MAORI SEATS IN THE SUPER CITY SHOULD BE FOR ALL MAORI NOT SOME MAORI

ourspace.tepapa.com

The reported joint submission of Tainui and Ngati Whatua to the Auckland Select Committee hearings at the Te Puea Marae is outrageous. They are proposing that only their iwi should be represented on the new Super City and then not by direct vote, but by appointment by some electoral college itself voted into existence by only Tainui and Ngati Whatua on the two Maori Electorate rolls.

That was not what the hikoi was about.

Tainui chairman Tuku Morgan also argued that his iwi's economic input - they plan to build an airport hotel - should justify their seat at the table (Will we have a Taiwanese seat on the same basis?)

Representation is about people, Tuku, not about economic inputs - remember - tangata, tangata, tangata

These two are not the only iwi living in Auckland nor are they the only iwi with historic claims to the region. Worse - nor do they represent the iwi disposessed who live here in great numbers and were so much the reason for the brave and effective efforts to establish urban marae.

Back to the streets people.