Vote closing soon on whether Hawke’s Bay Maori should have seperate seats on Council

Posted by karere under Maori News

Wairoa Voters are reminded they only have until Saturday to have their say in a poll to determine whether or not Wairoa District Council will have dedicated Maori Seats. So far only 39.5 percent of electors have returned their voting documents, which should have arrived in the post boxes of those on the electoral roll several weeks ago. WDC Administration Manager/Electoral Officer James Baty said it was important that everyone returned their documents on time, as no votes would be counted once the polling booth closed. “This is a legally binding poll being conducted under the strictest of regulations. Those who want to have a say need to do so promptly,” he said. Polling is scheduled to close at 12…

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Officialdom worried about precedent says land campaigner

Posted by karere under Maori News

A Maori woman living in Sydney says she believes officialdom is scared to consider returning a piece of land to Maori and the local Aboriginal people or even discuss it, because they feel it could open a flood-gate of similar claims in Australia. Jennifer Holt-Alexander is heading a campaign asking the Parramata City Council to return a piece of land she says was gifted to Maori by the Reverend Samuel Marsden 200-years ago. The Rangihou Reserve is owned by the council which wants to sell it for $25 million. Ms Holt-Alexander says every time she approaches the council or members of parliament, she just gets stone-walled. She says this means they are running scared. Copyright © 2012, Radio New Zealand

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Native Affairs on the Urewera “terrorists”

Posted by karere under Maori News

If you didn’t catch Native Affairs on Monday night, drop what you’re doing and view it here. Native Affairs sets the standard for current affairs in New Zealand and on Monday night the show raised the standard – again. In an unorthodox move, well unorthodox for the MSM, Native Affairs dedicated an entire hour to the Urewera ‘terror’…

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Te Awanuiarangi caps first PhD’s

Posted by karere under Maori News

Whakatane was a sea of gowns Friday as Te Wananga o Awanuiarangi capped its graduates – including the first PhD graduates from a Maori university. More than 1000 of the 2000 students graduating took part in the town and gown parade to the Whakatane War Memorial hall after attending a powhiri on the wananga’s new marae, Te Manuka Tutahi. Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples joined in what was also a celebration of the institution’s 20th anniversary, and said Awanuiarangi’s School of Indigenous Graduate Studies is a great achievement. The graduation was also attended by a group of First Nations Chiefs from Ontario, Canada, two Saami scholars from northern Scandinavia, and a delegation from Hawaii.

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Govt refuses to delay SOE sales bill for tribunal hearings

Posted by karere under Maori News

The Government will not delay the passage of the bill allowing share floats of state-owned enterprises until after the Waitangi Tribunal has held its urgent hearings on the matter. Ministers are insisting such sales would not affect the rights and interests of iwi and will not set aside any shares for future settlement. But SOE Minister Tony Ryall says the Government could be prepared at a later stage to “stand in the market” and buy shares for some iwi as part of Treaty of Waitangi settlements. The Government’s refusal to budge on its timetable means the tribunal will be under pressure to hold its hearings before the law is passed. Submissions must be in by June, the hearing will be…

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Urewera fiasco pointless and expensive shambles

Posted by karere under Maori News

By Matt McCarten. The state finally threw in the towel this week on continuing with the case against the so-called Urewera Four. After spending millions of public dollars in trying to get us to believe Tame Iti was heading the New Zealand franchise of al Qaeda, they want us to pretend it never happened. Most of us do want to move on, but it is important in a civil society to not let the state misuse its immense power, then sweep it under the carpet when it becomes a mess. The fact is the people we pay to keep us safe abused our trust by terrifying a small community unnecessarily. Our protectors hysterically overreacted by branding a group of people…

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Police and Tuhoe meet

Posted by karere under Maori News

A meeting between Police Commissioner Peter Marshall and Tuhoe leaders is being hailed as providing an opportunity to talk about the future rather than the past. Police face mounting pressure to apologise over so-called terror raids following the announcement the “Urewera Four” will not be retried over accusations of belonging to a criminal group which organised military-style training camps. A crown application for a stay of proceedings was granted in the High Court at Auckland on Wednesday. Tuhoe spokesman, Tamati Kruger, says a meeting in Rotorua on Wednesday had been a good initial step towards the future for police and Tuhoe tribe relations. Details of the conversation remain private. Specific issues relating to the police raids or the court case…

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No proof of Whanau Ora fraud – Turia

Posted by karere under Maori News

Government Minister Tariana Turia says there is no evidence that Whanau Ora money is involved in a case with links to the Mongrel Mob. Dunedin police this week arrested 10 people across the country, seized nearly $100,000 worth of cannabis and uncovered the alleged misuse of $20,000 from a government-funded charitable trust. It was reported today the…

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Cartoon: Crown drops appeal for re-trial of Urewera

Posted by karere under Maori News

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Whitebait targeted in Maori claims

Posted by karere under Maori News

Maori groups are claiming customary rights to whitebait in South Taranaki waterways and to a large part of the foreshore. Multiple claims were made by several Maori groups on the Waihi Creek to the Ngaere Stream, including the mouth of the Waingongoro River near Hawera, and for the Waingongoro River to Wahamoko Stream, and the area between the Taungatara and Waihi Rivers as well as other parts of Taranaki. The claims are just some of the 24 lodged for title to 21 beaches around New Zealand, including the New Plymouth foreshore. Applications for the customary rights to whitebait in the Waihi Creek to the Ngaere Stream, including the mouth of the Waingongoro River were made by representatives of Okahu Inuawai…

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Urewera police focused on spying, says lawyer

Posted by karere under Maori News

A defence lawyer involved in the Urewera Four trial says the police had become obsessed with spying and wanted to test out a new unit rather than front and up deal with people on the scene. Auckland lawyer Russell Fairbrother, acting for activist Tame Iti, was commenting following news that the Crown will not seek a retrial on the charges when the case returns to court today. Iti, Te Rangikaiwhiria Kemara, Urs Signer and Emily Bailey were found guilty of firearms charges in March after a lengthy trial. The High Court jury was hung on the most serious charge, of whether the accused had participated in a criminal group. The Crown case against the four contended that they were the…

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Maori voters may be allowed to swap rolls every election cycle

Posted by karere under Maori News

Prime Minister John Key says he has no objection to an Electoral Commission proposal to allow Maori voters to switch between the Maori roll and the general roll between elections, rather than only at the five-yearly Maori Electoral Option. The Electoral Commission made the recommendation in its report on the general election, saying one of the main complaints from Maori voters was that they could not switch rolls other than during the five-yearly electoral option, the last of which was in 2006. It proposed allowing Maori voters to switch once in each three year electoral cycle instead. Although National has advocated scrapping the Maori seats, Mr Key said he would not have a problem with allowing voters to switch more…

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