July 20, 2018
Get the votes Tau tells critics
Ngāpuhi Rūnanga chair Sonny Tau is challenging opponents to stand for election if they want to change the way the northern iwi is handling its affairs.
A group called Ngāpuhi Taniwharau led by treaty claims lawyer and former Tūhoronuku deputy chair Moana Tūwhare intends to march on the rūnanga offices in Kaikohe on Monday to call for the resignations of Mr Tau and his board.
Mr Tau says it’s the latest episode of a long-running conflict within the iwi, but the majority of members continue to support the rūnanga.
"This stuff here has been hanging around for us. It's an old track that has been gone down before. The AGM for the rūnanga is in October and the elections are during October so people who purport to represent large numbers of people should put their names forward for leadership roles and I have said that for years and the iwi, Ngāpuhi keeps putting me back," he says.
Mr Tau hopes a meeting this weekend with the leaders of the main factions and Treaty Negotiations Minister Andrew Little will finally bring some agreement on restarting the claim negotiations.
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