On The Platform, Laws said a leaked 84-page Ngāi Tahu cultural impact report on Oceana Gold’s McCrae mine near Dunedin shows how iwi are using cultural objections as a cash grab dressed up as spirituality.
Laws said the report, prepared by Ngāi Tahu’s commercial arm Aukaha, blocked the mine’s planned expansion for offending four Māori spiritual concepts. The report spells out the deal: “The expectation is that Oceana Gold will compensate Kāi Tahu where these impacts on cultural values cannot be avoided, remedied or mitigated.”
“There it is in black and white,” Laws said. “You will pay us money because you have offended whakapapa, tapu, and mana.” He called it a “shakedown,” saying iwi have been given “a perverse financial incentive” to oppose development in order to demand money or land.
Laws said he no longer blames iwi for the behaviour, arguing the problem lies with politicians who created the system. “It’s not their fault,” he said. “We gave them the power to corporatise, monetise and weaponise their culture for profit.”
He described the result as a “spiritual veto on progress” that blocks jobs, frustrates investment, and weakens democracy. “Unless some government has the guts to stop it,” Laws said, “this will keep holding the country back.”
“There it is in black and white,” Laws said. “You will pay us money because you have offended whakapapa, tapu, and mana.” He called it a “shakedown,” saying iwi have been given “a perverse financial incentive” to oppose development in order to demand money or land.
Laws said he no longer blames iwi for the behaviour, arguing the problem lies with politicians who created the system. “It’s not their fault,” he said. “We gave them the power to corporatise, monetise and weaponise their culture for profit.”
He described the result as a “spiritual veto on progress” that blocks jobs, frustrates investment, and weakens democracy. “Unless some government has the guts to stop it,” Laws said, “this will keep holding the country back.”
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6 comments:
"The issue is never the issue. The issue is always the revolution."
Hang on a moment - haven't we got a Government that promised to stop all this ? It was clearly an election policy of National, and Luxon has a mandate.
Maybe he is waiting to the last moment before the election to take action and get lots of votes ?
Sorry, must stop being so cynical .....................
Michael - keep hammering away at it!
Words that come mind - " Blackmail "- Stand Over Tactics"-
maori Mafia-" Grifters".
Suggest you ask Ngai Tahu's CEO on - a guaranteed won't accept - to explain what " concepts " of tapu, taonga and tikanga are. For me they are mumbo jumbo - as they are for plus 90% of a multi-cultural New Zealand. Luxon is lost on this issue and it will be to the Nation's peril.
Steve Ellis
NZ will be the Haiti of the Pacific.......
Of course Michael, this is exactly what has been going on for many years, just not so blatantly obvious. Most people unaware money has been paid to Māori to move eels, for instance, so a roading project could proceed. But you’re right Government(s) should not have allowed this to happen. Is Luxon even aware it goes on? Oh to get a straight answer from him on many of these issues before the next election.
Anon 6:02
Even if Luxon was aware that the taxpayers of NZ were being stood over, paying to have eels moved, I have no expectations that he would stop it.
Ardern would have endorsed it, Luxon proves himself to be so weak by allowing that and similar to establish precedents.
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