Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Paul Goldsmith says as soon as Ngāpuhi hapū are ready to negotiate, the Government is ready. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Paul Goldsmith said he would like to progress Treaty negotiations “without delay” and his meetings across Northland this month were a good step forward.
“Meetings I had during my time at Waitangi provided a great opportunity to establish relationships with groups that will be involved in negotiations,” he told the Northern Advocate.
Ngāpuhi is the largest iwi in the country, with about 165,000 members spread across New Zealand and Australia and more than 110 hapū or sub-tribes.
The coalition Government would be “delighted” to be able to make progress to offer redress and reach a settlement with Ngāpuhi, Goldsmith told RNZ on Waitangi Day.
“I’m not going to stand here and say ‘I promise to fix it in two years’ or something like that - I think that would be foolhardy in the extreme - but we’re ready and we’re willing.”
Goldsmith told the Northern Advocate the timing of negotiations will be up to the various hapū of Ngāpuhi.
“I’m very conscious of the work that hapū will need to do in the coming months to prepare for negotiations, including seeking a mandate. When a mandate is in place, negotiations can commence.”
One Ngāpuhi sub-tribe keen to progress swiftly with its own negotiations is Ngāti Hine, said spokesman Pita Tipene.
Ngāti Hine - an iwi in itself, with 50,000 members and nine sub-tribes - successfully met with Goldsmith at Waitangi, he said.
“We put very clearly that we are seeking a mandate for Ngāti Hine and our nine hapū and will not be part of any large natural grouping that the Government might be trying to put through.
“We’re all about our own voice - we are fiercely independent, we are all about self-reliance.”
Tipene said he and other Ngāti Hine leaders have been twice around all its members in New Zealand and Australia.
“We feel we’ve got strong support among ourselves to approach the Government and seek a mandate [to negotiate].”
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.