Hon Tuariki Delamere
MP for Te Tai Rawhiti

Media statement
For immediate release
Sunday, 27 June 1999

Tu Wyllie stand on Paraparaumu Airport dubbed belated and hypocritical

Te Tairawhiti MP, Tuariki Delamere, today noted that the belated stand by Tutekawa Wyllie and New Zealand First on the issue of Paraparaumu Airport was first an exercise in hypocrisy and second nothing more than electioneering.

"When Tutekawa Wyllie was part of the Coalition Government he fully supported the sale process for Paraparaumu Airport. To now claim he was somehow opposed to the process is the height of hypocrisy. If he really thought that way, it's a pity he didn't have the courage to make a stand when it really counted," said Mr Delamere.

"I also note that some two years ago Mr Wyllie, in his usual manner, remained silent when I was publicly attacked by Winston Peters for supporting Ngaiterangi in their attempts to have surplus land at Tauranga Airport returned.

"This land was first taken from Ngaiterangi as a result of the Raupatu confiscation. After getting it back it was then taken again, this time under the Public Works Act for use as an airport.

"Ngaiterangi have accepted the taking of the land actually used for the airport. However they object that the land along Hull Road has never been used for the airport and is leased out for commercial purposes in order to subsidise the airport operation.

"Ngaiterangi quite legitimately consider that they should be the benefactors of this land and it is they who are in effect subsidising the airport and therefore the ratepayers of Tauranga.

"The New Zealand First position was clearly spelt out by Winston Peters when he told me that the Ngaiterangi position was not sustainable as his Pakeha voters outnumbered the Maori voters by five to one.

"It's a pity Tutekawa Wyllie has never seen fit to challenge either Mr Peters or his deputy leader Peter Brown who also publicly espouses similar views to Mr Peters on Maori.

Ends

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