No Consultation – No Deal

MANA Leader and MP for Te Tai Tokerau Hone Harawira

Wednesday 19 September 2012

“On behalf of the 1200 who attended the hui called by the King last week to discuss Maori water rights and voted unanimously to ask the government to put a halt to its asset sales programme, and on behalf of the tens of thousands of Maori who have already expressed their opposition to the government’s asset sales programme, I wish to thank the people of Tainui for their refusal to buy into National’s ‘consultation’ proposals” said MANA leader and MP for Te Tai Tokerau, Hone Harawira.

“Last week was a watershed moment in Maori unity and this week the people of Tainui have again shown strength and leadership by refusing to attend last night’s hui called by the government to curry favour with selected iwi leaders”.

“Yesterday the Prime Minister stated his government’s position” said Harawira. “They will not consult with Maori; they are simply calling hui so that when this case goes to court they can say they ‘acted in good faith’”.

“Furthermore, government is only meeting with those iwi leaders whose people hold mana whenua across those waterways critical to the government’s asset sales programme. Tainui’s response has been clear and admirable – no consultation, no deal – a position MANA wholeheartedly supports”.

“The clear challenge now lays with those iwi leaders from Tuwharetoa and Te Arawa”.

“Do they heed the call from the hui and from their own people as well, to put a halt to the asset sales programme until Maori rights to water have been settled across the country?” asked Harawira. “Or do they choose to win for themselves a special deal with the government at the expense of the rights of their own people and all other Maori?”

“I sincerely hope they choose Maori rights over government deals …”

ENDS

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