Tamihere refuses to back down

By HELEN TUNNAH

An unrepentant John Tamihere says he will continue to criticise "tribal aristocrats" within Maori, despite a ticking off from the Prime Minister.

Mr Tamihere, the Associate Maori Affairs Minister, was reminded by Helen Clark yesterday that the elderly Maori leaders he accused of "strangling" their younger successors were very influential in their community.

Helen Clark was forced to defend Mr Tamihere in Parliament yesterday, the Government still under siege over the performance of Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia.

Mr Tamihere created a headache for his party after a speech to a young Maori leaders' conference in which he said long-term and elderly leaders were stopping their successors driving Maoridom forward by refusing to step aside.

He later named some of those leaders as Crown Forest Rental Trust chairman Sir Graham Latimer, Maori Council member Maanu Paul, Ngati Porou leader Api Mahuika and Hauraki Trust Board chairman Toko Renata.

Mr Tamihere, who represents mainly urban Maori, has been a long-time critic of Treaty of Waitangi settlement processes dominated by tribal leaders.

One of those criticised, Api Mahuika, said "God forbid" Mr Tamihere should one day become Maori Affairs Minister, but those chances have probably slipped further after Mr Tamihere exposed his leader to political attack.

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters launched a tirade against Mr Tamihere in Parliament, referring to past convictions for drink-driving and allegations of past financial problems at his Waipareira Trust, challenging Helen Clark to defend Mr Tamihere.

She did so by deflecting criticisms rather than singing his praises.

The Prime Minister had earlier reminded Mr Tamihere of her responsibilities to all communities.

"She's got a big-picture game and she's saying 'hey look, we have to engage with all communities and all parts of them and you're having a go at potentially quite influential people'," he said.

Helen Clark had not asked him to moderate his public remarks, and if she did, they would have "discussions".

Mr Tamihere said he could not really offend the leaders he had spoken about because they were not on-side with him anyway.

"They've got their own world, and their world is just absolutely juxtaposed to the world of the Maori that I work with.

"They're just tribal aristocrats that are doing okay. They don't have absolute monopoly over our development processes because they just don't engage with us."

He said urban Maori bore the brunt of criticisms of treaty settlements or Maori impropriety from Pakeha New Zealanders in the "smoko sheds at construction sites or at their work stations in offices".

"They have to wear all this, and it's unfair on them. I'm not going to resile from doing this, because I've never been part of their hui circuit."