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28th
NOV
PM misled public on water ownership – Maori Council
Posted by karere under Maori News
Maori Council lawyer Felix Geiringer this morning challenged John Key’s claim no one owns water and said the Prime Minister had misled the public on that point.
Justice Ronald Young is hearing in the High Court at Wellington the challenge to the Government’s plan to partially privatise Mighty River Power next year taken by the council, the Waikato River and Dams Claims Trust and the Pouakani Claims Trust.
The council argues it is unlawful for the Government to sell shares in the company because that would affect the Government’s ability to make redress for any Maori ownership claims over the Waikato River and other water bodies.
But Mr Key has dismissed the council’s claims a number of times, saying his Government’s view was that under common law no owned the water in rivers, lake and other water bodies.
But this morning Mr Geiringer said Mr Key was wrong, and his statements were an “error of law” and “meaningless”.
Mr Geiringer said he believed Maori could potentially establish full blown ownership of water and his submissions included a number of examples of that.
But Mr Key’s claim underpinned the three key decisions by his Government which the council is challenging in court which were;
# the decision to convert Mighty River Power into a “mixed ownership model” company which can be partially privatised,
# the decision not proceed with “Shares Plus” or any other mechanism for redressing Maori proprietary rights in water, and,
# the final decision to partially sell the company which is expected next year.
But Mr Geiringer said Mr Key had misled the public on the ownership of water.
“It’s tricksy on behalf of the Prime Minister who pretended to the New Zealand public that he was basing his decision on the common law that no one owned the water when he wasn’t really.
“In secret the Crown knew that it was possible to own water and therefore that formed no part of their decision-making but that’s not what he told New Zealand.”
However, Justice Young challenged Mr Geiringer’s claims, asking him repeatedly to explain how Mr Key’s statements were an error of law. That led to a heated exchange which ended only when Justice Young told an increasingly frustrated Mr Geiringer to” take a deep breath and count to 10” and to “remember where you are”.
The Crown begins its submissions this afternoon and will argue the decisions being challenged by the council are not reviewable by the court as they have been endorsed by Parliament.
By Adam Bennett
Read all the news [here]
Rather odd the NZ media after much prompting for several months has failed to mention JK’s role in selling off other countries water rights when brokering or the part he and his mates who are preparing the sell off have played in the sell off’s here or let alone know it was his JK’s idea alone to make Auckland a Super-City using buddy Rodney Hide to do it and decided long before he got the top job. One does wonder then if the journo’s and editors of our Aussie owned media here are hoping for a listing that they too may purchase shares and make a nice buck or two at the expense of Maori’s inalienable water rights as defined by right of first discovery of the lands enshrined under International Patent Law. If this legal status does not apply to Maori water rights then neither does the 1986 ”Queen in Right of NZ” legal USA Incorporation legalising the current so called ”Executive Council” to govern this country hold. Thus we have a rogue government and must be and can be removed by force if necessary in order to establish and legal and stable government for the betterment and management of the people and country and uphold the rule of law.
There’s no half way here JK. In or out son.
Obviously ”Watercare” and government local body so called created paper (non living) entity owns its ”water rights” which it sells to Auckland customers so what’s the difference when it comes to Maori’s. Awe shuck’s could it be the few molecules of pigment which causes a minor colour defraction differentiation in their dermal layering. Certainly not say’s the Pakeha, well then it might be say’s the judge and anyway who cares, because we pale guys want to take it off you and sell it to our mates and give you nothing as per usual for it. Sound familiar Maori ”boy”.