Maori Queen's move injuncted by court

The Tainui power struggle took yet another turn yesterday, when the High Court froze a move by the Maori Queen to remove Tainui's ruling executive.

The executive, Tekaumarua, obtained an interim injunction in the court at Hamilton to retain authority until a full hearing on Friday.

Paul Davison, QC, said last night that the executive did not accept the decision last Saturday by Tainui's parliament to sack the seven members.

He said the injunction had been granted by Justice Michael Hammond without any representative of the other party being present.

The executive was forced to step aside at the weekend after the 183-member Tainui Parliament passed a resolution from the Maori Queen, Dame Te Atairangikaahu, calling on them to quit.

Her move left the tribe's principal negotiator, Sir Robert Mahuta, as the sole remaining executive member.

Sir Robert is the Queen's adopted brother.

Behind the power play are months of wrangling between Sir Robert and the executive for control of Tainui's assets.

The tribe has been forced to write off millions of dollars after a series of poorly performing investments.

In a statement this week after the parliament, Te Kauhanganu, voted to have the tribe's ruling executive dismissed, Sir Robert said: "For the tribe, the last straw was when their actions were seen as usurping the Maori Queen's authority.

"It is then that they decided to assert the tribal will.

"When the power of the ballot box was put up against the tribal will, it was the latter which won out eventually."

Dr Ranginui Walker, the former head of the Maori studies department at Auckland University, said the Tekaumarua's decision to head to the courts challenged traditional Maori leadership.

"The whole institution of the Kingitanga [the king movement] is under threat now," he said.

"This is undermining the last bastion of chieftainship."

Dr Walker said he had hoped for a compromise between the two factions.

Huntly GP and long-time Tainui critic Dr David Gilgen said he was saddened the power struggle had ended up in court.

"It is sad watching Sir Robert go down like this, but I never thought it would end up in court."

Dr Gilgen said that there would be serious repercussions for Tainui's authority in the eyes of Maori.

"There will be a shift in the Maori nation - people will look elsewhere for leadership."