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?”

“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

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