A meeting in Wellington this evening will decide if a new Ngāpuhi treaty mandate proposal should be put to the vote.
Ngāpuhi leaders with Treaty Negotiations Minister Andrew Little - from left: Pita Tipene, Mr Little, Hone Sadler, Sonny Tau, and Rudy Taylor. Photo: Supplied
Treaty Negotiations Minister Andrew Little has been working all year with Ngāpuhi leaders to resolve the stand-off over who should lead their treaty settlement.
Leaders on both sides of the dispute, Tūhoronuku and Te Kōtahitanga, are meeting Mr Little this afternoon to decide if a new representation model is ready to go out to the people.
The original Tūhoronuku mandate, led by rūnanga chair Sonny Tau, was found defective by the Waitangi Tribunal because it undermined the right of hapū to decide how they wanted to settle their claims and who should represent them.
The minister's working group has come up with a new representation model.
But Sam Napia from the Waimate hapū, Te Whiu, said it did not solve the problem.
He said his hapū and others had asked the minister to taihoa and not put the proposal to the vote.
