Press Release

MANA Leader Hone Harawira

Wednesday 28th March 2012


Tribunal Grants Urgency Over Water

"Congratulations to Sir Graham Latimer and the New Zealand Maori Council for bringing this matter to a head" said MANA leader Hone Harawira about the Waitangi Tribunal's decision to grant urgency to a hearing to block the sale of state assets until clarification has been given around the nature and the extent of Maori interests in water.

"There was a lot of humming and hahing from some iwi leaders" said Harawira. "Seems they were happy to take the loss on the state assets as long as they got a private deal on management rights to the water”.

"A bit bloody embarassing that it took a guy in his 90's to do what they should have done but that's the mark of the man" said Harawira. "Sir Graham's position is that it doesn’t matter what tribe you come from, every Maori has an interest in water, and that interest is a Treaty right that deserves protection”.

"The Crown must now stop its privatisation of water rights until this claim is heard" said Harawira. "If they don't then this issue could well become the Foreshore and Seabed issue of 2012”.

"I attended the hearings on MANA's behalf, but nobody from the Maori Party turned up; probably didn't want to get offside with their mates in National”.

"MANA has been very strong on this and will continue to be so in the weeks and months ahead" said Harawira "I urge all Maori to join together on this one, regardless of political or tribal affiliations”.

ENDS

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