Iwi clauses a stab-in-the-back for non-iwi NZ

Hostility to the inclusion of mana whakahono a rohe/iwi participation clauses in the Resource Legislation Amendment Bill has prompted Environment Minister Nick Smith to issue a memo to advise caucus how to respond to criticism.

Our media release during the week urged all MPs to vote against the bill because the iwi clauses would entrench co-governance and partnership obligations with iwi Maori into local government, creating an under-the-radar constitutional change.

The Minister wrote in his memo that “the provisions around iwi participation arrangements are a small part of the Bill that will make existing iwi consultation requirements work better”.

While labelling parts of Nick Smith’s memo as “Orwellian”, former ACT MP Stephen Franks wrote that “it seems bizarre that National members are being obliged to support this Bill so near to the election”.

“Why stick up voters’ noses now some of the least defensible law-making National could design?” See http://www.nzcpr.com/resource-legislation-amendment-bill-deceptive-advice-to-national-caucus/

Commentator Michael Coote wrote that a switcheroo on the iwi participation agreement provisions after public consultation on the bill was over means the great majority of New Zealanders have been stabbed in the back by National and the Maori Party. See http://www.nzcpr.com/the-smith-reforms/

Please ask your MP to vote against this bill.

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