Hapu call for Crown to remove recognition of Tuhoronuku's mandate

Sam Napia (left), Chris Finlayson and Moana Tuwhare met recently for the first time since the pair assumed leadership roles with Ngapuhi. PHOTO/FILE

Today is D-day for Ngapuhi's mandate to carry out Treaty negotiations, but with Tuhoronuku already acknowledging it won't make today's Government-imposed deadline, the body's future is uncertain.

Two hapu representatives - both senior figures in Tuhoronuku - have called for the Crown to remove its recognition of Tuhoronuku's mandate saying it is the "single biggest block to progressing the Ngapuhi settlement".

Minister of Treaty Negotiations Chris Finlayson wrote to Tuhoronuku Independent Mandated Authority (TIMA) chairman Hone Sadler on August 29 giving the board until todayto state its position on Maranga Mai in order for negotiations to start next year. He said if the Maranga Mai was not accepted in full the Crown would "quickly reassess" its decision to recognise TIMA's mandate to negotiate Ngapuhi's Treaty claims.

In a bid to reach a decision before the deadline three TIMA trustees, including Moana Tuwhare, put forward a resolution to have the report accepted in full before today.

However after trustees voted 11-10 against it Ms Tuwhare and Sam Napia, who were appointed acting chairman and deputy chairwoman of TIMA for a short period after former chairman Sonny Tau was stood down, wrote to Mr Finlayson urging the Crown to remove its recognition of the mandate.

"We need for you to please do two things. One, render irrelevant what is presently the single biggest block to progressing the Ngapuhi settlement by immediately removing Crown recognition of the TIMA mandate," the pair said.

The Maranga Mai report was produced by the Ngapuhi Engagement group - a tripartite group comprising the Crown, Te Kotahitanga and TIMA - which was established to address issues raised in the Waitangi Tribunal's report into the Ngapuhi Mandate.

TIMA had not yet stated its position on Maranga Mai but a spokeswoman for Mr Finlayson said he had no further comment to make other than what was said in his letter to Mr Sadler.

Now, Ngapuhi elder Kingi Taurua said he has been asked to call together a hui of Ngapuhi to discuss settlement issues as egos were getting in the way of what was best for hapu. A date and location for the hui is yet to be confirmed.

Mr Sadler said a meeting had been set for Fridayas the board needed to meet face to face to discuss several issues and said many trustees were unavailable before that date.

Mr Sadler said he had a problem with Mr Finlayson's threats to reassess the mandate but TIMA were not to blame for holding the process up.

"When you consider we were well on our journey before the [engagement process] came up. The [engagement process] was only supposed to take three months it stretched out to seven months," he said.

Ms Tuwhare said there were a number of factors which led to the decision to ask Mr Finlayson to remove recognition of TIMA's mandate.

"The fact is [Maranga Mai] is what our people want and if the board can't see itself as able to support our hapu and hapu rangatiratanga than the process and the board makes itself irrelevant."

Te Kotahitanga co-leader Pita Tipene said he supported Ms Tuwhare and Mr Napia.

"Our preference would be that Tuhoronuku on their own volition would agree with Maranga Mai in its entirety."