Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

Govt Share Offer Insulting and Divisive

Press Release

MANA Leader and MP for Te Tai Tokerau Hone Harawira

Govt Share Offer Insulting and Divisive

Thursday 18th October

“Insulting and divisive” was the response of MANA Leader and Tai Tokerau MP Hone Harawira to government’s offer of shares in Mighty River Power to iwi that have yet to settle.

“It’s an insult because government is only offering those shares because they lost the first two rounds of this fight. They failed to stop the New Zealand Maori Council from laying a claim for Maori water rights and they failed to scare the Tribunal into returning a decision favourable to the government”.

“It’s an insult because what they’re offering are second class shares – everybody else will get loyalty shares, but not iwi”.

“It’s an insult because the shares they’re offering still have to be paid for anyway – they’re not a gift”.

“If it was such a genuine offer, why wasn’t it made months ago? It wasn’t because government thought they would’ve won the battle over asset sales by now. Well they haven’t won it yet, thanks to the action taken by the Council and by hapu and iwi. And with the support of the hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders signing a petition to stop them, it’s likely that government is going to face an uphill battle getting this over the finish line”.

“In terms of the divisive nature of this offer, why is it only being made to those iwi who have yet to settle?”

“Could it be because those iwi lack the financial capability to fully consider the implications of profiting at the expense of higher electricity prices for their already beleaguered beneficiaries? Because the facts show that privately owned power companies charge on average 12% more for electricity than state owned companies. Or is it to tempt cash poor iwi into accepting a deal that they would otherwise reject?”

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

“Government is trying to bully Maori into accepting a bad deal, or create divisions to weaken Maori resolve. I hope Maori stay strong and come alongside the New Zealand Maori Council in taking this fight for recognition of Maori water rights to the highest court in the land where over the past 20 years they have won favourable rulings for Maori in Forestry, Fishing, Maori Language and the Radio Spectrum”.

“With the world’s leading Treaty of Waitangi expert Sir Eddie Taihakurei Durie at the helm, it is likely that the New Zealand Maori Council will win this one as well”.

“A victory for the Council should rightly be seen as a victory for Maori and a victory for all New Zealanders who want to see a halt to asset sales”.

ENDS


© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.