Mike's Minute: We need leadership on the Ngāpuhi settlement

Is Shane Jones showing the Minister for Treaty Negotiations Paul Goldsmith how to run his own portfolio? 

In response to Jones and his Member's bill on the never ending Ngāpuhi drama, Goldsmith says the process can't go on forever. 

Which is the same as saying nothing, because clearly it is, and Goldsmith clearly has no plan. 

The Jones bill is clever because my sense of it is there is so much infighting in the north of the country, they will, out of bloody mindedness, never strike a deal. 

All the logic we heard yesterday about tribes that have cut deals and invested billions and seen the endless benefits will have missed their mark in Northland, given a lot of Ngāpuhi aren't interested in a deal. They thrive on dissent and division and permanent anger and grievance. 

Jim Bolger, who I note in the past few weeks as he celebrated his 90th is still prone to the odd piece of public commentary, might like to have pondered his own role in this many, many years ago when they started to put up a few road markers around timeframes. 

The idea was they would set a date to file your claim, remembering even in Bolger's day the Waitangi Tribunal had been going since the 70's, and once you filed, they would impose another deadline to get it all wrapped up. 

Good idea, but it went nowhere because Bolger and Co. got sucked into the idea that this was unfair, it was rushed, and it was history. What wasn’t said out loud was this was a gravy train that could go literally forever, and people were going to make a living off it. 

As Jones revealed yesterday, we've spent $20 million for Ngāpuhi alone, just for lunch and chats and airfares. 

You have to remember 1975 was a goodwill gesture. The tribunal and the settlement of grievances was entered into not because anyone had to, but because it was the right thing to do. It was driven by goodwill. 

I would have thought it was fairly obvious in the vast array of deals to be done and apologies to be made, like life, that some would embrace it and run with it and some would be unable to get out of their own way. 

What was needed but was missing, and still is (Jones aside), was leadership. We needed boundaries set and an explanation of the rules and expectations. 

And because that was missing, so is $20 million on lunch, and still no deal. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The question for you is Shane Jones showing the treaty

(00:03):
Minister Paul Goldsmith how to run his own portfolio. So Goldsmith,
in response to Jones and his members bill on the
never ending Napooy drama, says the protest process can't go
on forever, which is the same basically as saying nothing,
because clearly it is and Goldsmith clearly has no plan.
The Jones bill that we talked about on the program
this time yesterday clever because my sense of it is
there is so much in fighting in the north of

(00:24):
the country. They'll be out. They're just out of sheer,
bloody mindedness. They'll never strike a deal. All the logic
that we heard yesterday about tribes that have cut deals
and invested billions and seeing the endless benefits will have
missed their mark. In Northland given a lot of napoo,
we aren't interested in a deal. They thrive on descent
and division and permanent anger and grievance. Jim Bolger, who

(00:45):
I know in the past few weeks as he celebrated
his ninetieth is still prone to the odd piece of
public commentary, might like to have pondered his own role
in this many many, many years ago when they started
to put a few road markers around time frames. Now,
the idea, if you went around at the time, you
can't remember. The idea was they would set a date
to file your claim, remembering even in Boldses's day, the

(01:05):
wait Tangi Tribunal had been going since the seventies for
goodness sake, and once you filed that claim, they would
impose another deadline to get it all wrapped up. Good idea,
but it went nowhere because Bolgier and co. Got sucked
into the idea. This was unfair, It was rushed, It
was history. What wasn't set out loud, of course, is
this was a gravy train that could go on literally forever,
and people were going to make a living out of it.

(01:26):
As Jones revealed yesterday, twenty million dollars for thy Napoui alone,
just for lunch in chats and airfares. Do remember nineteen
seventy five, the start of the Waitangi Tribunal was a
good will gesture. The tribunal the settlement of grievances, was
entered into not because anyone had to, but because it
was the right thing to do. It was driven by goodwill.
I would have thought it was fairly obvious, and the

(01:48):
vast array of deals to be done and the apologies
to be made like life. Some would embrace it and
run with it. Some would be unable to get out
of their own way. What was needed, but was missing
still is Jones Aside, was leadership, the setting of the boundaries,
the explanation of the rules and expectations. And because that
was missing, so was twenty million on lunch and still

(02:11):
no deal. For more from The Mic Asking Breakfast, listen
live to News Talks at B from six am weekdays,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio