2 Letters


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Weekend Sun / Sunlive 17/1/20
I have been wondering why councillors had suddenly decided to gift the land in Mission Street over to Maori despite the fact Tauranga ratepayers had paid $1.5m for it in a legal sale by the previous owners without firstly council going through the correct legal channels (ie Waitangi Tribunal) to verify the claims that the land had been taken off Maori initially in the past and they had never been paid for it?

It is a huge sum for ratepayers to lose when there are many other urgent things council could have used this money on.

Then shortly after this land had been ‘gifted’ over to Maori, suddenly the Mount track was repaired at a far lesser cost than had previously been quoted after it had remained in limbo for a few years with help and blessings from Maori.

Was there a connection between the two? We won’t let you repair the Mount track unless You give us the land? Silly me!
L ASKIN, Bethlehem.

Against all evidence and public opinion Tauranga City Council has voted to give 11 Mission street to Otamataha Trust, which in my opinion is totally irresponsible.

Legally it’s wrong that seven councillors voted and given away without a public referendum or vote from the people of Tauranga on a property that rate payers have paid for! It’s nigh on stealing!

Another issue is that Maori Council now claim they should have a slice of the 5G spectrum because it is their Taonga and government is considering? A German physicist discovered radio waves in 1886, not Maori saying they should own a portion of 5G spectrum because this is a resource [Taonga], does that justify ownership?

What is happening to Democratic NZ? This is preferential treatment to a minority and consecutive governments buy into this behaviour?

No wonder there is no money left to build our SH2 road?

Maori contribute little to the NZ tax system. Most Maori tribes are classed as Charitable Trusts and with incomes now in the millions, they pay no tax. Maori authorities only pay 17 per cent tax whereas the rest of us pay 24 per cent.

Ask the question why then they should be allowed to make big demands on New Zealand’s resources, this is not equality?

No freedom of speech, if the majority speak against this behaviour; the call is racist; our sound arguments are not printed!
C HUMPHRIES, Katikati.

Northland Age 16/1/20
The apartheid Waitangi Tribunal is fully funded by the taxpayers and was set up to hear and make recommendations to Government of alleged past Treaty breaches by the government against Maori, but the majority of these claims had been fully and finally settled in the 1930’s/40’s.

Since its formation in 1975, it has helped advanced Maori and their assets to the tune of about $36 billion, in many cases by allowing claimants to distort, fabricate or omit evidence to favour their claim, a fact admitted by the Chairman of the Waitangi Tribunal, Chief judge Eddie Durie.

While the tribunal was set up to hear Maori grievances against the crown, it is now an apartheid, taxpayer funded Government organization being used to distort our history and steal assets and taxpayer’s funds that belong to all the people of New Zealand. Maori are no longer disadvantaged; therefore the tribunal can no longer hide behind, Section 19 (2) of the 1993 Human Rights Act.

It is time the apartheid Waitangi tribunal was abolished; it is well past its use by date.

Northland Age 9/1/20
The Maori text which is the true Treaty says very clearly all the people of New Zealand while the words for Forests and Fisheries are not in the Maori Text. And yet, The Waitangi Tribunal is full of our country’s most fluent Maori speakers and they can’t even read the text properly.

The Government could end the confusion if they wished, but they would have to reverse almost every claim which involved forests and fisheries and immediately all claims for water, wind, radio waves, etc would be overturned as the word “Taonga” means “Property procured by the spear” and not “Treasure” as by the Waitangi Tribunal. But our Governments won’t change it as it would destroy all the treaty claims both Labour and National are hell bend on deceiving the people.

Hawkes Bay Today 9/1/20
Re Buddy Mikaere’s article January 3 - ‘Treaty all about fair go’

His inference of Crown/Treaty skulduggery to grab Maori land is laughable, Article Two of the treaty was primarily to guarantee ownership of land and to protect Maori landsellers from opportunist European purchasers.

Only history twisters see the laws passed in 1860s as a means to gain Maori land, when in fact these statutes were to restore and ensure peace for all inhabitants in a turbulent era when two cultures came together. Since 1840 many Statutes have been passed with good intention to help Maori adapt to changing times.

The term “treaty principles” was first used by a politician years before several judges decided what they were.

Even though the controversial Waitangi Tribunal has already redefined key words in the treaty to justify the widest range of Maori grievance possible. It appears that the current list of ‘treaty principles’, or any that may be created in the future, are capable of justifying any tribal demand that may appear at any time, it is no wonder that grievance specialists like Mr Mikaere are jubilant about them.

His quip “ I tend to think the journey is not done...” should send shivers down the spines of patriotic Kiwis.

Northland Age 9/1/20
Article December 28, in Wanganui’s local paper Wanganui now officially “Whanganui pronounced on T.V. and Radio as “Fonganui” as decreed by the semi-educated Geographic Board, Lands and information Hon Louise Upton and approved heartily by the politically correct amongst us it is still necessary for the truth to be told.

The name “Wanganui was spelt without the ‘H’ on the copy of the Treaty of Waitangi that chiefs in the area signed in 1840 in a copy of the signatures of the chiefs that signed the Tiriti o Waitangi under the “Chiefs of Wanganui”.

When Rev Henry Williams spoke to the chiefs at Wanganui before they signed the Treaty he would have made sure he used the correct pronunciation and spelling of Wanganui otherwise he would have lost all credibility.

Proessor Samuel Lee and Hongi Hika wrote an English to Maori dictionary in 1820 but this was in the Ngapuhi dialect and would have been different than the Wanganui or other southern tribes.

As the Wanganui Maoris chiefs were happy with the spelling in 1840 then who are we to change it many years later .The Waitaha people who lived here over 200 years before Maori called it and spelt it Wanganui. Wanganui meaning (Wa) is energy, nga is many nui is large.

It seems the mistake was in putting the “h” into the name of the river for the Board to suggest that consistency demand the name of the city be changed is to compound the error. Consistency would be for the name of the river to revert to its original historic spelling of Wanganui as the city.

Northland Age 7/1/20
In regard to the recent spate of tribally-placed rahui up and down the country. it should be explained that a rahui is a cultural rite, and while relevant to those who adopt a Maori cultural lifestyle, only has legal status through a regulatory body when this body chooses to enforce it.

An iwi or hapu has no mandate to enforce a rahui on others, and indeed, nor should they have the right to do so, any more than a Catholic should require an atheist to attend Mass at Christmas.

Cultural respect cuts both ways; respect for those that wish to live their life by a certain culture, and those that wish to live by another culture. Surely that's what is meant when we claim to be an inclusive society.

Weekend Sun / Sunlive 3/1/20
The council is proposing a review of the naming policy for streets and public places in Tauranga after a ten year hiatus.

The council is already proposing a policy to encourage locally significant Maori names giving greater visibility of Mana Whenua’s connections to Tauranga’s places.

Why? At 18 per cent of the population are they considered more worthy than the rest of Tauranga’s population?

Maori were no more responsible for the urban and residential infrastructure of Tauranga than all other ethnic groups. Tribal Maori have no historical record for making streets and constructing public buildings.

It would seem to be a futile exercise to make a submission on the proposals as the decision to give preferential treatment to Maori appears to have already been decided.

The Treaty made all New Zealanders equal subjects of the Crown but it seems in Orwellian terms; “All animals are equal but some are more equal than others”.
B JOHNSON, Omokoroa.

So, Tauranga Council with obscene haste almost before the inauguration ink was dry have rescinded their September 24, 2019, decision reneging on Council’s 2006 and subsequent promises to transfer 11 Mission Street to The Elms Foundation and then unbelievably gifted it to Otamataha Trust, against all the weight of evidence, the concrete facts and public opinion.

Those people I have spoken to today are incensed about this decision and with some candidates’ failure to fully disclose their race-based agendas during the elections.

The initial purchase price of $825,000 with interest and holding costs has currently ballooned out to about $1.5 million and councillors who voted for this aberration The Elms Foundation, who were complicit in the outcome and Otamataha Trust, can have a whip around to fund the $1.5 million public loss and repay it to the misled TCC Ratepayers.

Voting was seven for (Mayor Powell, Deputy Baldock, Clout, Morris, Abrie, Salisbury and Hughes) and three voting against (Robson, Hollis and Grainger) with Kiddie abstaining. The lack of transparency, honesty, accountability and proper consultation by Elected Members and Council staff as usual defies belief.

Henceforth no TCC ratepayer funding should be provided to The Elms.
S PATERSON, Ohauiti.

Stand firm Andrew Hollis, do not let anyone intimidate you.

You are entitled to your views, just as they are entitled to theirs.

Take comfort in the fact that many thousands of New Zealanders if not hundreds of thousands support your views. You will probably be aware of this now because of the huge amount of support you have received since this argument raised its head.

We elected you to council because of your clear views on what was needed to move local projects ahead and make this council run efficiently. Also, because of the many professional skills you posses and the experience you have, which is needed to get these things done.
M HILLS, Hairini.