Te Tai Tokerau MP and Mana Party leader Hone Harawira has congratulated Sir Graham Latimer and the New Zealand Maori Council on the first day of their case before the Waitangi Tribunal at Wellington's Waiwhetu Marae.
"The council's bid to stop the sale of New Zealand's four electricity companies andto settle the issue of the Maori interest in water is worthy of support from all New Zealanders." "Government has consistently refused to deal with the Maori interest in water, instead running the line that nobody owns the water, while maintaining all rights of management and jurisdiction over it. If that is the case, then what gives them the right to sell shares in power companies that use that water?"
Maoridom would be pleased to know that newly-appointed council co-chairman Sir Taihakurei Eddie Durie was spearheading the claim, he added.
"I suspect there will be many Pakeha supporting this claim as well, as more of them come to realise that the Treaty is the only chance of keeping our power companies in the people's hands," Mr Harawira said.
"I wasn't surprised to hear that the Maori Party chose not to attend the application for an urgent hearing though. They have a pact with those iwi leaders who sided with the government in opposing the council."
He planned to attend the hearings on behalf of the Mana Party MANA and all Maori who were opposed to asset sales, and asked all New Zealanders to give their blessings and support to the council.
