6 April 2004

An Open Letter To The Hon. Dover Samuels And The Hon. John Tamihere

The introduction of legislation regarding the foreshore and seabed was considered by Maori Anglican Christians in Te Tai Tokerau at its Hui Amorangi/Annual General Meeting in Whangarei during the weekend of Friday, 2 April 2004 to Sunday, 4 April 2004.

The following is a response to those considerations in light of Scripture and the Treaty of Waitangi.

"The Lord forbid that I should give you my ancestral inheritance." 1 Kings 21:3 NRSV.

We believe that the Church is called by God to be an instrument of peace and to be the prophetic voice of people in the community.

We believe that our ancestral inheritance is under threat.

We believe that peace between peoples in this land is under threat.

We believe that continued breaches to this peace may spark conflict.

We believe that this legislation discriminates and will take away fundamental rights otherwise protected by the rule of law.

We therefore call upon our Members of Parliament in Te Tai Tokerau and Hauraki, the Hon. Dover Samuels MP and the Hon. John Tamihere MP, to abandon this legislation and to hold a “longer conversation” with Maori as urged by the Waitangi Tribunal and to urge their colleagues in Government to do the same.

The Right Reverend Te Kitohi Pikaahu, Bishop of Tai Tokerau The Right Reverend Waiohau Te Haara, Retired Bishop of Tai Tokerau The Venerable Moses Cherrington, BTh, Archdeacon of Tai Tokerau The Reverend Canon Dr Hone Kaa, M A (Hons), DMin, LTh The Reverend Hakopa Te Whata, LLB, B A (Hons), LTh, BTh The Reverend Robert McKay, MTheol (Hons) Dr Kuni Jenkins, PhD, M A The Reverend John Payne, BTh Dr Bruce Gregory The Reverend Donald Tamihere, MTheol, Dip Min The Reverend Dr David Williams, PhD Mrs Herarere Clarke Clergy and Laity of Te Hui Amorangi O Te Tai Tokerau

ENDS

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