MEDIA STATEMENT

15 April 2014

Voting on Te Mana O Ngāti Rangitihi Mandate Extended

Te Mana o Ngāti Rangitihi (Te Mana) is encouraging all iwi descendants to make their voice heard and ensure they vote in the iwi mandating process, which has been extended another month. The voting period will now close on 30 May 2014.

The period for validation has also been extended to 12 June 2014 to provide the Validating Committee with sufficient time to consider any new registrations.

Chairman Graham Pryor said it is important the iwi vote.

“We need a clear mandate to get the negotiations with the Crown moving. This process has already taken a long time just to get to here and we believe it is the right time to move forward.

“This is a decision that will help to continue the development of our people,” said Mr Pryor.

Mr Pryor said the extension of the voting and validation periods was the result of feedback from a recent Kahui Kaumatua hui, where the committee requested more time to review and validate new registrations and the register to vote applications.

Te Mana held six hui kanohi-ki-te-kanohi with the iwi over the past week in Rotorua, Hamilton, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Matatā, as it seeks to gain a mandate from the iwi to enter direct negotiations with the Crown for the comprehensive settlement of all Ngāti Rangitihi historical Treaty of Waitangi claims.

Mr Pryor said the hui were well attended and voting has been steady since opening two weeks ago.

“We hope that an outcome will be known in June, which will at least allow us the opportunity to meet with the Minister of Treaty Negotiations before the General Election and we believe that is important,” said Mr Pryor.

Voting on the mandate is open to anyone 18 years of age or older who are either registered with Te Mana or have completed the Register to Vote form.

Beneficiaries can vote either by post (registered members have been sent voting packs) or online. Applications forms to register with Te Mana are available on the website. Iwi members who do not wish to register with Te Mana but want to be sent a Register to Vote Pack, have been asked to contact Alana Hunter at the Te Mana office.

ENDS

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