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Hearing could delay asset sales

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Hearing could delay asset sales

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The Waitangi Tribunal could delay sales of state assets

The Waitangi Tribunal could delay sales of state assets

A Waitangi Tribunal hearing gets under way on Monday, which could delay the partial sale of state-owned assets.

Legislation giving the green light to the partial privatisation of four state-owned energy companies was passed by parliament late last month.

However, the Maori Council will ask the Waitangi Tribunal, at an urgent hearing at Waiwhetu Marae in Lower Hutt, to recommend that the Government delay the sale of shares in the companies.

The Maori Council says the partial privatisation program shouldn't go ahead until historical claims have been settled, Radio New Zealand reports.

It says the Government is selling shares on the basis that the right to use water is free, however, Maori say it's not.

The Crown has opposed the urgent hearing and says any claims by Maori to water and geothermal resources wouldn't be compromised by the partial privatisation of the power companies.

The first part of the hearing is expected to run until early next week.

NZN

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Comments

9/07/2012 10:23:02 p.m.

Chargone wrote:

50%+1 with 1/4th of electors not voting and many of those who DID vote for you for other reasons still opposing the move is NOT a mandate to do something.

9/07/2012 3:22:22 p.m.

Huang wrote:

@Bernard. The only poll that counts is the election! Asset sales or not, water belongs to all kiwi.

9/07/2012 1:46:40 p.m.

Johnstone wrote:

The Maoris have my full support!

9/07/2012 1:26:10 p.m.

the real reason wrote:

the real reason Kiwis are leaving this country, the constant division and the stupidity of constant arguing over who owns what. Nobody owns the water but lets spend a whole heap of money that could be spent on hospitals and making NZ better on another crazy claim. Lets move on and recognise Maori title but in our current year and democracy we vote in a government to lead our nation

9/07/2012 12:32:42 p.m.

atrout wrote:

The claims which may result from the heading will just be more of the "try it on" variety. Water, air, foreshore and seabed all belong to everyone in this country. There is a time to stop the process by hearing the claims to date and then shutting off this divisive process. What a silly mess!!!

9/07/2012 11:59:01 a.m.

Gary wrote:

Maori have every right to this claim, and if I was maori I would push for the same. If no one has any right to the water then no one has any right to what is in the water ie fish, so based on that then anyone can fish where ever and when ever they like as much as they like and the fisheries commision has no right to dictate or say who and where you can fish. Lets be clear here if there was no water on the land then these energy companies would not exist either, it is the water and geothermal resources that they use to convert into electricity. So they are taking or using the natural resources and building dams to control the flow of water that is shared by Maori and the crown locked together by the treaty. This is much bigger and deeper than an election and the minority group that support it. Why should Maori listen to anything the crown say, why pay tax to the crown when they have their own queen, why not have their own court and rules based on their own culture and beliefs? The treaty was signed to live in harmony side by side not for Maori to live under the dictatorship of the crown, Maori have given so much up because they are easy going people but the crown is a machine that will never stop taking.

9/07/2012 10:31:15 a.m.

Bernard Hall wrote:

@Jim you said: "The National Government have a mandate for their partial asset sales programme from the electorate vote last year. That was their main election promise." Really? That election was nothing but a personality contest. If the Nats had the mandate then how come the majority of Kiwis - when polled specifically on the subject - oppose asset sales in any form?

9/07/2012 8:30:01 a.m.

Jim Seaview wrote:

QUOTE: "However, the Maori Council will ask the Waitangi Tribunal, at an urgent hearing at Waiwhetu Marae in Lower Hutt, to recommend that the Government delay the sale of shares in the companies."

So the Maori Council is now doing the anti partial asset sales propaganda work for the Greens and the Labour party.

The National Government have a mandate for their partial asset sales programme
from the electorate vote last year. That was their main election promise.

Labour campaigned on Capital gains tax and removing gst from healthy foods and the electorate looked at what was on offer and voted in National by about 2 to 1 votes to Labour.

The Maori Council have no mandate at all to stop or delay these Government programmes and I presume if the Council won this case - what will be the next claim be - Hydrogen 2 / oxygen??? (foreshore and seabed)