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The Maori Affairs Select Committee chair
has entered into the dispute between Tuhoronuku
and Te Kotahitanga o Nga Hapu o Ngapuhi.
Tau Henare says some members of Tuhoronuku
need to step down
to make way for Ngati Hine to have a say
in the Treaty claim of the country's biggest iwi.
I spoken with the chair of Ngati Hine earlier,
and asked if Ngati Hine would support Tau Henare's call.
It's been decided and we're dead set on our path
to remove ourselves completely from these proceedings.
That's what the people have decided.
Hearing Tau's comments,
it's a lot of sweet talk.
It won't get the people's buy-in if the venture is at fault –
which it is.
The structure is wrong.
Changing the faces won't fix the structure.
What's the next step for Ngati Hine?
We're looking into the legalities of the matter.
All the details in the agreement that gives Tuhoronuku its authority,
we'll take a look at that
and how it got to that point.
Whether this was primarily for fisheries purposes
that has since turned to other areas.
We want to look at its wider implications;
if this is carried out,
do all hapu benefit?
Those are the kinds of questions
we'll be inquiring.
So is there no turning back for Ngati Hine?
It's hard to turn back now.
I told our people that once we go down this road,
there's no turning back.
Because what's the use going down this road this week
only to change tact and head down another the next?
And so on?
So it's about keeping the iwi focused and on track.
We need to stay focused on the goal,
strap ourselves in,
and don't give in or lose focus.
This is what you need to do
when you go in to battle for the long haul.
Tuhoronuku cancelled two meetings due to protests –
is that fair for those Ngapuhi who back the process?
If that's the case,
then we would've seen those so-called supporters.
I think the real reason these meetings were cancelled
was because Tuhoronuku knew
their supporters on the ground would be scarce.
Here's what I predict;
Tuhoronuku is waiting until they get to the major urban centres.
The cities where they've already identified many Ngapuhi live.
They think once they get there,
these issues will dissipate.
But they won't.
The opposing voices will become louder
when they reach the urban centres.
Are you concerned that if Te Kotahitanga o Nga Hapu
doesn't have a say in Tuhoronuku's process,
the door will be closed for good?
The doors will never close.
That's something the Crown can't control,
to stop our people from having our own ideas.
It can ignore our actions for a moment,
but it knows that when it comes to the day of signing,
that if the people aren't there to sign it,
then what worth will the agreement have then?
At the moment, the Crown is testing us
to see whether or not we will stay on this path -
whether it's just a passing phase.
Tomorrow they will see that hapu are committed to this path.
So I have no concerns on where the Crown stands.
At the end of the day,
they need to take note of us
to make any progress forward.
That was Te Waihoroi Shortland, Ngati Hine chair.