The Māori Development Minister has cautioned the group tasked with deciding the future of Ihumātao – which has so far cost the Crown $500,000 – that they could be shown the door, if they fail to find a solution.
It has been almost four years since former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern oversaw the purchase of the highly-disputed Auckland land from Fletcher Building for $29.9 million.
This was private land, with 480 houses to be built on it. Ardern spent $30 million of taxpayer money to buy it (which was ruled by the Auditor-General to be illegal), and set up a committee to decide on a mix or housing and other uses for it.
The houses they stopped being built there – 480 – is greater than the entire first two years of Kiwibuild.
So four years later we have $30 million spent, $500,000 on a committee that has done nothing and no houses.
The houses they stopped being built there – 480 – is greater than the entire first two years of Kiwibuild.
So four years later we have $30 million spent, $500,000 on a committee that has done nothing and no houses.
Documents show Te Puni Kōkiri (the Ministry of Māori Development) has contributed $200,000 to cover costs for the steering group.
A contract valued at $300,000 was also entered into with the office of the Kīngitanga in June last year, to engage with the local community and produce a report on potential land use options.
Jackson said disestablishing the group now would see that money go to waste.
Former Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson told Mike Hosking all this group is capable of doing is talking.
He says he wouldn’t give them an ultimatum, he’d just boot them now.
Abolish the group, and have the crown offer to sell it at cost to local iwi or hapu, and they can spend their own money then deciding what to do with it.
David Farrar runs Curia Market Research, a specialist opinion polling and research agency, and the popular Kiwiblog where this article was sourced. He previously worked in the Parliament for eight years, serving two National Party Prime Ministers and three Opposition Leaders.
4 comments:
Isn't it always the way, Maor love doing it for Maori by Maori, as long as someone else is footing the bill. What a complete fiasco, and how typical of that grifter Jackson.
That would be right, Ardern commits an illegal act, we the people are saddled with a loss so far of about $30M for no net purpose and she is rewarded with a Dameship-ness. Well, this is NZ. If that land is sold at cost (the $30M one assumes) to local iwi/hapu - and NOT JUST HANDED TO THEM - they can go back to sitting on it as they did before. If they choose not to purchase it for said sum then they should thereafter keep the heck off it.
I remember that Pania Newton was like the cat who got the cream when Jacinda purchased that piece of land, and promised there would be a big party. I was looking forward to the party having contributed to the cost of the land, but once again all be get is talk and more wasted money. Time it was all stopped.
Anonymous 12:35am has got it right. The incentives are for the Maori committee to do nothing. The land didn’t cost them a bean and they’re sitting there making lotsa dosh until such time as they decide anything. Why stop the money flowing by making that decision? They’re better off stringing it out and keeping their snouts in the trough for as long as possible. Grifters one and all. The govt and we taxpayers are the mugs. It’s past time to wise up. Change the incentives and the behaviour will change. The ball is in Tama Potaka’s court. Who is he (and National) playing for? Iwi interests or the long term good of all NZers - more than half of whom voted for this stuff to stop.
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