The old and new members of Tama Potaka's Waitangi Tribunal. Photo / Te Pāti Māori.
The old and new members of Tama Potaka's Waitangi Tribunal. Photo / Te Pāti Māori.
Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka’s Waitangi Tribunal appointments have been criticised by Te Pāti Māori as a “whitewash”.
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer accused Potaka of replacing key Māori thinkers with “pale, stale males”.
The new appointments include Tipene Chrisp, Phillip Crump, and Vanessa Eparaima, among others, for a three-year term.
Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka’s new-look Waitangi Tribunal has been labelled a “whitewash” by Te Pāti Māori.
Last week Potaka announced eight new appointments, commenting that their expertise in the private and commercial sectors would enable the Waitangi Tribunal to stay “fit for purpose”.
Five current members, of the 20 members of the Waitangi Tribunal, also had their terms renewed.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Māori/Crown Relations Minister Tama Potaka.
“As the tribunal nears its 50th anniversary, the appointments coming on board will give it the right balance of skills to continue its important mahi hearing and reporting Māori Treaty claims in a timely manner,” Potaka said.
He thanked the outgoing members for their contributions.
“Nei aku mihi mahana ki ngā kaiwhiri hou tae atu ki ngā mātanga i whai tūranga anō ai. Kāore i ārikarika āku kupu whakamiha ki te hunga ka wehe atu nei, oti rā ki ō rātou takoha whakahirahira mai.”
“I would like to express my sincere thanks to the new candidates as well as to the experts who have been appointed again. My words of appreciation are not enough for those who are leaving, but for their valuable contributions.”
But some, especially Te Pāti Māori, have not been as enthusiastic as the minister about the appointments.
Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said of the appointments: “It’s a whitewash. Tama Potaka has removed some of Te Ao Māori’s greatest thinkers from the Waitangi Tribunal and replaced them with pale, stale males.”
The experience of three outgoing Waitangi members Ngarewa-Packer is referring to are Professor Rawinia Higgins, Professor Tom Rice and also Professor Linda Tuhiwai Smith.
“The calibre and knowledge and experience alone is extraordinary. In the reshuffle the Prime Minister demoted the highest ranking Māori minister Shane Reti and now he has Minister Potaka continuing this divisive agenda.
“Why Richard Prebble would even want to be on the tribunal is anyone’s guess.
“Some of the appointments have no Treaty of Waitangi experience and I’m not sure how that is going to be of use to the Waitangi Tribunal. This is a real disappointment.”
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The new members, appointed for a three-year term, are Tipene Chrisp, Phillip Crump, Vanessa Eparaima, Rex Hale, Grant Hadfield, Kingi Kiriona, Ron Mark and Professor Tafaoimalo Tologata Leiland Tuala-Warren.
The five members reappointed to the tribunal are Dr Ruakere Hond, Derek Fox, Kim Ngarimu, Dr Hana O’Regan and Professor Sir Pou Temara.
Chief Judge Dr Caren Fox of the Māori Land Court chairs the tribunal and other judges of the Māori Land Court, while not members of the Waitangi Tribunal, can be appointed as a presiding officer for a tribunal panel.
