KEY POINTS:
Tainui tribal members largely voted for continuity at their executive elections yesterday, despite legal ructions around restructuring at the end of last year.
Te Kauhanganui - the tribe's parliament - elected three new members yesterday to Te Arataura, its executive.
The Herald understands 30 candidates stood for 10 positions, including controversial former New Zealand Breakers coach Jeff Green.
Mr Green was special projects manager for the tribe during its horrendous financial period of the late 1990s that saw the purchase of the then Auckland Warriors rugby league team.
He entered his name into the ballot but was unsuccessful.
Seven Te Arataura members return for another term: Tuku Morgan, Rahui Papa, Rukumoana Schaafhausen, Charles Joe, Kingi Porima, Sonny Wilson and Patience Te Ao.
Gone are two high-profile tribal members, Tipa Mahuta, sister of Hauraki-Waikato MP Nanaia Mahuta, and lawyer Shane Solomon, whose tenure went back to Tainui's negotiating days before its Treaty settlement.
Tania Martin is also gone.
New members include Taitumu Maipi, who heads Raukura Hauora o Tainui, the largest Maori health provider in the region; accountant Maxine Moana-Tuwhangai; and Robert Tukiri - who over the years has made it his business to challenge tribal leadership.
With assets worth $600 million, the tribe is now both a regional economic leader as well as an established superpower economically and politically within Maoridom.
However, after three years of stability, the tribe's parliamentary chairman, Tom Roa, took the executive to court in December alleging Te Kauhanganui hadn't given the sign-off on plans to restructure the commercial, administrative and social arms of the tribe.
It was a position that Justice Paul Heath supported, and last month Te Kauhanganui voted against any changes.
Yesterday, Mr Morgan said restructuring was still a live issue for the tribe. "I think the message that was sent to us at the last Te Kauhanganui meeting was that there has to be a high-level consultation with the tribe."
Until the executive meets to elect a new chairman, Mr Morgan will continue in that position.
King Tuheitia appoints the final member of the board. He is expected to confirm Lady Raiha Mahuta, who has held the post for a number of terms.
