Wrangling over treaty mandate

The Crown is investigating the mandate of a Palmerston North organisation to negotiate a Treaty of Waitangi claim four years after the group was given a downpayment on an $8.5 million claim.

Another group has lodged a counterclaim with the Waitangi Tribunal on behalf of Rangitane.

In a letter obtained by the Manawatu Evening Standard, Treaty Negotiations Minister Margaret Wilson said in October that the Crown was reviewing the mandate of Tanenuiarangi Manawatu Inc (TMI) to represent Rangitane O Manawatu, represented by Ruth Harris.

TMI received an advance payment on the redress amount of $653,946 from the Crown in July 1999. This was before TMI and the Crown signed a heads of agreement in November 1999, which is not legally binding.

A deed of settlement has not been ratified between the Crown and Rangitane.

The Government's website says that "ratification of the governance entity must occur before the Crown can introduce settlement legislation and transfer the redress provided in the settlement to the claimant group".

It says that before the transfer of the settlement package, the governance entity must be fully accountable to the claimant group and have been ratified by the claimant community.

Mrs Harris, chief executive of TMI, said she was confident TMI had the mandate to represent Rangitane.

"She [Margaret Wilson] is going to review our mandate, but we still hold that mandate. A lot of that has arisen because there has been a lot of untruth in what has been conveyed to her.

"We can't lose the mandate because we've done all the hard work."

Ms Wilson's letter said that mandate issues had been the focus of Rangitane o Manawatu negotiations.

"Both issues are significant and cannot only delay settlement negotiations but impact on the achievement of a robust, durable, and full and final settlement of all Rangitane o Manawatu's historical claims," Ms Wilson said.

The Office of Treaty Settlements and Te Puni Kokiri will do the review.

- NZPA