Govt unlikely to delay asset sales

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Govt unlikely to delay asset sales

3News NZ

Key and Turia

Key and Turia

The Government has agreed to continue talking to the Maori Party about asset sales but it isn't giving any indication that it will agree to delay selling shares in Mighty River Power.

Party co-leaders Pita Sharples and Tariana Turia met with Prime Minister John Key and senior ministers for nearly two hours on Monday night, with no clear outcome.

Dr Sharples told reporters he thought court action was the only course Maori could take to delay the partial privatisation of Mighty River Power and three other state-owned energy companies.

"One always hopes things can be talked through but it's quite likely to go to court," he said.

"I think the Prime Minister expects that."

The meeting was held after the Waitangi Tribunal on Monday told the Government it would try to present a report on Maori water rights by August 24, the deadline the government asked it to meet.

Ministers told the tribunal they had to make a decision on the Mighty River Power sale in the first week of September so shares could be floated in November.

The Maori Council and other Maori groups opposed to asset sales are hoping the report will say asset sales could compromise Maori water rights, and if the Government doesn't put them on hold it intends seeking a court injunction.

A hui of iwi leaders in Wellington on Monday decided they should make a joint approach to the government, but Dr Sharples acknowledged that could take time and the government was "keen to move forward" with its asset sales program.

The Government has agreed to meet with the Maori Party again when the tribunal issues its August 24 report.

NZN

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Comments

7/08/2012 4:25:18 p.m.

CHRISTIAN wrote:

we are not getting any value at all for the money we pay these people at all why cant we sac them becouse all it gets is worse and worse and they promised to grow the economy at twice labours rate and have not deliverd . any other product id take back and get my money back whay not with the government . i feel they are are waste of tax payers money .gosh they better hope labour never find a powerful leader again like david lange . jey shines not becouse he is any great speaker or inspiring its becaouse their is no compotitition right now . 80% of key is media created . as i said if lab had a lange or a muldoon key would be mince meat .

7/08/2012 4:07:07 p.m.

Moera wrote:

@ Eddie...Is a Maori not a NZder also??...yet you choose to ignore this fact. All your comments do is twist and condemn Maori which is why I find your ill placed 'concern' for Maori rather hypocritical. I am an educated NZ Maori and unlike 'some' of my counterparts, I make it my business to know what my Iwi and other Iwi are doing, because it's my future at stake. What's wrong with investing?? Or are you intimidated by the fact that NZ Maori can own a business and make it generate money for NZ Maori? Why don't you ask John Key as you stated, a NZder, why he refuses to work with NZ Maori regarding S.O.A? Why he won't sell S.O.A to NZ Maori if the Iwi, as you have claimed are worth '10s millions up to hundreds of millions'. If Key is a NZder why isn't he working to benefit ALL NZders? Have you ever been involved in a Iwi meeting?? Matters are resolved on a group concensus not any individual decision and there are pakeha present at these meetings. What you have stated...is not what I know. Your assessment of Iwi business and NZ Maori is at best based on your own ignorant misinformed views. If you can't make an educated comment don't make one at all.

7/08/2012 1:48:37 p.m.

David wrote:

@Ediie when many of your's and Mike previous posts have actually been attacking Maori and your "perceived" view of the "entitlement issues" redneck is the correct tag to label you both. Both you and Mike are known for making up information and twisting it to say what you want... even when the reality is the information that you are using was originally intended for another purpose. Right Wing mouthpieces, paid for by the National Party to post on these stories... do have an extreme redneck bent... which just mirrors the National Parties own views. I notice again however that you and Mike make 100 posts online a day... all of them during work hours... so again I bring up the question... is this your job because you dont seem to do any work otherwise.

7/08/2012 1:04:44 p.m.

eddie wrote:

@ Moera.."after all isn't it a pakeha who is Prime Minister?"...Nope, it's a NZr Moera. Do you agree that IWI should, as currently doing, invest/invest/invest their money and grow the wealth at the expense of their poorer tribe members who are struggling?...how much is too much Moera before an IWI, any IWI, actually makes the lifes better for their tribe?...I'll not hold my breath.
PS...care to investigate how much the IWI leaders are giving themselves as salary and how much nepotism is going on at the top, or easier to just ignore and the Govt/Tax payers will help out poor Maori when their IWI is worth 10's of millions up to hundreds of millions. (Treaty Payout IWI I'm referring to)

7/08/2012 11:39:26 a.m.

Carlos wrote:

Good, as they are not buying the water !

7/08/2012 10:49:43 a.m.

Moera wrote:

Some of what you say is right Mike. There will always be a level of corruption both maori and pakeha in positions of trust. Not saying all corporates are thieves. It's British Law that states in the treaty that Maori have entitlements and one of those entitlements pertains to water. Maori are only exercising the rights given to them by British Law. Mike you have stated that the claim is about water deprivation/charging? Ask the Auckland ratepayers about their deprivation and over charging of water rates and how 'they' feel about that situation,do you agree thats fair?...by the way, Maori have nothing to do with that problem. Don't lose perspective Mike...it's Maori asking govt for answers. Key position towards privatisation can only help the rich get richer....Why?? 1. Can we trust those who are non-kiwi to have Kiwi interests at heart? 2. The sales only pertain to those who can afford to purchase shares not to the ordinary Kiwis themselves. 3. What makes you think that once these S.O.A are sold that the current owners won't increase electricity prices anyway. 4. Key is only interested in a quick fix not a long time solution. Key will cripple the country, put the money in his back pocket the leave the country. Maori dont give a damn about Maori....where did you hear that? It was a pakeha corporate official within the fisheries themselves that said Quote: 'They were under no obligation to employ Maori within the fisheries' Incidentally this was stated after the last Maori chairperson was made redundant and after a thirty year period of trying to generate jobs for Maori. It seems to me Mike that like some of your pakeha counterparts you choose to pick and prod at what is negative pertaining to anything Maori, rather than focusing on the positive. The pakeha can/have shown how destructive their policies can be on the NZ economy....after all isn't it a pakeha who is Prime Minister?

7/08/2012 9:12:45 a.m.

eddie wrote:

Yes I agree Mike, but mentioning anything that questions/queries how/what maori have done/do will get you the 'redneck' or 'Racist' tag...NZ Maori and the hand wringing left have made sure any dissenting/questioning voices on anything Maori is shot down quickly and comments flood in by 'born again Tangata Whenua' telling you/us to keep out of their business. It seems the IWI elite/elders get to play with the settlement money (and pay themselves and Whanau a good wage of course) and grass roots Maori seem to be happy just getting their Marae painted...go figure! if Maori aren't questioning why they are still poor with the IWI's in charge of millions, hundreds of millions in most cases, then let them be poor by ignorance and culture...

7/08/2012 8:20:12 a.m.

Mike wrote:

The first document given to the government just says there could be Maori rights which require NZ to perpetually pay for NZ water forever without pining down how they claim the rights, on what historical grounds. Over 20 pages of drivel.

With the signing of the treaty NZ adopted British law on water ownership, which states nobody owns the water. Any claim outside this is a breach of the treaty. Nobody owning water protects everyones rights to water, and it means nobody can then charge/deprive others of water. This claim is all about charging and depriving NZ of water for the benefit of a few - including depriving Maori (generally) of water!

This asking by the govt for something more substantive is fair.

What hasn't been addressed is what Maori rights to water have been breached by others rights to water?

Or how, if Maori end up getting additional water rights, would it help Maori? And how would it affect NZ?

I expect Maori water rights can only cost NZ and NZ Maori in higher costs including electrictiy prices.

Take NZ fishing quota, Iwi claimed that if they were given it they would employ Maori who had lost their traditional fishing rights ... so 50% of NZ quota gifted later, which is worth around $1.5 billion a year, and iwi then effected new emloyment opportunities to Maori. How many Maori are emloyed by iwi to fish the iwi quota? 0! because the iwi are not giving a damn about Maori jobs, let alone jobs for NZ. How much are Maori in general seeing of the billions iwi have made from the quota? I've asked a few Maori this and they haven't even seen 1 cent. So who is benefiting, as it sure isn't Maori genreally, and its not NZ. It seams its some elite group living like kings at the expense of NZ. Incidently its the same iwi's involved demanding more in water rights, including ownership.