you are at the meeting then it is unlikely Maori land owners concerns will be properly and publically aired to give undisputable evidence of transparency.
 
Question 13: Who was sitting at the top of the table at this meeting?

(1) Notably the Maori Trustee (Jamie Tuuta) was there at the top of the table, however, he left to catch a plane.
 
Question 14: So was any regard given to those in attendance at the meeting?

(1) The external Administrator; that being the Maori Trustee disengaged himself from the meeting to go and catch a plane; how can regard be given?

(2) The seat was left empty.

(3) Those Maori land owners at the meeting felt they’d been totally cut off and disengaged.

Question 15: So was the Owae consultation fair and resonable?

(1) No.  It was not because Maori land owners were never engaged properly in the consultation process and the Maori Trustee walked out.
 
Question 16: So – what about Maori owners living overseas, will they be allowed to engage in the process going on in New Zealand?

(1) What about them?  They don’t count.

(2) No one in the Review Panel contacted Maori owners living overseas.

(3) And no one has said or given regard to the Ahi Kaa surrounding all Maori land owners living overseas and/or living outside of their rohe.
 
Question 17: So where too from here?

(1) Public awareness.  No matter where you live in this world, Maori land owners deserve to stand up, speak up and comment on how they feel.

(2) Public awareness.  This website is now been aimed into the media.

(3) Public opinion. It is time for  Maori to come onto this website can make comments.  Be it good or bad, it’s time to speak up and say something.

(4) Public opinion.  Share your opinion with others and as long as this website remains in the public arena, those in the media will carefully watch you have to say to get a sense and measure of the voices of the people.
 
Question 18:  And then what?

(1) Call your local member of parliament and tell them to read this site.

(2) Facebook your family and get them to read this site

(3) CLICK HERE: to make your comments and be heard.
 
ENDS

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