Tamihere's Fisheries Bill changes 'trivial'

By RUTH BERRY

Fisheries Minister Pete Hodgson is rejecting claims of political interference, dismissing as "absolutely trivial" last-minute changes John Tamihere secured to the Maori Fisheries Bill.

National Urban Maori Authority (Numa) chairman Willie Jackson says, however, that the changes are huge and that Mr Tamihere, the Associate Maori Affairs Minister, had done a great job for his urban constituents.

Mr Tamihere, a former Auckland urban Maori authority chief executive who with Mr Jackson championed various urban authorities' court cases over the allocation model the bill introduces, is so far keeping his head down and refusing to comment.

While he will welcome Mr Hodgson's rejection of inappropriate interference, the "trivial" assertions may be less palatable.

Sonny Tau, chairman of Te Runanga o Ngapuhi, has alleged political interference was behind the changes, secured last week.

A number of Waitangi Fisheries Commissioners are also understood to be unhappy with the changes, believing Mr Tamihere should not be using his Cabinet position to change the model.

It has been finely balanced to get iwi support and they fear any changes may spark a negative responsefrom iwi already sensitive to the establishment of the $20 million education and training Te Putea Whakatupu Trust, negotiated by urban Maori authorities.

Under the changes, the funds can be used for non-fishing-related initiatives or training - contrary to the commission's plan to restrict applications to fishing.

Under the second change, only Numa has to be consulted when the trust's directors are appointed.

The commission had planned that a range of national Maori organisations, including urban authorities, would play that role.

Mr Jackson, who established Numa just before the allocation model was presented to Parliament, said: "What does Sonny expect Maori MPs to do when they go to Parliament, eat their lunch?

"Maori MPs go to Parliament to represent their constituents and we were particularly unhappy with the commission's plans. Obviously we passed on our concerns to John."

He was pleased with the "huge changes" but would continue to press for a bigger fund - which Mr Tamihere has failed to negotiate - through the select committee process.

Mr Hodgson said the architecture of the bill was different from the commission's report, but the meaning "almost identical".

The commission's report said money from the trust should be used for measures "including fisheries as opposed to being exclusive to fisheries," he said. "We had it at the front of the clause in one draft and then decided to sprinkle it through. It doesn't alter the meaning."

On the consultation over directors, he said: "A reasonable question to ask is, 'if you are appointing people to a trust for urban Maori, then doesn't it seem reasonable or sensible to consult urban Maori authorities before you make the decisions?'

"The things that we are talking about here are absolutely trivial."

Maori Fisheries Bill

* About half the $700 million settlement assets will go to iwi.

* The rest will be managed by a new company, Aotearoa Fisheries Ltd.

* Two trusts will promote education and training for Maori and advance Maori freshwater interests.