Police called after attempt to trespass Justice Minister Andrew Little

Treaty Negotiations Minister Andrew Little says the person who served him the "trespass notice" represents no one. Photo / Michael Cunningham

A hapu chairman claims to have issued a trespass notice on Treaty Negotiations Minister Andrew Little. But Little says police were called after his car was suddenly stopped in the middle of the road and he was handed a "meaningless" bit of paper.

Peter Selwyn, the chair of Ngai Tamahaua – a hapu of Bay of Plenty iwi Whakatohea – says a hapu "official" trespassed Little while his car was driving along State Highway 2 on Friday afternoon.

"The Government motorcade attempted to pass through our rohe following an earlier incursion connected with the signing of an Agreement in Principle with Te Whanau a Apanui further up the coast," Selwyn said in a statement on Tuesday.

"Our official identified Mr Little in the rear seat and after the chauffeur had read the trespass notice it was handed through the window of the limousine and Mr Little was then told verbally that he had been served."

Selwyn said Ngai Tamahaua did not accept the mandate of the Whakatohea trust carrying out negotiations with the Government.

"So long as he and his agents continue to recognise and fund a phony trust and not recognise hapu sovereignty then we shall continue not to recognise him and his agents," he said.

"They are not invited into our country and will be expelled accordingly."

Little painted a different picture of the event.

"As I was driving back towards Tauranga a car overtook the VIP car, did a sudden stop in front of it and parked across the roadway, stopping the VIP car," he said.

His driver had then been handed a document.

"What I am satisfied about now is that the person who did that does not represent anybody, acts for himself alone, the trespass notice is meaningless," he said.

Little said meetings with Whakatohea would go ahead in the region as planned.

The driving incident had been reported to police, he said.

Comment has been sought from Whakatohea and police.