Matua Kahurangi: Ngāi Tahu’s gold-plated grift

When “cultural values” become a business model

Kudos to broadcaster Michael Laws for doing what few in the mainstream media dare to do, expose the brazen racket that New Zealand’s most powerful iwi, Ngāi Tahu, have turned “cultural values” into. His recent revelation on The Platform peels back the polished veneer of partnership and exposes what’s really going on behind the bureaucratic curtain, an audacious shakedown masquerading as spirituality.

Centrist: Michael Laws slams ‘Māori issue industry,’ says iwi using ‘cultural veto’ to shake down businesses

Broadcaster Michael Laws says he is “sick of Māori issues” but can’t ignore them because they reveal a “fundamental clash of values” holding the country back.

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.