Get used to Maori board with mana - Sharples

The Maori Statutory Board is not the toothless advisory committee that local government has been used to, and the Minister of Local Government and the Auckland Council have to come to terms with that, says Maori Affairs Minister and Tamaki Makaurau MP Dr Pita Sharples.

“The issues that went to Cabinet were quite clear. I proposed dedicated Maori seats, and Minister Hide threatened to resign if Cabinet supported me. An independent Maori Statutory Board with a broad mandate was agreed by the Cabinet,” said Dr Sharples.

“Minister Hide is now responsible for the law passed by the Parliament. Calling the Board an advisory body, or saying he didn’t want it, is not helpful. If he cannot accept the decision, Mr Hide should carry out his threat to resign.

“The law requires the Council and the Board to act reasonably toward each other, and to work together in good faith. A major slashing of the Board’s budget is not an auspicious start to the relationship. Before matters get worse, there should be urgent and open negotiations for a funding agreement, as the Act intends.

“I also hope the Board’s appeal to the Court for a declaratory judgement is simply a way of clarifying uncertainty, and does not set a pattern of adversarial relationships between the Council and the Board in future.

“The Cabinet decision broke new ground in establishing a Board with its own mana to reflect the views and priorities of the Maori citizens of Auckland, and to help the Council meet its Treaty obligations in local government and resource management.

“Maori have a huge contribution to make to Auckland’s development. It is just so important that the board and the council work together constructively, for all the citizens of Auckland,” said Dr Sharples.