Gerry Brownlee MP
National Party Maori Affairs Spokesman

07 May 2006

Treaty money can’t hide Labour’s ‘go-slow’ agenda

National Party Maori Affairs spokesman Gerry Brownlee says Labour’s announcement of extra money for the Office of Treaty Settlements “can’t hide Labour’s go slow agenda”.

“The Waitangi Tribunal asked for funding increases in the past two Budgets and Labour only gave them a fraction of what was requested.”

In 2004 the Waitangi Tribunal sought an extra $2,787,000 which they didn’t get. In the same bid, the Tribunal argued for an extra $2.7 million for 2005, but were allocated an increase of only $659,000.

“Over the past two years, Labour has refused the Tribunal extra funding worth $4,823,000.

“At the current rate of progress it will be 35 years before the Treaty settlement process is brought to a full, final and fair conclusion. That’s 35 years of ongoing division.

“Frankly, that’s just not acceptable,” says Mr Brownlee.

Ends

© Scoop Media