Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia is giving a new Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission one year to overcome inter-Maori feuding and drive long-awaited consensus on how to allocate $800 million in fisheries assets.
He yesterday announced a clean-out of the old commission, which failed to find a way, after years of tribal and urban Maori wrangling and costly litigation, to allocate the fisheries assets.
Already one group, the Treaty Tribes Coalition, has indicated fresh litigation is likely if the new commission tries to change the allocation model for assets, decided by the old commissioners and itself the subject of court action.
Commission chairman Sir Tipene O'Regan and Tainui leader Sir Robert Mahuta are out, along with four other commissioners.
Mr Horomia has brought in seven new members, including the inspired choice, given the warfare that has dogged the debate, of retired district court judge Ken Mason, appointed for his conflict resolution skills.
Sir Tipene and Sir Robert could not be reached for comment.
Mr Mason declined to comment on his appointment, saying it would be inappropriate to do so before the first meeting of the new commission, planned for next Tuesday.
Mr Horomia described the appointments as a milestone. The appointments process had started in 1996 and had been initiated by each of the three Maori Affairs Ministers who preceded him.
The new commission represented a balance of the commercial and the Maori tikanga (culture) skills needed for the allocation job, bringing in fresh perspectives while retaining the institutional knowledge of the reappointed commissioners, he said.
For the first time, Mr Horomia has appointed two urban Maori representatives, apparently bowing to pressure from the Government's urban Maori advocates, MPs John Tamihere and Willie Jackson, who have been pushing for urban Maori to be given a direct slice of the assets.
The previous commission decided on an allocation model for the assets, which is being challenged by some iwi and also urban Maori, who do not directly feature in it.
Mr Horomia made it clear he did not think the new commission should dump everything the previous commission had done.
"Several of the blocks are already in place and I don't envisage, or hope, that the new commission is going to toss it all out."
Mr Horomia paid tribute to his predecessor as minister, Dover Samuels, for work on the appointments.
He praised the outgoing commissioners, who had developed the assets from $200 million to $846 million.
The new commission
Craig Ellison (Ngai Tahu), reappointed
Naida Glavish (Ngati Whatua), reappointed
Shane Jones (Muriwhenua), reappointed
Archie Taiaroa (Tuwharetoa, Te Arawa, Maniapoto), reappointed
June Jackson (Ngati Whatua), chief executive of Manukau Urban Maori Authority, new
June Mariu (Whanau-Apanui), chairwoman of Waipareira Trust, new
Ken Mason (Ngai Tahu), retired district court judge, new
Robert McLeod (Ngati Porou), partner of accountancy firm Arthur Andersen, new
Maui Solomon (Moriori, Kati Huirapa) lawyer, new
Toro Waaka (Kahungungu), deputy chairman of Ngati Kahungungu, new
Koro Wetere (Tainui), former Labour Maori Affairs Minister, now chairman of Te Kauhanganui, new.
- NZPA
Fresh faces on Fisheries Commission get their orders
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