Foreshore & Seabed Caution to Māori Party Leaders

Friday, 29 October 2010, 4:23 pm
Press Release: Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Inc

‘Foreshore & Seabed Caution to Māori Party Leaders’

Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated Chairman, Ngahiwi Tomoana urges the Māori Party caucus and electorate representatives to reconsider their support for the Marine and Coastal Area (Takutai Moana) Bill currently before the House, this bill could replace the Foreshore and Seabed Act 2004.

Mr Tomoana believes that there are very little improvements in the current Bill and although Māori will have access to the Courts to determine a customary title, the thresholds and tripwires required to affirm our inherent rights have been raised beyond the realms of most Hapū and Iwi. So the access to the Courts within the majority of cases will be an exercise of frustration and futility, and lining the pockets of the legal industry with money we don’t have.

The millions of footsteps that Iwi, Hapū, Whānau and Mokopuna made to protest the Foreshore and Seabed Act in 2004 would be in vain and betrayed by the activities of the likes of the Act Party, the Coastal Coalition and the National Party’s alacrity to support them if the Māori Party continues to endorse the current process. Kahungunu Hui a Iwi and Hui a Hapū over the last two years have supported the Maori Party to negotiate the new Bill but, have preferred a form of Tipuna Title that truly reflects the fact that we were here up to 1,000 years pre-European arrival.

This korero on behalf of the Iwi is to caution the Māori Party Leaders to give greater scrutiny and greater consideration to the wishes of the people they represent.

ENDS

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