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Ihumātao is an area of historical importance to the Maori near Auckland Airport, where activists have protested against the Fletcher Building’s plans to build nearly 500 houses on land it purchased, which was confiscated in 1863 by the Crown.
Protesters from the Save Our Unique Landscape (SOUL) movement, led by Pania Newton, say the land should be returned to the Maori and that the occupation of the land escalated in July 2019 after police handed the occupiers a eviction notice.
The prime minister negotiated a temporary suspension of construction at the site in July 2019 while a solution was being sought, but more than a year has passed and nothing has been announced, despite speculation throughout the year that it was approaching. an agreement.
Peters pointed to Newton, describing her as “positionless” with respect to Ihumātao.
“Then came Pania Newtown with her gang of discontents who got so much unwarranted publicity, that she got mainly down the throat of traditional Maori. She sought to nullify a legitimate sale. Worse still, she seeks to create a new wave of Treaty claims.”
Peters cited the controversial Forest and Seabed Act, which under Clark’s leadership in 2004 saw a huge outcry over Maori land ownership. Peters was part of that government by virtue of a trust and supply agreement with Labor.
The law gave ownership of that land to the Crown and prohibited Maori from seeking customary titles through the courts. The next national government later repealed it as part of an agreement with the Maori party, allowing iwi to seek customary rights in court.
“They were fools,” Peters said. “Because since 2011, there have been 3,500 claims that overlap, undermine and contradict each other. Now we have iwi fighting iwi on the issue of the coastline and seabed.”
Peters said that if Kiwis want to live in a country where there is ‘one law for everyone’, only New Zealand First can “protect” them.
“National can’t, whatever they say. They’re nowhere in this race. ACT can’t. David Seymour is leading anyone who votes for him to the confines of Parliament. Powerless. Irrelevant. Don’t waste your vote.”
Seymour said that Peters created the situation in Ihumātao when he appointed Ardern PM.
“Peters could have promoted a law for everyone within the Cabinet. Instead, he implemented it three weeks before the elections. His comments on Ihumātao today are too few, too late,” he said.
“Peters also called me irrelevant, but I have accomplished more off the bench in three years than he has accomplished in three terms in the Cabinet.”
Ardern squashed rumors in July that the government planned to acquire Ihumātao in a deal worth $ 30 million.
“When we have an announcement to make, obviously we will,” he said at the time. “But it’s fair to say that it’s been an issue we’ve obviously worked on for some time and we’re still looking to come to a conclusion.”
National leader Judith Collins has described Ardern’s involvement as “silly.”
