National MPs Office in Rotorua Target of Hikoi

Rotorua, Monday 30 April 2012:

Following a warm welcome from Te Arawa yesterday, a group of 200 locals joined the Hikoi ‘Aotearoa is Not For Sale’ today as it marched from the Rotorua lake front to the office of National MP Todd McLay.

Near the front of the march pallbearers carried a coffin branded with the words: workers rights, public assets sales, Treaty of Waitangi and social welfare. The crowd chanted slogans about protecting the land, people and ocean and called out “John Key is an epic fail, Aotearoa is Not For Sale!”

80% of the public disagree with selling our national assets.

Te Ariki Tumu Te Heuheu has officially notified the Crown that Ngati Tuwharetoa are opposed to the SOE sales and the removal of Section 9.

Also today hikoi organizers were contacted by Papa Soli, a kaumatua and indigenous leader in Hawai’i, wishing the hikoi a safe journey and he passed on hopes that lots of people come out at the Wellington protest on Friday.

Papa Soli said it is energizing for native Hawaiians to see the public resistance in this country against Government plans to sell our assets and resources.

Due to the passing away of a Tuwharetoa tribal elder, the march in Taupo was cancelled today.

Tomorrow contingents from Taranaki and the East Coast will join the hikoi at 1pm, the Square in Palmerston North.

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