October 29, 2014
Waikato Tainui votes for change
Waikato Tainui members have emphatically voted for change in the way the iwi governs itself.
Early results indicate more than 70 percent of those who voted in the online referendum favoured what was called the 'marae' model.
That means only two rather than three representatives from each of the 68 affiliated marae will sit on the tribal parliament, Te Kauhanganui.
The executive will also be stripped down from 11 to nine members: six drawn from the parliament, two independents elected at large, and one appointed by the Māori king.
There will also be a new dispute resolution process, Hohou Te Rongo.
Nanaia Mahuta, the co-chair of the review team, says it is a change from the current model.
She says members want change that will deliver greater transparency and accountability for decisions.
The governance review was instigated because of concern too many tribal disputes ended up in the courts.
Only about 10 percent of the 55,000 people on the tribe’s register voted.
Te Kauhanganui needs to approve the model at its November meeting, with the first election under the new structure in February.
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