Protesters to carry coffin in march on asset sales | Rotorua News | Local News in Rotorua

8.45am update:

The protesters, from Rotorua, Tauranga, Whakatane, Tokoroa and Murupara, are this morning gathering at the Murray Linton Rose Gardens in Rotorua in preparation to protest to the consultation hui at the Distinction Hotel on Fenton St.

The protesters are to carry a coffin, which has the words Treaty of Waitangi written on it, which symbolises their
views the treaty is dying.

A Maori warrior and a man dressed in navy uniform are also going to be part of the protest.

The Daily Post Maori affairs reporter Whare Akuhata, who is at the protest this morning, said the protesters were
gearing up to send their key messages to the Government _ including their fears the Treaty is under threat, their
concerns over the selling of assets and the selling of the Crafar farms

Iwi leaders from Te Arawa and Mataatua will pressure the Government to include Treaty of Waitangi rights in new legislation required to allow the Crown to sell up to 49 per cent of the shares in state-owned energy companies.

Earlier story:

Maori are expected to carry a coffin through Rotorua today in protest over the planned partial sale of state-owned assets, coinciding with the Government's first iwi consultation hui.

Iwi leaders from Te Arawa and Mataatua will pressure the Government to include Treaty of Waitangi rights in new legislation required to allow the Crown to sell up to 49 per cent of the shares in state-owned energy companies.

Many iwi leaders said they would be attending the Government's first consultation hui today at the Distinction Hotel. Finance Minister Bill English and State-Owned Enterprises Minister Tony Ryall will also be attending.

A protest march was to start about 8am at the Murray Linton Rose Gardens on the corner of Ward and Trigg Aves and would end at the Distinction Hotel on Fenton St.

Hikoi co-organiser Bernie Hornfeck said the Treaty clause issue was "top of the list".

The organisers had invited the political parties that opposed the exclusion of the Treaty clause to attend the protest march; these included the Maori Party, Labour, the Mana Party, the Green Party and New Zealand First.

They were hoping Waiariki MP Te Ururoa Flavell and Green Party MP Catherine Delahunty would speak but said because Parliament was in session they both had to apply for leave.

"Annette Sykes will be there speaking for the Mana Party."

Mr Hornfeck said they would carry a coffin to the hotel.

"It's symbolic of the continued dilution of the Treaty."

Mr Hornfeck was concerned the Government was ignoring the Treaty not only with new legislation but with trade agreements being made between New Zealand and China.

"The Treaty of Waitangi should come first and overseas trade agreements should take into account the Treaty."

Hikoi co-ordinator Dotty Raroa, a member of protest group Te Tai o Te Reinga, said the primary reason for the hikoi was the proposed removal of Section 9 from the proposed new legislation.

"There are other matters such as the sale of the Crafar Farms."

The question of foreign ownership of New Zealand's assets was a hot topic and Ms Raroa said they were opposed to any Government assets being sold offshore.

"There's lots of opposition from all New Zealanders - those assets belong to all of us, Maori and Pakeha. This Government is all about money before people and overseas interests before Maori."

Rotorua MP Todd McClay said the Government was required to consult as part of the State-Owned Enterprises Act, and that process was about to begin.

Although he won't be at the consultation hui in Rotorua, Mr McClay said there would be a high level representative group from the Government that would include Mr English and Mr Ryall. The hui will be facilitated by Sir Wira Gardiner.

Mr English said the Government wanted to understand Maori views before it made its final decisions. "We promised to talk with iwi when we originally announced plans to partially sell the four energy companies and Air New Zealand last year," Mr English said.

Mr Flavell is encouraging iwi to put Section 9 of the State Owned Enterprises Act to the test, and take their cases to court.

"I am asking for iwi and Maori trusts to keep the pressure on the Government, and to test your rights as tangata whenua through the Tribunal and the courts." Mr Flavell said.

"Sir Graham Latimer and the New Zealand Maori Council fought hard to put this clause in place to ensure that we had an avenue through which we could exercise our rights as tangata whenua."

The New Zealand Maori Council also announced yesterday it would lodge a claim at the Waitangi Tribunal, asking it to stop the sales until the tribunal first considered claims to water. Maori Council chairman Sir Graham Latimer and 11 hapu are filing the claim on behalf of all Maori, arguing they have a claim to a share in the four energy companies.