Breaking Views Update: Week of 19.7.26

Saturday July 25, 2026 

News:
Reappointments to Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori Board strengthens continuity and leadership - Potaka
Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka has confirmed the reappointment of Dr Jeremy Tātere MacLeod as Deputy Chair and Jennifer Te Atamira Ward-Lealand CNZM as a Board member of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori.

The appointments are for a three-year term commencing on 2 September 2026 and provide continuity for Te Taura Whiri as it continues its work to revitalise and promote te reo Māori.

"These reappointments ensure Te Taura Whiri continues to benefit from experienced leadership and strong governance," Mr Potaka says.....
See full article HERE

Pressure pays off on agreements
Federated Farmers has welcomed the Government’s move to scrap existing Mana Whakahono ā Rohe agreements from the new planning system, saying it will reduce uncertainty for farmers.

Federated Farmers has welcomed the Government’s decision to stop existing and new Mana Whakahono ā Rohe agreements from being carried into the new resource management system.

Last week, Federated Farmers called on the Government to end the rush by councils to sign Mana Whakahono ā Rohe agreements before the new planning system comes into force.

Federated Farmers made the same recommendation in its submission on the Government’s resource management reform legislation....
See full article HERE

Māori father's fight for dedicated citizenship pathway continues after personal success
Even after more than a year living in Aotearoa and having secured citizenship for himself and his three children, John Ruddock is still fighting to create a citizenship pathway for other overseas-born Māori, like him.

Ruddock's mother, Rhonda Bryers, was a singer known as 'The Voice of New Zealand' and later the 'Queen of the South Pacific'. He was born in Australia while she was touring, and raised mostly in Hawaii.

Ruddock (Ngāpuhi) grew up assuming citizenship would not be a problem for his own children, but when he returned with them to Aotearoa he found that as citizenship by descent is limited to one generation, there was no pathway for them.

Without citizenship his children could not enrol in school. He was raising them largely alone, feeding them on $30 a week.....
See full article HERE

Partnering with Māori for Impact
Consistent with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Vision Mātauranga policy, it seeks to unlock the science and innovation potential of Māori knowledge, resources and people.

At PHF Science this includes Māori-led research programmes, and developing our Māori capability through both intentional recruitment and focused training.

See more about how we work to deliver impact for Māori......
See full article HERE

Te Ala Moana Fund
Te Ala Moana Fund supports proven, large-scale Māori and Pacific community sport events that bring whānau, aiga and hapori together through sport, culture and identity.

The one-off fund is provided over 2 years to help keep these important community events affordable and accessible in a challenging economic environment. It is part of the 2025 one-off funding from TAB New Zealand.....
See full article HERE

Capability Development Manager (Treaty and Māori)
We have a new DOC Treaty Operating Model that will strengthen how we work with Treaty partners and bring greater clarity to expectations, roles, and accountability across the organisation. This makes it an exciting time to join our Iwi Strategy and Group Partnerships.

We’re looking for a Capability Development Manager (Treaty and Māori) to lead a significant programme of organisational capability uplift that strengthens understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and embeds te ao Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori across our organisation. This is a unique opportunity to influence organisational culture, lead a high-performing team, and help shape how Te Papa Atawhai delivers on its Treaty responsibilities and relationships.

You will lead the design and delivery of organisation-wide capability frameworks, learning programmes, tools and resources that enable staff at all levels to work respectfully, confidently and effectively with Māori.....
See full article HERE

Articles:
Barrie Davis: Crown Counsel, the Tribunal and the Treaty

David Farrar: Pathetic

Propaganda:
Yale researcher studies impact of Whanganui River’s legal personhood

Iwi leaders condemn Government’s scrapping of council agreements

Privacy Commissioner Urges Māori Voice in the Future of Data, AI and Digital Privacy

LGNZ Responds To Changes To Planning And Natural Environment Bills

This Breaking Views Update monitors race relations in the media on a weekly basis. New material is added regularly. If you would like to send Letters to the Editor in response to any of these articles, most media addresses can be found HERE. 

Friday July 24, 2026 
News:
ECan prioritises ‘enduring’ Treaty partnerships
Canterbury’s regional council says it will continue to work with mana whenua as it prepares its Long Term Plan, despite looming law changes and an uncertain future.

Environment Canterbury (ECan) deputy chairperson Iaean Cranwell says being ‘‘a Te Tiriti partner of excellence’’ is a top priority for its new strategic direction document.

Councillors adopted the document at a council meeting on Wednesday to provide guiding principles for staff working on the 2027/37 Long Term Plan.

The importance of ‘‘the enduring partnership’’ with the region’s 10 Papatipu Rūnanga came through strongly in council workshops to develop the document, staff said....
See full article HERE

Partnering to support Māori-led housing solutions - Potaka.
Ownership of 11 temporary homes at Ōmāhu Marae in Hawke’s Bay has been transferred from the Government to Ōmāhu 2R Māori Reservation and Ngāti Hinemanu, Ngāi Te Upokoiri me ōna Piringa Hapū Authority Trust in a move to support Māori-led housing, Associate Minister of Housing Tama Potaka announced today.

The homes were transferred to the Ōmāhu Marae Trustees for a nominal amount, reflecting the cultural significance of the site, the Trustees’ financial position, and the Crown’s Treaty obligations.

“This approach honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi by upholding tino rangatiratanga and enabling Māori to lead housing solutions on their whenua,” Mr Potaka says.

“It’s not just about housing, it’s about partnership....
See full article HERE

Election 2026: Debbie Ngarewa-Packer reselected as Te Pāti Māori candidate for Te Tai Hauāuru
Te Pāti Māori has reselected co-leader and incumbent MP Debbie Ngarewa-Packer for Te Tai Hauāuru Māori electorate in the 2026 general election on November 7.

Ngarewa-Packer entered Parliament on the Te Pāti Māori list in the 2020 election after a narrow defeat to Labour’s Adrian Rurawhe in in the Te Tai Hauāuru electorate.

She won the seat decisively in 2023, finishing more than 9000 votes ahead of Labour’s Soraya Peke-Mason, though the party vote remained with Labour.....
See full article HERE

Tauranga hui brings together Māori finance experts to grow Māori economy
Hundreds of Māori professionals are gathering in Tauranga tomorrow to explore how to grow New Zealand’s growing $126 billion Māori economy.

Te Puna Tahua Toa is hosting Māori governance professionals, business leaders, and entrepreneurs for an event focused on entrenching Māori practice within business practice.

Almost 200 people are expected to attend....
See full article HERE

Call for public say on future of Taranaki Maunga
A call is out for people with a heart for Taranaki Maunga to share their ideas about the future of the mountain and surrounding national park.

A new management plan is being written for the protection, access, and use of Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki - formerly Egmont National Park.

People are asked to contribute what they value most about Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki, including important places and experiences, future opportunities, and any concerns that need consideration.

A new website offers an online survey and address for email submissions until 20 October, and workshops or community drop-in sessions are being planned across Taranaki.

The management plan - He Kawa Ora mō Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki - will then be drafted by Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi, made up of four members each from iwi and the Crown.

In mid-2027 the plan is up for formal public consultation, and review by the regional Conservation Board and the New Zealand Conservation Authority.

The completed plan finally needs joint approval by the Minister of Conservation and Te Tōpuni Ngārahu, which has representatives from the eight iwi of Taranaki.....
See full article HERE

Articles:
Mike's Minute: I don't blame Hipkins for having a crack, but tell him he's dreaming

Geoff Parker: Mana Whakahono ā Rohe - The Power Behind the Process

Propaganda:
Ngāti Ruanui Slams Government’s Planning Changes as Attack on Māori Partnership

Mayor Tanczos Questions 'destructive' Scrapping Of Council-Iwi Agreements

Ferry names: Peters calls it woke – but debating Cook's legacy isn't new

'Absolute bulls***': Labour MP blasts coalition over 'evil' voting changes

Commonwealth Games: Haka, tikanga and te reo help fuel Team NZ in Glasgow

Thursday July 23, 2026

News:
Government flip-flopped on Treaty's role in school curriculum
Documents show the government cut the Treaty of Waitangi as an overarching principle of its school curriculum rewrite two years ago but quickly back-tracked on the idea.

The documents began with an Education Ministry report to Education Minister Erica Stanford dated 12 April 2024 setting out the "overarching design principles" for the rewrite.

The principles did not include the treaty, which was a departure from Te Mātaiaho, the framework for the existing curriculum at that time.

Nearly a week later, 18 April 2024, the ministry prepared another, similar report for the minister that included the treaty as an overarching principle and the minister signed it the next day.

But on 30 April 2024 she signed the earlier document which had no mention of the treaty......
See full article HERE

Northland iwi leaders push Transpower class action over pylon collapse
Two of Northland’s prominent iwi leaders are backing a class action against Transpower and its maintenance contractor Omexom over 2024’s regional power outage, caused by an “entirely avoidable” collapsed pylon.

Business leader Harry Burkhardt (Ngāti Kuri) and community leader Dame Naida Glavish (Ngāti Whātua) say the class action, due for a preliminary hearing in the High Court at Wellington tomorrow, is the only path to justice for Māori businesses severely impacted by the incident.

Legal firms Lee Salmon Long and Piper Alderman have launched the action, funded by Omni Bridgeway, on behalf of Northland businesses to recoup their losses, on a no win, no fee basis......
See full article HERE

Scrapping council/iwi agreements ‘only takes things backwards’
Plans to scrap iwi involvement in councils under the Resource Management Act will take away a seat at the decision-making table for Māori, the chair of a Northland iwi says.

But the Minister Responsible for RMA Reform says the reforms will allow iwi to participate in statutory processes and activities like the identification of significant sites.

The environment select committee has recommended a raft of changes to the proposed Resource Management Act (RMA) reforms, including scrapping agreements dictating the role of iwi in council decision-making – called Mana Whakahono a Rōhe agreements.....
See full article HERE

Six Kāpiti Coast Organisations Awarded Māori Economic Development Grants
Council Iwi Partnerships Advisor Karly Richardson says the successful projects show the strength and diversity of Mori enterprise across Kpiti.

Kāpiti Coast District Council and Te Whakaminenga o Kāpiti have announced six successful recipients of the Māori Economic Development Grants Fund 2026/27.

The contestable Fund, established in 2013, supports whānau, hapū, iwi, mātāwaka, and Māori businesses and social enterprises in Kāpiti to grow Māori economic activity and deliver positive outcomes for the district. A total of $80,000 was available in this year’s funding round.....
See full article HERE

Propaganda:
Commonwealth Games 2026: Māori athletes representing Aotearoa in Glasgow

Will light pollution disrupt our connection with Matariki?

Ngāpuhi Rejects Crown’s Broken Promise — We Do Not Consent

Wednesday July 22, 2026 

News:
Scrapping council-iwi agreements will see existing Treaty settlements relitigated - Labour
Labour says the government scrapping council agreements with local Māori will mean "a lot" of relitigating existing Treaty settlements.

The opposition party has stopped short of promising to repeal and replace the legislation, instead vowing to produce ahead of the November election a reworked bill setting out in detail what it would change.

The government says scrapping the Mana Whakahono ā Rohe agreements is necessary to ensure all other New Zealanders are treated equally.

RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop announced the move alongside Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Monday after the weekly Cabinet meeting, saying only eight of the agreements were in place late last year until his Resource Management reforms were announced.....
See full article HERE

Going for Growth with Māori
Going for Growth with Māori sets out pragmatic actions the Government will pursue over 2025-2026 to support continued Māori economic growth.

Together, public service agencies will focus on three areas that provide an immediate opportunity to boost Māori economic growth activity:

• targeted improvements to the regulatory and legislative framework applying to Māori-owned land; simplifying planning and related processes; and attracting investment;
• facilitating purposeful investment in infrastructure that drives employment and supports sustainable growth in New Zealand, and
• boosting the export receipts of Māori businesses through trade and tourism and value creation via intellectual property......

See full article HERE

Articles:
Chris Bishop, Simon Court: Better planning for growth and environment

Pee Kay: National… the Enemy Within? (Part Three)

JC: A Lesson Luxon Has To Learn

Propaganda:
Can anyone use a Māori name?

Government Rips Up Another Promise Of Partnership With Māori

Government accused of racism after scrapping Mana Whakahono ā Rohe iwi-council agreements

Scrapping council/iwi agreements 'only takes things backwards'

Tuesday July 21, 2026

News:
Iwi-council agreements 'narrowly scoped' in late change to new RMA system
Local authorities would instead be able to sign new "narrowly scoped" iwi participation agreements, setting out how iwi authorities take part in statutory planning processes and in the processes that give effect to Treaty settlement redress.

The Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill, together replacing the Resource Management Act, were reported back to Parliament by the environment select committee earlier today, clearing the way for a second reading of the legislation.

The bills as introduced would have preserved existing Mana Whakahono ā Rohe agreements while not allowing new ones under the old framework.

But Cabinet has now gone further, deciding none will transfer into the new system.

RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop said the Government had grown concerned by a "rapid increase" in new dealmaking since the bills were introduced.....
See full article HERE

Tenths trust's 'unfettered powers’ a risk, claims former Wakatū chair
The Nelson Tenths Bill risks creating a pathway for the sale or alienation of land, says a high-profile Māori business leader.

Paul Morgan, who was Wakatū Inc’s chairperson for 22 years, said the way the bill was structured meant that “unfettered power” would rest with the trustees of Te Here-ā-Nuku, and would create a risk of land sales or alienation.

However, the Te Here-ā-Nuku Trust has strongly rejected Morgan’s claims and has said the preservation of land is central to the trust’s purpose.....(paywalled)
See full article HERE

Greens to take plan for state-owned power entity to the election
The Green Party is proposing sweeping energy reforms, aimed at slashing household power bills and stripping market dominance from major electricity corporations with the establishment of a new publicly owned electricity entity named Kiwipower.

Māori housing: Directing $80 million into a dedicated renewable energy fund to support hundreds of projects on kaumātua homes, papakāinga, and whenua Māori.....
See full article HERE

Papakura has adopted twenty-five new park names
The names were presented to the Papakura Local Board at a hui earlier this year and will help highlight and reflect Papakura’s identity and culture.

Existing names will co-exist alongside new te reo Māori names as dual titles. The exceptions are Hingaia Esplanade Reserve which has adopted the sole name Te Waongaro and Hingaia Reserve which will now become Waipaatiki Reserve. Hingaia Park, which is down the road, will retain its name,” he says.....
See full article HERE

Articles:
Geoff Parker: Waerenga-a-Hika - The History RNZ Left Out

David Farrar: Ngâ Tauira Mâori

Prime Minister Must Clarify National Party Stance On Māori Seats - Don Brash

Propaganda:
Nostalgia Is Not a Policy – The Past Wasn’t Paradise for Everyone

Planning for Tomorrow: Māori Demographics Hold the Key to Future Prosperity

City Rail Link Stations Blessed

Monday July 20, 2026

News:
“Our culture is worth fighting for”: Trustees seek fresh hapū mandate over wāhi tapu in Whakatāne
Calls for greater transparency from Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa are intensifying as trustees of Ōpihi Whanaungakore say the iwi must confront growing tensions over hapū authority, governance and the future of one of Ngāti Awa’s most culturally significant sites.

The dispute centres on a proposed residential subdivision at Ōpihi Whanaungakore near the beachside suburb of Piripai, east of Whakatāne. The development, proposed by MMS GP Limited in partnership with Whakatāne District Council, affects part of the 26.9-hectare site historically known as the 100-acre block.

The whenua lies within land confiscated from Ngāti Awa during the 1866 raupatu. Although the block was later returned to Māori ownership, it gradually passed into private hands before being acquired by the Whakatāne Borough Council, now the Whakatāne District Council. In 2017, the council sold the land now proposed for development for $7.775 million.

The original proposal covered almost the entire site. Following mediation and Environment Court proceedings, the approved development footprint has been reduced to less than half of the land, with additional area set aside as a buffer adjoining a recognised urupā.

Supporters say the revised proposal provides greater protection. Trustees and several Ngāti Awa hapū, however, maintain that any development on the whenua remains unacceptable. They regard Ōpihi Whanaungakore as one of Ngāti Awa’s few remaining ancestral landscapes to have escaped large-scale development. They say the wider area is of profound cultural and spiritual significance, containing ancient urupā and holding oral traditions that link the whenua to the earliest history of Ngāti Awa and the arrival of the Mataatua waka.....
See full article HERE

Articles:
Mike's Minute: Is this why the National vote is soft?

John MacDonald: Bird-flipping ECan needs its wings clipped

David Farrar: Who is behind Maori Roll Call?

Māori trade advisers accuse India of ‘state of denial’ over indigenous peoples

Propaganda:
Who gets to decide how conservation lands are protected?

Inside Tairāwhiti Whenua Trust, New Zealand’s largest Māori farming collective

Agent of pain and destruction

Believe - John Tamihere.

Sunday July 19, 2026 

News:
Bay of Plenty iwi unite to grow aquaculture
At Huria Marae in Tauranga, they came together to celebrate the Bay of Plenty iwi aquaculture settlement, signed in February under the Māori Commercial Aquaculture Claims Settlement Act 2004.

Representatives from 12 iwi of Te Moana-a-Toi gathered to mark the agreement reached between themselves and the Crown.

The agreement delivers a $35 million settlement package and access to 5,000 hectares of new aquaculture space to support iwi-led aquaculture development across Te Moana-a-Toi.

See full article HERE

Articles:
Graham Adams: India’s view of ‘indigenous’ rattles Māori advisers

Maurice Williamson: Move to Māori names “madness”

Video:
Seymour vows to scrap iwi agreements after ECan backdown

Propaganda:
Marae at the Heart of Climate Resilience, Says Lincoln University Expert

This Breaking Views Update monitors race relations in the media on a weekly basis. New material is added regularly. If you would like to send Letters to the Editor in response to any of these articles, most media addresses can be found HERE.