Hats off to the Maori Party
‘‘It opens up the potential for iwi authorities to be in control of all development.
perpetuity.
They cannot be overturned, not even by successive councils if their communities later decide they don’t want to entrust power to unelected people who do not represent their interests.
It opens up the potential for iwi authorities to be in control of all development.
There’s nothing to stop them favouring their own in preference to other commercial competitors, or from clipping the ticket on others.
How the ensuing conflicts of interest will be managed is anyone’s guess.
The Minister evaded that question because the Government doesn’t really know.
They are leaving local authorities to figure it out.
’’Your elected representatives are still the final decision- makers,’’ she stressed.
Tell that to the Auckland farmer who waited 18 months for a consent to clean out his drain, simply because local iwi dragged their heels on giving approval and the council was afraid to proceed without it.
If the most powerful council in the country is afraid, how will others fare?
Finally she confessed MMP is difficult.
She intimated the Government had to sacrifice democracy to fix the housing crisis. No, it didn’t! Three other parties offered to support the RMA reforms on condition the mana whakahono a rohe provisions were ditched.
Instead, the Government chose to ditch democracy in the hope of Maori Party support at the next election.
So hats off to the Maori Party for its bloodless coup.
And shame on the Government for its willingness to purchase power at any price.
Wendy Clark is a Franklin farmer.
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