“Ngāpuhi want settlement, it will just take time to work through the processes” – Tūhoronuku Independent Mandated Authority Chairman, Hone Sadler

“Ngāpuhi want settlement, it will just take some time to work through the processes,” says Tūhoronuku Independent Mandated Authority (Tūhoronuku IMA) Chairman, Hone Sadler.

He said Tūhoronuku IMA has set up a hapū engagement committee chaired by trustee Moana Tuwhare, which is busy establishing processes to engage with those hapū and groups currently outside the settlement waka.

“This work is happening quickly, and we’ll have updates to announce in the coming days.

“With facilitation assistance from the Office of Treaty Settlements, we are committed to developing an engagement process that everybody can have faith in.

“Early indications from some of the key players is encouraging”.

Mr Sadler was responding to statements earlier this week from the Prime Minister and Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations.

On TVNZ’s Te Karere (12 October), the Prime Minister warned Ngāpuhi it would be ‘’their loss” if the settlement did not happen.

“This government is keen to progress the claim, but it’s totally up to Ngāpuhi. I’ve always said we can’t force people to settle …… so they have to be willing participants at the table.

“If they are not there, it’s really their loss.”

On the same programme, the Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations, Hon Christopher Finlayson, said: “Ngāpuhi stand to lose hundreds of millions of dollars if issues around the tribe’s Treaty settlement are not sorted.”

He warned mandated entity Tūhoronuku that it “faces losing its authority if it does not gain more support from opposing hapū.”

Earlier this week Te Tai Tokerau MP, Kelvin Davis, said “everyone wants settlement, there’s no denying this”.

ENDS

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